Open Road Renewables
Open Road Renewables is a privately held Austin-based utility-scale solar and battery storage developer with a 6.6 GW pipeline across PJM, MISO, and ERCOT. It uses a community-first, landowner-lease model and sells developed projects to operators like Leeward Renewable Energy.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersAustin, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Open Road Renewables does
Open Road Renewables is a privately held utility-scale renewable energy developer headquartered in Austin, Texas, founded by three industry veterans (Cyrus Tashakkori, David Savage, and Mike Volpe) and operating with a small team of fewer than 10 employees. The company develops solar and battery energy storage system (BESS) projects that connect directly to the high-voltage transmission grid, and applies a community-first development model built on long-term landowner leases, kitchen-table engagement, and project features such as integrated sheep grazing that preserve agricultural use of project land. Its footprint spans PJM, MISO, and ERCOT markets across Ohio, Maryland, Virginia, Texas, and California, with a disclosed pipeline of 45+ projects totaling over 6.6 GW in all stages of development, projected to power the equivalent of more than 900,000 homes. Named flagship assets include the 200 MW Hillcrest Solar Project (operational), the 150 MW Willowbrook Solar Project (soon-to-be operational), and the 350 MW Harvey Solar Project in Licking County, Ohio.
The company's core product is end-to-end utility-scale solar and storage project development covering site origination, land control, permitting, interconnection, community engagement, and offtake structuring, culminating in either a power purchase agreement with a utility or corporate buyer or an asset sale to a larger operator such as Leeward Renewable Energy, which acquired Harvey Solar in March 2026. The technology stack is conventional utility-scale PV plus grid-connected lithium-ion BESS rather than proprietary hardware; differentiation sits in the development process and stakeholder model rather than in module, inverter, or cell-level innovation. Sheep grazing co-location, decommissioning guarantees, and collaborative project design with counties are presented as standard project features.
The revenue model combines one-time development-and-sale economics (asset divestitures and project sales) with long-term land lease arrangements that secure site control. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and the company does not operate a standardized product; monetization is project-by-project, event-driven, and dependent on reaching interconnection, permitting, and offtake milestones. Offtake counterparties are electric utilities and corporate energy buyers; the input side of the model relies on individual landowners (farmers, homeowners) and rural county governments as counterparties for leases, tax revenue agreements, and community investment. With no disclosed institutional equity or debt funding and a team size under 10, the platform's financial scale is constrained relative to its 6.6 GW pipeline ambition, making future capital raises or sponsor partnerships a likely prerequisite for converting the pipeline into operating assets.
Open Road Renewables firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Open Road Renewables
- Legal name
- Open Road Renewables
- Website
- https://openroadrenewables.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Open Road Renewables is a privately held Austin-based utility-scale solar and battery storage developer with a 6.6 GW pipeline across PJM, MISO, and ERCOT. It uses a community-first, landowner-lease model and sells developed projects to operators like Leeward Renewable Energy.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Open Road Renewables industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Utility-Scale Renewable Energy Development
- NAICS
- Solar Electric Power Generation (221114), Electric Power Generation (22111)
- SIC
- Electric Services (4911), Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Development Management & Owner’s Engineering (Design Basis, Yield, Technical Due Diligence) (EUAMAAAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Greenfield Site Origination & Land Acquisition (Leases, Easements, Title) (EUAMAAAA), Permitting, Environmental & Stakeholder Engagement (EIA/ESIA, Community Relations) (EUAMAAAB), Project Finance & Capital Structuring (Debt/Tax Equity/Project Bonds) (EUAMAAAD)
Keywords
Where Open Road Renewables is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Austin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Open Road Renewables business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Project Development and Sale: Open Road develops utility-scale solar projects and sells completed or advanced-stage projects to larger operators like Leeward Renewable Energy. The Harvey Solar Project sale demonstrates this model where the project was sold before construction.
- Land Lease Arrangements: Long-term lease arrangements with landowners (farmers, homeowners) for hosting solar and battery storage projects. Landowners receive stable long-term income while the company secures project sites.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Open Road Renewables product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Open Road Renewables develops utility-scale solar and battery energy storage projects on leased landowner property, secures interconnection to the high-voltage transmission grid, and sells or contracts the resulting energy via power purchase agreements with utilities and corporate energy buyers. The company runs the full project lifecycle — site origination, community engagement, permitting, interconnection, and construction support — across PJM, MISO, and ERCOT markets.
Product overview
Open Road Renewables is a leading renewable energy developer offering a unified suite of utility-scale solar and battery energy storage solutions. The company's core products include utility-scale solar project development and BESS integration services, with a portfolio spanning over 45 projects totaling 6.6 GW across PJM, MISO, and ERCOT markets. Their development pipeline includes named projects such as Hillcrest Solar (200 MW operational), Willowbrook Solar (150 MW), and the Crossroads Solar Grazing Center (94 MW), all developed under a community-first approach that emphasizes landowner partnerships and local economic benefits. The company recently sold the Harvey Solar Project (350 MW) to Leeward Renewable Energy, demonstrating active project divestiture as part of their business model.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Utility-Scale Solar Project Development End-to-end development of utility-scale solar generation projects that connect to the high-voltage electric transmission grid, designed to produce electricity at a cost comparable to or lower than traditional coal and natural gas generation. Intended for electric utilities and corporate energy buyers.
- Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) Development Grid-connected battery energy storage systems co-developed with utility-scale solar projects to store and discharge large amounts of energy, improving grid reliability and avoiding or deferring investments in new high-voltage transmission lines.
