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What does it take to bring hundreds of megawatts of utility-scale solar to rural communities—and truly earn their support? Valerie Newcomb, VP of Economic & Community Development at Urban Grid, brings deep communications expertise and a decade of leadership in the renewable energy industry to the table. In this episode, she shares how transparent engagement, agrivoltaics, and long-term investment are helping Urban Grid deliver real community benefits alongside clean energy. We cover:

🌱 Blending agriculture with solar
📚 Urban Grid’s multistate scholarship program
🏗️ Lessons from launching Urban Grid’s first 300+ MW as an IPP
💬 How to engage, listen, and build lasting trust in host communities

Thank you to Solarplaza for providing us with the opportunity to record this episode with Valerie at the Asset Management North America (AMNA) conference in San Diego.

If you’re a clean energy employer & need help scaling your workforce with senior leaders, contact Catherine McLean, CEO & Founder of Dylan Green, directly on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3odzxQr. If you’re looking for your next role in clean energy, take a look at our industry-leading clients’ latest job openings: bit.ly/dg_jobs.