Ep 43: Josh Bushinsky, Co-Founder & Partner at Trajectory Energy Partners

Today’s guest is Josh Bushinsky, Co-Founder & Partner at Trajectory Energy Partners.

Trajectory Energy Partners brings together landowners, electricity users, and communities to develop solar energy projects with strong local support.

Josh was born in Illinois, and at seven moved with his family to Rochester, New York, where he grew up backpacking. He brings to Trajectory Energy Partners a comprehensive appreciation and commitment to the environment, first working in energy as a visiting researcher at the University of Cape Town. An attorney by trade he has represented the renewable sector at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati, as well as worked with the Microgrid Investment Accelerator, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and the Natural Resources Defense Council in Beijing.

Josh is proud to develop community solar in Illinois and remains an avid hiker — now sharing that skill with his children and family.

In today’s episode, we cover:

• What led Josh to care about the environment, and his path before founding Trajectory Energy Partners


• The opportunity they saw with community solar, and specifically in the midwest, where it is lesser known


• Trajectory Energy approach, including how they handle community involvement


• Criteria that makes a land parcel a good fit


• Pitch to farmers and the  benefits to them


• Some of the biggest recurring concerns that come up from farmers and why


• Benefits to the town of community solar


• Resistance from utilities and why, and how legislation is required


• Sellers market - more money out there than good projects


• What success looks like for Trajectory


• Long vision, and what opportunities lie in store in the future


• Broader discussion about climate change and some of Josh’s ideas for the most impactful ways to help


• Josh’s reflections, after many years working in this problem area

Links to topics discussed in this episode:

• Trajectory Energy Partners: https://trajectoryenergy.com/


• Stephen Schneider: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Schneider


• Waxman-Markey: https://grist.org/article/2009-06-03-waxman-markey-bill-breakdown/


• Clean Air Act: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clean_Air_Act_(United_States)


• White House Council on Environmental Quality: https://www.whitehouse.gov/ceq/


• Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati: https://www.wsgr.com/WSGR/Default.aspx


• OPEC: https://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/


• The Paris Agreement: https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement


• Jon Carson: https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/author/jon-carson


• Renewable portfolio standard: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_portfolio_standard


• Green bank: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_bank

You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant