Cultivate Power
Cultivate Power is a private distributed solar and storage project developer that builds 10- to 50-acre community solar arrays on farmland and infill sites, partnering with landowners, local communities, and Generate Capital to deliver lease income, electricity bill savings, and community benefits.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Cultivate Power does
Cultivate Power is a private distributed solar and storage project developer headquartered in Chicago with a regional office in Santa Monica. The company develops 10- to 50-acre community solar arrays on farmland and infill sites, integrating solar generation with continued agricultural operations rather than displacing them. Its core technology is the project development stack itself: site selection in dialogue with farmers and planning authorities, interconnection and project finance structuring, and construction oversight — delivered through in-market development teams in the Midwest and West regions.
The company earns revenue through a hybrid model combining project development fees, equity co-investment returns in completed projects, long-term landowner lease payments (multi-year contracts on 10-50 acre sites), and recurring community solar subscription bill-savings economics. Generate Capital serves as both a $10 million equity investor (October 2023) and the long-term owner/operator of completed projects, enabling Cultivate to focus on development while off-taking capital-intensive infrastructure to a strategic partner. Subscriber enrollment is channeled through Solstice.
Cultivate Power serves three interlocking customer segments: farmland landowners seeking weather-independent lease income, local residents and businesses (especially low- and moderate-income households) seeking 10-20% electricity bill savings through community solar subscriptions, and local governments, school districts, and nonprofits benefiting from property tax revenue, scholarships, and workforce training investments tied to each project. The flagship Goldenrod Solar Project in Mercer County, Illinois — a 5 MW, 38-acre array on the Essary family farm, operational since July 2025 — illustrates this model: 850 subscribers, $5.8 million projected in community benefits over 15 years, $1.5 million committed to Evolve Foundation for workforce training, and $360,000+ in property tax revenue to local taxing districts.
Cultivate Power firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cultivate Power
- Legal name
- Cultivate Power
- Website
- https://cultivate-power.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Cultivate Power is a private distributed solar and storage project developer that builds 10- to 50-acre community solar arrays on farmland and infill sites, partnering with landowners, local communities, and Generate Capital to deliver lease income, electricity bill savings, and community benefits.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cultivate Power industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Distributed Solar Project Development
- NAICS
- Solar Electric Power Generation (221114)
- SIC
- Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community Solar Development & Subscription Management (EUAMAJAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Distributed Generation (DG) Solar & Small Wind (EUAMAJAD), Renewable Distributed Generation (Rooftop/Onsite Solar, Small Wind, Small Hydro) (EUACALAJ)
Keywords
Where Cultivate Power is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Cultivate Power business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Solar Project Development and Ownership: Cultivate Power develops distributed solar and storage projects (10-50 acres) and partners with Generate Capital for project ownership and operation. Revenue is generated through project development fees, equity returns from co-investments, and long-term lease payments to landowners.
- Community Solar Subscriptions: Community solar projects offering local subscribers (residents and businesses) 10-20% electricity bill savings. The Goldenrod project provides 850 local subscribers with access to solar energy at no upfront cost.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Landowner Lease Agreement |
| Subscription | Monthly | Community Solar Subscription |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Cultivate Power product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cultivate Power develops 10- to 50-acre distributed solar and storage projects on farmland and infill sites, integrating solar arrays with ongoing agricultural operations. It partners with landowners for site hosting, with Generate Capital for project ownership and infrastructure financing, and operates community solar subscription programs that deliver 10-20% electricity bill savings to local residents and businesses.
Product overview
Cultivate Power operates as a distributed solar and storage project developer offering a unified service model centered on developing 10- to 50-acre community solar projects on farmland. The core offering is the Distributed Solar and Storage Project Development service, which encompasses site selection, community integration, and partnership with landowners. Individual project offerings like the Goldenrod Solar Project represent specific community solar arrays developed under this model, with associated Community Solar Subscriptions enabling local residents to access solar energy savings. The Landowner Partnership Program provides a pathway for landowners to host solar installations while maintaining agricultural productivity. Together, these services form a vertically integrated approach to community solar development.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Distributed Solar and Storage Project Development End-to-end development of 10- to 50-acre distributed solar and storage projects on farmland and infill sites, integrating solar arrays with existing agricultural operations for landowners and local communities in the U.S. Midwest and California.
- Goldenrod Solar Project Five-megawatt, 38-acre community solar array on the 250-acre Essary Family Farm property in Mercer County, Illinois, delivering 10-20% electricity bill savings to 850 local subscribers and projected $5.8 million in community benefits over 15 years.
- Community Solar Subscriptions Subscription service allowing local residential and business subscribers to access community solar generation at no upfront cost and receive 10-20% electricity bill savings, with programs targeting low- and moderate-income households (55% of subscribers).
- Landowner Partnership Program Program allowing farmland landowners with 10-50 acres to host community-integrated solar installations, providing long-term lease income not reliant on weather or crop cycles while preserving the legacy of commercial agriculture operations.
