980: From Policy to Power: What It Takes to Get Energy Built

America needs more electricity. But between recognizing that need and actually putting new power on the grid sits a complicated mix of policy, manufacturing, permitting, interconnection, capital, and community trust.

Recorded live at the CHESSA Energize Summit, this conversation looks at that challenge from three different points in the industry. Robin Dutta, Executive Director of the Chesapeake Solar & Storage Association, explains how policy and industry advocacy shape the market companies are trying to build in. Carlos Class, CEO of Goldi America, offers a firsthand look at the capital, certification, supply-chain work, and risk involved in bringing solar manufacturing back to Virginia. And Drew Price, co-founder of Hexagon Energy, shares what years of project development have taught him about interconnection uncertainty, resilient project portfolios, and why relationships with local communities can determine whether a good project ever gets built.

Together, the conversation gets beyond the simple call to “build more power” and into what doing that actually requires.

Expect to Learn:

🔹 Why interconnection and permitting delays are killing viable solar projects

🔹 How changing federal policies threaten domestic manufacturing investments

🔹 Why building American solar supply chains takes years, not months

🔹 How community trust can determine whether a project gets built

If you build, finance, manufacture, permit, or advocate for energy projects, this episode offers a practical look at the work between policy and power.

The technology is ready. The demand is here. What's stopping deployment?

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(00:00) Bridging the Clean Energy Deployment Gap

(02:16) Navigating Post-IRA Federal Policy Shifts

(04:31) Local Siting Moratoria and Storage Regulation

(05:51) Fixing Clean Energy's Main Street Messaging

(08:48) Overcoming Local Resistance to Domestic Manufacturing

(13:55) The Ecosystem Behind Domestic Solar Content

(16:51) Capital Disparities: Clean Energy vs Data Centers

(20:54) Supply Chain Lead Times and Tariff Volatility

(27:32) Interconnection and Permitting as Deal Killers

(29:02) Surging Power Demand vs Decadal Timelines

(30:33) Risk Management and Portfolio Resiliency

(32:50) Building Community Trust to Win Local Permits

(37:44) Reforming Virginia Interconnection and Shared Solar

(38:23) Unifying the Industry Against Collective Headwinds