Services

Partnership

Fontana Energy Associates becomes a full, integrated partner in its clients’ projects.

Clients often engage us in strategic planning well before beginning a project. In today’s highly competitive and fast-paced energy market, these early activities often make the difference between success and failure—whether it’s through the choice of geographic region, the selection of technology, or target pricing.

Once development begins Fontana Energy Associates often leads focused investigations to select the optimum site, manages critical activities such as preparing permit applications, directs environmental and legal consultants, and manages the overall development.

We offer the following specific services and often act as the lead developer, integrating these activities seamlessly into projects on your behalf. This flexibility to do what you need most sets us apart.

Services

Site Selection

Strategic and informed selection of sites and routes is the critical first step for every project. We have a series of relationships with local real estate experts in many areas of the desert southwest that we leverage to find the best possible deals for each of our clients and to meet each project’s requirements. We analyze biological issues, slope and terrain, incompatible zoning or land use issues, and other site characteristics using a variety of tools to screen for fatal flaws. We partner with experts in transmission planning and Geographic Information Systems to review large geographic regions quickly. We conduct site visits early and prioritize opportunities quickly. Many factors influence site selection, and we understand them thoroughly. Much of the value we bring to this task is the intuition of knowing which site is the “right” site.

Permit Applications

Fontana Energy Associates selects and manages the teams of experts needed to apply for and receive permits. We’ve led permitting efforts many times, ranging from 5,000 acre solar farms to 40 acre new-generation natural gas plants to multi-state transmission lines, and involving federal, state, and local agencies. We design and guide environmental surveys and manage the preparation of Environmental Impact Report/Statement documents working with teams of biologists, hydrologists, cultural resource specialists, and other experts. We manage biological and cultural resource consultations and negotiate mitigations. We are keenly aware of the need to involve both agency and public stakeholders so that all parties feel secure in the transparency of the permitting process.

Engineering, Procurement, and Construction

Through extensive experience and key relationships with suppliers, Fontana Energy Associates has developed a unique ability to conduct the EPC search and analysis for a solid fit. We routinely represent our clients in the supplier and EPC contractor selection process. We have detailed knowledge of pricing for photovoltaic panels and for a wide range of energy supplies. The ability to find and negotiate appropriate prices for equipment is essential to making projects viable.

Offtake Negotiations

Fontana Energy Associates advises clients on the projected needs of investor-owned utilities and on the trajectories of prices for renewable and clean power. We have analyzed winning and losing price bids and can help clients work backward to calculate profits and equipment costs—and determine which projects are price and market competitive. We also have long-standing relationships with the procurement staff of several utilities, as well as with brokers active in securing project offtake.