The Next Wave: Expanding Renewable Energy Procurement in the Commercial and Industrial Sector
San Francisco, CA
Many commercial and industrial (C&I) companies have set ambitious renewable energy goals for their facilities and operations. A simple Google search provides a litany of C&I end user approaches to meeting their goals. Emerging strategies include signing utility-scale renewable power purchase agreements (PPAs) directly with the renewable energy provider, and entering into virtual PPAs.
This panel will address this trend as well as:
• Strategic considerations for power purchase
agreements.
• The renewable energy industry’s response to this
growing demand.
• The California Public Utility Commission’s (CPUC)
policies that impact the C&I renewable energy market.
Panel:
Bill Thomas
Director of Global Commercial & Industrial (C&I) Origination
First Solar
Aaron Binkley
Director of Sustainability
Digital Realty
Cheryl Lee
Senior Regulatory Analyst, Energy Division
California Public Utilities Commission
/Passle/65737bea961a63814fd9b845/SearchServiceImages/2026-08-21-02-07-57-015-6a87b2fd903e9cc820f83004.jpg)
/Passle/65737bea961a63814fd9b845/SearchServiceImages/2026-08-13-21-42-17-813-6a7e3a39254a1a438c056fe3.jpg)
/Passle/65737bea961a63814fd9b845/SearchServiceImages/2026-08-06-17-15-40-986-6a74c13c9b25f9ddd30eb7cd.jpg)
/Passle/65737bea961a63814fd9b845/MediaLibrary/Images/2025-07-21-23-30-54-976-687ecdae3c5c081e6e9e0d61.jpg)