Solas Energy® Secures Contract for 450 MW Solar + Storage Projects in Arizona

FORT COLLINS, Colorado – Solas Energy®, a leader in renewable energy consulting services to support the energy transition, is proud to announce it was awarded the Owner’s representative contract for Copia Power’s Harquahala Sun 1 and 2 solar (photovoltaic) and battery energy storage system (BESS) projects. These world-class solar and storage projects are located in Maricopa County, Arizona, one of the highest solar resource areas in the United States. When complete, the projects are expected to provide the region with 450 MW of American-made clean solar energy annually, in addition to 300 MW / 1200 MWh of battery energy storage. The projects recently closed $1.2 billion in construction-to-term loan financing to facilitate project construction.

Evelyn Carpenter, President and CEO of Solas Energy, expressed her enthusiasm, stating, “The award of the Harquahala Sun solar and storage projects is a tremendous milestone for Solas Energy. These projects underscore our team’s ability to effectively manage project execution risk for our clients. Executing a highly complex, multi-phase project of this magnitude requires a strong client partnership and we are honored to be entrusted with this important project. Copia Power is truly a leader in renewable energy project development and execution, and we are pleased to support their mission of accelerating the US energy transition through large-scale deployment of renewable energy infrastructure.”

Tony Archibald, Chief Operating Officer at Copia Power added, “Solas Energy is a trusted partner of Copia Power. Their extensive experience in managing the construction of large-scale renewable energy infrastructure enhances our team’s capabilities as we continue to rapidly develop, build, and deliver impactful renewable energy infrastructure in support of the clean energy transition.”

Solas Energy’s Project and Construction Management Division provides comprehensive solutions to support the development, construction, and operation of utility-scale wind, solar, and energy storage systems throughout the US. To date, the company has supported the development of more than 100 GW of clean energy projects, including gigawatt-plus installations.

About Solas Energy
Solas Energy, headquartered in Fort Collins, Colorado, is a US-based consulting firm specializing in energy projects across renewables, data centers, storage, high-voltage projects, and conventional generation infrastructure. With 16 years of experience on more than 100 gigawatts of projects, Solas Energy provides services including owner’s engineering, project and construction management, and development support. The company is focused on US opportunities, supporting clients with proven expertise and future-focused solutions. Learn more at www.solasenergyus.com or follow us at www.linkedin.com/company/solasenergy-us.

Media Contact:
Julie Wright
(W)right On Communications
jwright@wrightoncomm.com

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President & CEO

Evelyn Carpenter

Evelyn Carpenter, President and CEO of Solas Energy®, has been a distinguished member of the renewable energy industry for over 20 years. In addition to her development, project management, and due diligence experience, she specializes in risk assessment, operational reviews, and oversight of construction projects. Evelyn has proven success in a rapidly changing industry, leading the organization to grow and respond to new technologies, markets, and policies. A licensed professional engineer in California, Evelyn spent the first eight years of her career working on petroleum, petrochemical, and conventional generation projects. After completing her MBA, she joined the renewable energy industry in 2001 and founded Solas Energy in the US in 2009.

For 16 years, Solas Energy® focused on consulting services for development, due diligence, and project and construction management, consulting on over 100 GW of wind, solar, energy storage, transmission, and substation projects. Under Evelyn’s leadership, Solas Energy is expanding its services to address new markets, including data centers, utilities, and conventional generation projects.

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Vice President of Project & Construction Management

Felipe Uscátegui

Felipe brings over 40 years of energy industry experience to his leadership role. His experience includes construction planning, engineering, and project management for the development and execution of more than 4 GW of utility-scale wind, solar, energy storage, and biomass generation facilities. His conventional generation experience encompasses project management of catalytic reduction (SCR) systems for nitrous oxide (NOx) control, and EPC BOP execution of simple cycle and combined cycle gas turbine power plants. At Solas Energy®, Felipe’s responsibilities extend to EPC proposal estimates, contract negotiation, scheduling, direct and subcontracted labor management, procurement, and overall project management throughout North America. He also brings a strong background in global management to his role, and fluency in English, Spanish, French, and Italian.

