SMP 218: How EDPR Is Powering the Growth of Distributed Generation and Community Solar in the U.S.

In this episode, Benoy Thanjan speaks with João Barreto, CEO of EDPR NA Distributed Generation, at the ACORE Finance Forum. They explore the rapid evolution of distributed generation (DG) in the U.S., community solar market trends, and how EDPR is deploying capital to meet growing clean energy demand. Topics Covered: The origin and growth of EDPR NA DG and its 12 GW+ installed capacity in North America Why distributed generation is a key complement to utility-scale solar and wind EDPR’s strategic focus on Northeast and California DG markets Insights on the impact of the House tax bill on renewable investment timelines The policy-driven nature of community solar, and why California’s program rollback was a missed opportunity EDPR’s balanced strategy between greenfield development and co-development partnerships The challenge of navigating interconnection and permitting inconsistency across the U.S. How EDPR differentiates in the DG space through experience, local presence, and global customer relationships Perspectives on integrating storage with DG, and current limitations in markets like New York Key Quote: “Distributed generation is policy-driven—and understanding how to position in the right markets at the right time is what creates long-term value.” – João Barreto   Benoy Thanjan Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy and he is also an advisor for several solar startup companies.  He has extensive project origination, development, and financial experience in the renewable energy industry and in the environmental commodities market.   This includes initial site evaluation, permitting, financing, sourcing equipment, and negotiating the long-term energy and environmental commodities off-take agreements. He manages due diligence processes on land, permitting, and utility interconnection and is in charge of financing and structuring through Note to Proceed (“NTP”) to Commercial Operation Date (“COD”). Benoy composes teams suitable for all project development and construction tasks. He is also involved in project planning and pipeline financial modeling. He has been part of all sides of the transaction and this allows him to provide unique perspectives and value. Benoy has extensive experience in financial engineering to make solar projects profitable. Before founding Reneu Energy, he was the SREC Trader in the Project Finance Group for SolarCity which merged with Tesla in 2016.  He originated SREC trades with buyers and co-developed their SREC monetization and hedging strategy with the senior management of SolarCity to move into the east coast markets.  Benoy was the Vice President at Vanguard Energy Partners which is a national solar installer where he focused on project finance solutions for commercial scale solar projects.  He also worked for Ridgewood Renewable Power, a private equity fund, where he analyzed potential investments in renewable energy projects and worked on maximizing the financial return of the projects in the portfolio.  Benoy also worked on the sale of all of the renewable energy projects in Ridgewood’s portfolio.   He was in the Energy Structured Finance practice for Deloitte & Touche and in Financial Advisory Services practice at Ernst & Young.  Benoy received his first experience in Finance as an intern at D.E. Shaw & Co., which is a global investment firm with 37 billion dollars in investment capital. He has a MBA in Finance from Rutgers University and a BS in Finance and Economics from the Stern School of Business at New York University.  Benoy was an Alumni Scholar at the Stern School of Business.  João Salvação Barreto Chief Executive Officer, EDPR NA Distributed Generation João Salvação Barreto is the CEO of EDPR North America Distributed Generation, the distributed solar and storage business unit of EDP Renewables NA. Promoted to this role in June 2024, Barreto leads a fast-growing platform that manages over 280 MW AC of solar and storage assets across 25 U.S. states—with substantial expansions in key markets like New York, Maine, and Illinois.  He joined EDP in 2014 as part of its Global M&A and Corporate Development group. Over the next decade, he held leadership roles including Chief Commercial Officer, during which he oversaw major acquisitions such as Sunseap (now EDPR APAC) and C2 (now EDPR NA DG). He also chaired EDP’s Investment Committee from 2020 to 2023, guiding the company’s strategic investment priorities João’s professional experience spans 23 years in real estate, 13 years in medical investments, and work in the defense industry, where he built relationships with international governments and organizations He holds a degree from the Nova School of Business and Economics and is fluent in leveraging his multidisciplinary background to advance distributed solar finance, partnerships, and grid resilience  Under his leadership, EDPR NA DG is focused on expanding its community solar, C&I, and behind-the-meter portfolios while emphasizing partnerships, innovation, and operational excellence. João is a frequent participant and speaker at industry finance events, including the Financial Times/Nikkei Investing in America Summit and Infocast Solar Power Finance & Investment forums, where he highlights the importance of distributed generation in the energy transition   Stay Connected: Benoy Thanjan Email: [email protected]  LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com   João Salvação Barreto Website:  https://www.edp.com/en Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/joão-salvação-barreto-90929a3b/ WRISE 20th Anniversary Gala Date & Time: Thursday, June 26, 2025 from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM Location: Gotham Hall, New York City Occasion: Celebrating 20 years of championing women and underrepresented groups in the renewable & sustainable energy sector  Host & Highlight: Presented by Women of Renewable Industries & Sustainable Energy (WRISE); evening includes networking, recognition of community leaders, and celebration of industry milestones  The link to register is below. https://wrise20thanniversarygala.rsvpify.com/?mc_cid=2c22b50623&mc_eid=0dfa02be45&securityToken=qZn8wqQI1mC1uMRPyb08kNwbscQ23wtX