- Solar Project Development Portfolio (PJM, MISO, ERCOT) A development portfolio of more than 45 utility-scale solar and battery storage projects in all stages of development across PJM, MISO, and ERCOT markets, projected to power the equivalent of over 900,000 homes, offered to utilities and large operators for energy offtake or asset divestiture.
- Harvey Solar Project A 350 MW planned solar facility in Licking County, Ohio, developed by Open Road Renewables and sold to Leeward Renewable Energy; designed to create over 300 construction jobs and deliver approximately $3 million annually in local revenue over a 40-year operational life, with construction slated for fall 2026 and commercial operations targeted for late 2028.
- Hillcrest Solar Project A 200 MW operational solar project in Ohio developed by Open Road Renewables; managed by VP Doug Herling within the Ohio portfolio.
- Willowbrook Solar Project A 150 MW solar project in Ohio developed by Open Road Renewables, near commercial operation; part of the Ohio portfolio managed by VP Doug Herling.
- Frasier Solar Project A solar project in Knox County, Ohio developed by Open Road Renewables that integrates sheep grazing for dual land use under the company's community-first, land-use-friendly design approach.
- Crossroads Solar Grazing Center A proposed $98 million, 94 MW solar project in Morrow County, Ohio featuring integrated sheep grazing on a 700-acre site; developed under the company's community-first approach.
Quantifiable outcome
- 900,000+ homes will be powered by projects under development
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Open Road Renewables
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Open Road Renewables technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Open Road Renewables partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Leeward Renewable Energy (LRE)majorLRE acquired the Harvey Solar Project (350 MW planned solar facility in Licking County, Ohio) from Open Road Renewables. Construction slated for fall 2026 with commercial operations targeted for late 2028. The project is expected to create over 300 construction jobs and deliver approximately $3 million annually in local revenue. This acquisition expands LRE's portfolio to over 4 GW across 30+ wind, solar, and energy storage projects.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Open Road Renewables competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Clearway Energy Group: Owner-operator of utility-scale and distributed renewable energy assets across the U.S. Acquires and develops projects similar to those Open Road develops, often via acquisition from third-party developers.
- Lightsource bp: Global utility-scale solar developer and operator with a growing U.S. utility-scale solar and storage pipeline. Competes for the same project sites, PPAs, and off-take relationships.
- Engie North America: Major U.S. renewables developer and operator with utility-scale solar and storage projects across multiple ISOs. Competes in the same RFP and corporate PPA off-take market.
- EDF Renewables North America: Major subsidiary of EDF developing utility-scale wind, solar, and storage across the U.S. Operates in the same PJM/MISO/ERCOT markets with comparable project sizes and off-take structures.
Regional players
- Innergex Renewable Energy: Renewable energy IPP primarily operating in Canada, the U.S., and France. Comparable utility-scale solar and storage development model, though with different geographic mix.
Direct peers
- Apex Clean Energy: U.S.-based independent renewable energy developer with utility-scale wind, solar, and storage projects. Comparable in business model: greenfield development through COD with sale to long-term owners.
- Silicon Ranch: U.S. utility-scale solar developer and owner-operator with strong focus on agrivoltaics and landowner partnerships. Directly comparable regenerative land-use approach (e.g., sheep grazing) and project development model.
- Avantus (formerly 8minute Solar Energy): Large-scale U.S. solar and storage developer with gigawatt-scale pipelines across multiple ISOs. Closely comparable business model: utility-scale project origination, permitting, and development with sale or retention pathways.
- D.E. Shaw Renewable Investments (DESRI): Independent power producer focused on utility-scale solar and storage development and ownership across the U.S. Directly comparable in scale, target markets, and PPA-driven business model.
- Leeward Renewable Energy: Owner and operator of utility-scale wind, solar, and storage projects across the U.S. Leeward directly acquired Open Road's 350 MW Harvey Solar Project, demonstrating that it operates in the same project development and acquisition space as Open Road.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Open Road Renewables social profiles
Digital presenceOpen Road Renewables financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Open Road Renewables leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Open Road Renewables funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Open Road Renewables 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 Open Road Renewables
What does Open Road Renewables do?
Open Road Renewables develops utility-scale solar and battery energy storage projects on leased landowner property, secures interconnection to the high-voltage transmission grid, and sells or contracts the resulting energy via power purchase agreements with utilities and corporate energy buyers. The company runs the full project lifecycle — site origination, community engagement, permitting, interconnection, and construction support — across PJM, MISO, and ERCOT markets.
Is Open Road Renewables a public or private company?
Open Road Renewables is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Open Road Renewables founded?
Open Road Renewables was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Open Road Renewables based?
Open Road Renewables is headquartered in Austin, United States, in the North America region.
How does Open Road Renewables make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Project Development and Sale is the primary driver. The others are land Lease Arrangements.
Who are Open Road Renewables's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Clearway Energy Group, Lightsource bp, Engie North America and EDF Renewables North America. Innergex Renewable Energy is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Apex Clean Energy, Silicon Ranch, Avantus (formerly 8minute Solar Energy), D.E. Shaw Renewable Investments (DESRI) and Leeward Renewable Energy.
Does Open Road Renewables have an API?
No public API is recorded for Open Road Renewables.
What industry is Open Road Renewables in?
Open Road Renewables's product category is Utility-Scale Renewable Energy Development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAMAAAG, Development Management & Owner’s Engineering (Design Basis, Yield, Technical Due Diligence), with a secondary code of EUAMAAAA, Greenfield Site Origination & Land Acquisition (Leases, Easements, Title). Its NAICS code is 221114 and its SIC code is 4911.