New York state is placing a significant bet on developing renewable energy into a significant sector of the overall economy. The state has pledged to transition 50 percent of the state’s electricity to renewable sources by 2030, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent by 2050.

This focus has created significant opportunity for real estate developers, as wind and solar projects require the use of land. On this episode of the Harris Beach Podcast, partner F.L. Gorman of our Commercial Real Estate and Real Estate Developers teams talks with Kevin Schulte, founder of GreenSpark Solar, a Rochester-based solar development company.

Kevin tells F.L. he knew he wanted to work in renewable energy in the first moment of a college class on environmental chemistry, when the professor showed a graph of the Greenhouse Effect. “Since that moment I have dedicated my life to combatting climate change. We only have one planet and we better do something about it,” Kevin says.

Click below to listen for more important insights about what developers and policymakers can do to realize the potential of solar and other renewables. This is the first in a series of episodes looking at real estate development issues across New York.

You can also download the episode wherever you get your podcasts. If you like what you hear, please subscribe.