Quantifiable outcome
- $5.8 million in community benefits projected over 15 years from Goldenrod Solar Project
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Cultivate Power
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Cultivate Power technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Cultivate Power partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Black Hawk College FoundationcoreCultivate Power and Generate Capital pledged over $150,000 to establish a scholarship program for Mercer County students at Black Hawk College. The partnership includes a multi-year commitment supporting both Quad Cities and East campuses with annual scholarships and endowment establishment.
- SolsticecoreSolstice is a leading community solar provider handling enrollment for the Goldenrod Solar Project. They manage subscriber recruitment and onboarding for local residents and businesses seeking to subscribe to community solar subscriptions.
- Evolve FoundationcoreCultivate Power and Generate Capital committed $1.5 million over six years to Evolve Foundation (formerly Renewing Sovereignty Project) for solar construction workforce training and wraparound services for formerly incarcerated and system-impacted individuals. The foundation has graduated 50 students from intensive training programs with 40 placed in solar industry jobs.
- Living Lands & WatersminorLocal environmental organization beneficiary of $600,000 in community contributions from Goldenrod Solar Project over 12 years.
- Sherrard CUSD 200minorLocal school district beneficiary of property tax payments estimated to exceed $360,000 over first 15 years of Goldenrod Solar Project.
- Greene Township Fire Protection DistrictminorLocal fire protection district beneficiary of property tax payments from Goldenrod Solar Project.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Cultivate Power competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Pivot Energy: Pivot Energy is a national community solar and distributed generation developer that partners with landowners, municipalities, and utilities to develop mid-sized community solar projects. It is one of the closest direct competitors to Cultivate Power's community-led distributed solar model.
- Cypress Creek Renewables: Cypress Creek is a large-scale community solar and utility-scale solar developer that develops, finances, and operates projects across the US. It overlaps Cultivate Power's community solar development focus but at much greater scale and with broader geographic reach.
- Solstice: Solstice is a leading community solar enrollment provider and developer serving low- and moderate-income households. It is both a channel partner for Cultivate Power (handling Goldenrod enrollment) and a direct competitor in community solar subscriber acquisition and project development.
- Perch Energy: Perch Energy is a community solar subscription platform that helps developers and utilities bring community solar projects to market, with a focus on LMI households. It directly competes with Solstice and overlaps with Cultivate Power's community solar subscription distribution model.
- Neighborhood Sun: Neighborhood Sun is a community solar subscriber acquisition and management platform focused on connecting local residents to community solar projects. Its model overlaps with Cultivate Power's community solar subscription offering via Solstice and competes for subscriber engagement on similar projects.
- Ranger Power: Ranger Power is a community solar developer that develops, owns, and operates community solar projects in multiple US states. It directly competes with Cultivate Power on community solar pipeline development, particularly in Mid-Atlantic and Midwest markets.
- ForeFront Power: ForeFront Power develops community solar, school solar, and commercial & industrial solar projects across the US with a strong focus on community benefits. It is a direct competitor to Cultivate Power in community solar and shares similar developer-plus-community-benefits positioning.
- Safari Energy: Safari Energy is a commercial, industrial, and community solar developer that develops mid-sized distributed solar projects. Its project size range and distributed generation focus make it a comparable peer for Cultivate Power's 10-50 acre development model.
- US Light Energy: US Light Energy is a community solar and distributed generation developer active in the Northeast and Midwest US. It develops mid-sized community solar projects with similar landowner and community engagement models to Cultivate Power.
Broad incumbents
- Generate Capital: Generate Capital is a broad sustainable infrastructure financier and asset owner that owns and operates distributed solar, storage, and community solar assets (including Cultivate Power's Goldenrod project). While Cultivate Power's capital and ownership partner, Generate is also a much larger incumbent that could in-source community solar development, making it a strategic comparable as well as a counterparty.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Cultivate Power social profiles
Digital presenceCultivate Power financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cultivate Power leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Cultivate Power funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cultivate Power M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cultivate Power
What does Cultivate Power do?
Cultivate Power develops 10- to 50-acre distributed solar and storage projects on farmland and infill sites, integrating solar arrays with ongoing agricultural operations. It partners with landowners for site hosting, with Generate Capital for project ownership and infrastructure financing, and operates community solar subscription programs that deliver 10-20% electricity bill savings to local residents and businesses.
Is Cultivate Power a public or private company?
Cultivate Power is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Cultivate Power founded?
Cultivate Power was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Cultivate Power based?
Cultivate Power is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cultivate Power make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Solar Project Development and Ownership is the primary driver. The others are community Solar Subscriptions.
Who are Cultivate Power's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Pivot Energy, Cypress Creek Renewables, Solstice, Perch Energy, Neighborhood Sun, Ranger Power, ForeFront Power, Safari Energy and US Light Energy. Generate Capital is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Cultivate Power have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cultivate Power.
What industry is Cultivate Power in?
Cultivate Power's product category is Distributed Solar Project Development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAMAJAA, Community Solar Development & Subscription Management, with a secondary code of EUAMAJAD, Distributed Generation (DG) Solar & Small Wind. Its NAICS code is 221114 and its SIC code is 4991.