Spotlight |
A new path forward: Q&A with FirstLight’s Justin Trudell
In an exclusive interview, Justin Trudell, newly appointed President and CEO at FirstLight, discusses the company’s 2024 priorities, solar and storage initiatives, hydropower’s evolving role, new ventures, and the critical importance of workforce development and diversity.
What are your key priorities going forward? Our primary focus moving forward in 2024 revolves around executing on the exciting groundwork we’ve laid through substantial growth and planning in recent years, particularly within our development portfolio. A key aspect of our strategy involves continuing our expansion into solar and storage assets, specifically co-locating these assets with our existing hydro projects. Benefiting from the deregulation that separated transmission and distribution from power- producing assets in the US, we now possess substantial land holdings around our assets. While some land is essential for federal licensing requirements and maintaining buffers for hydro projects, a significant portion is available for potential diversification by adding new clean energy development projects. To facilitate this expansion, we’ve established both in-house capabilities and strategic partnerships. Notably, we’ve previously announced partnerships with two companies – Davis Hill Development and New Leaf (formerly Borrego). We are actively exploring opportunities to begin construction on the first of these projects, likely early this year; we see 2024 as a pivotal year for ground breaking at FirstLight. Specifically, two initial projects are planned at the Shepaug Hydroelectric Facility, referred to internally as Little Shepaug and Big Shepaug. Notably, these projects encompass both behind- the-meter and front-of-the-meter ground-mounted solar arrays, addressing diverse use cases and aligning with our commitment to sustainable energy solutions.
You mentioned the establishment of solar and storage initiatives. Does this encompass technologies such as floating solar? Yes, we do have a project in development for a floating solar array at our Western Massachusetts pumped storage facility. The advantage here lies in the fact that the upper reservoir of our existing pumped storage project is not designated as a public use waterway. This distinction addresses a common challenge associated with floating solar on conventional hydro reservoirs, where recreation considerations come into play. Although there are complexities related to the active nature of the storage project, including significant daily water fluctuations of up to 20 to 40ft, we are actively exploring and engineering solutions for the implementation of floating solar.
How do you perceive the evolution of the hydropower and dams industry within the broader clean energy landscape, and what role will First Light play? In the context of the broader clean energy landscape, the messaging around hydro has experienced shifts over the past couple of years; I’ve seen this first-hand not only working in the hydro industry but also as a board member at the National Hydropower Association. Existing hydro stands out as a crucial integrator of various renewable assets, essentially forming the backbone of the renewable energy system, particularly in the case of ponding hydro. However, there has been a notable trend
toward favouring run-of-river approaches. While acknowledging the environmental considerations, it’s essential to recognize the value of pondage in hydro, akin to a natural battery. Similar to pumped storage, ponding hydro enables the storage and release of water to meet peak demand, especially during high-carbon generation periods, followed by off-peak recharging of reservoirs. Looking ahead to the future landscape,
preserving our existing hydro infrastructure is imperative. Recent federal legislation has introduced favourable tax credits and grants to enhance resiliency in existing hydro projects, offering incentives for a 3% incremental generation increase. Anticipating a wave of refurbishments and upgrades, another key program gaining momentum is focused on non-powered dams. Federal legislation has provided a boost to this initiative, and we anticipate further traction in the coming years.
Will FirstLight seek to enhance the representation of women engineers, especially in technical roles? Diversity in our workforce is a key priority for us, and while we’ve made progress as a company and as an industry, we have a long way to go. We’ve made a number of changes over the past few years that have broadened our talent pool and been effective in attracting diverse talent. First, we added a recruiter to our team, which has enabled us to be more intentional with hiring and talent acquisition. Post-pandemic, we also made the decision to permanently allow hybrid and remote work for all roles that don’t require boots on the ground every day, widening our talent pool to the entire US and beyond.
8 | January 2024 |
www.waterpowermagazine.com We’re also proud to showcase our women in
STEM roles. An illustrative example is one of our engineers, Becky Stebbins, who was recently featured in a children’s book ‘Energy Superheroes: Women in Energy Careers.’ She specializes in dam safety and civil engineering and is actually one of two women on our team of three individuals who specialize in dam safety – a fairly rare case in the hydro industry. A last example of a change we made that has been fruitful in our hiring efforts is implementing a generous paid parental leave policy, a recent addition that has proven to be a decisive factor for some of our newly hired team members. It’s important for us to create an environment that supports diverse needs. Furthermore, we strive to highlight success stories internally, fostering an atmosphere that encourages and celebrates achievements across the board.
How does FirstLight approach the recruitment of veterans and military personnel to the industry? Our industry is well-suited for individuals with military experience, and we actively welcome veterans into various roles within our company. The skill sets acquired in the military often align seamlessly with the demands of power generation and engineering, making it a natural fit and an attractive talent pool for employers, given how many new roles we’ll need to fill to successfully reach our decarbonization targets.
You mentioned your active involvement with the NHA. How do you believe this engagement contributes to your leadership role at First Light? Our collaboration with the NHA provides a
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