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Senior Associate

Terri Denning

Terri Denning is a Senior Associate with 26 years of commercial contracting, procurement, risk management, finance, deal structuring, and business development experience in the energy field, with the last 23 years in the renewable energy industry. Terri most recently ran the contracting department for a global battery energy storage company. Prior to that, she held multiple roles at a wind turbine manufacturer where her roles involved management of turbine sales, contracting, business development, M&A negotiation and due diligence. Terri’s prior positions included commodity structuring, deal management, risk management, and project finance for gas fired co-generation plants for a global energy company.

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Associate

Scott Burgener

Scott Burgener has 17 years of experience in project planning and scheduling, cost estimating, budgeting, monitoring and reporting, and financial analysis for renewable and conventional energy generation developers and utilities. Scott is highly experienced in coordinating all aspects of work related to the construction of commercial and utility-scale energy projects, while managing overall project scope, schedule, and costs.

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Senior Associate

Robert Sims

Robert Sims is a Senior Associate with over 45 years of experience in the development, planning, engineering, construction, and commissioning of utility-scale power generation facilities. Much of his experience was with a large international electric utility and power-generating company with global operations. Robert specializes in wind and solar renewable energy facilities, as well as battery energy storage systems (BESS). His extensive experience in conventional energy generation technologies encompasses gas turbine, combined cycle, large diesel, and hydro facilities. His focus includes heavy power and high-voltage areas of the facilities, with responsibility for the technical and administrative aspects of utility interconnections, supporting voltages as high as 500 kV.

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Business Development & Land Strategy Manager

Michelle Nicholson

Michelle Nicholson is an experience land specialist with a demonstrated history of success in the renewable energy sector, overseeing land acquisition, stakeholder engagement, and community sentiment initiatives for over 5 GW of wind, solar, and energy storage projects. Her expertise encompasses environmental consulting, due diligence, land control, and title review, consistently delivering results on time and within budget. Michelle also supports business development and engages with clients to help define their project needs.

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Director of Project Management

Melody-Ann Cote

Melody-Ann Cote has over 30 years of project and contract management experience in the construction industry, 15 of which have been focused on the delivery of renewable energy and energy storage construction projects. She is an expert project manager, overseeing owner’s obligations under construction agreements, supply agreements, financing agreements, interconnection, and power purchase agreements, regulatory permits, and land agreements. She has successfully managed construction for more than 2 GW of wind and solar (PV) energy and 3 GWh of utility-scale energy storage projects.

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Senior Associate

Jerry Fuchs

Jerry Fuchs has over 40 years of experience in the renewable power industry. He is well versed in all aspects of wind and solar power project evaluation and implementation, with comprehensive working knowledge of electrical power generation, transmission, and power markets. Through direct participation and management of project development teams, he has been responsible for the identification, development and acquisition of large portfolios of wind power projects, including transitioning projects from development into construction and commercial operation. His focus at Solas Energy® includes project management, due diligence, and O&M and performance evaluation.

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Vice President of Marketing & Business Development

Jami Wong

Jami Wong has more than 25 years of experience in technology, sustainability, and renewable energy. At Solas Energy®, she oversees and aligns all aspects of marketing and business development. She also supports clients with stakeholder and community-targeted communication strategy. Her career has spanned industries including renewable energy, semiconductors, software, robotics, and consumer electronics. Jami is multilingual and brings a diverse background in global management to her role, with experience supporting organizations in North America, Europe, and Asia.

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Director of Consulting Services

Chloe Ford

Chloe Ford is the Director of Consulting Services at Solas Energy®, where she drives strategic delivery and oversees consulting engagements across the organization. With over eleven years of experience in project and environmental management, Chloe brings deep expertise in permitting, regulatory compliance, and due diligence. Her work spans wind, solar, energy storage, conventional generation, and utility infrastructure projects. She is passionate about crafting innovative solutions to the complex social and environmental challenges within the renewable energy sector, leveraging her expertise to advance sustainable development and champion responsible energy transitions.

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