EP 12 — Soluna’s John Belizaire on Unlocking Stranded Renewable Assets

Soluna is transforming the renewable energy sector by solving one of its biggest economic challenges: curtailment. In this episode of The Future of CRE Sustainability, John Belizaire, CEO, explains to Sean how their innovative approach of pairing data centers with renewable energy sites eliminates wasted energy while revolutionizing project economics. John shares how Soluna converts negative-priced curtailed energy into positive revenue streams, creating a symbiotic relationship between computing and renewable generation. 

 

Originally inspired by a wind project in Morocco where the grid couldn't accept the full power generated, Soluna discovered that up to 30-40% of clean power from solar and wind farms can be curtailed or wasted worldwide. Their solution brings flexible computing load directly to generation sites, enabling renewable projects to maintain production tax credits while improving financial returns for investors who previously saw diminished profits due to curtailment. 

 

Topics discussed:

 

• How curtailment affects renewable project economics by forcing operators to pay to send power to the grid or shut down turbines, jeopardizing production tax credits and investor returns.
• Soluna's behind-the-meter data center approach that transforms negative-priced curtailed energy into positive revenue streams, improving project IRR and enabling production tax credit capture.
• The flexible load model that enhances grid stability by functioning as energy storage without requiring batteries, creating a win-win for both power producers and grid operators.
• Strategies for navigating complex project finance structures when integrating data centers with existing renewable assets without disrupting established PPAs and tax equity arrangements.
• How computing demand's shift toward power availability is creating a "grand awakening" in the energy sector, with data center developers now prioritizing renewable energy proximity over traditional site selection criteria.
• The mechanism of subtractive energy that enables seamless integration with existing power purchase agreements while ensuring grid settlements remain balanced.
• How co-located data centers with flexible load capabilities offer a more economical alternative to traditional grid-scale battery storage for managing renewable intermittency.
• The role of AI in optimizing energy planning, grid management, and infrastructure maintenance across renewable energy and commercial real estate portfolios.