East Light Partners
East Light Partners is a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based public benefit corporation that originates and develops utility-scale and community-scale solar energy projects (with storage contemplated) across the Northeast US, generating revenue through NYSERDA-contracted PPAs, community solar subscriptions via NYSEG/Central Hudson/National Grid, and its East Light Capital Fund I.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersCambridge, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What East Light Partners does
East Light Partners PBC is a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based, privately-held public benefit corporation founded in June 2016 by Jamie Fordyce and Wendy De Wolf, both formerly of Energy Management, Inc. The company originates and develops utility-scale and community-scale solar energy projects — with energy storage contemplated alongside — in the Northeast United States, operating across the corridor from New Jersey to Maine. Its pipeline includes over 30 MW of projects that have reached commercial operation since 2012 and a Fund I (ELCF I) target of 75-100 MW of distributed and utility-scale solar and storage over a five-year horizon.
The business operates two product lines. Utility-Scale Solar delivers 20 MW solar power plants to the grid under long-term fixed-price contracts awarded through NYSERDA's Clean Energy Standard procurement — projects include ELP Stillwater (20 MW, under construction), ELP Ticonderoga (20 MW, awarded), ELP Rotterdam (20 MW), and ELP Stuyvesant (20 MW). Community Solar delivers 2.7-7.5 MW shared solar projects whose generation is allocated as bill credits to subscribers within partner-utility service territories (NYSEG, Central Hudson, National Grid), with subscribers receiving a 10% discount on their electricity costs on a monthly billing cadence and the ability to cancel with 90 days' notice. Capital is sourced through East Light Capital Fund I, which closed in June 2017 above target with strategic partners in solar EPC and independent power production plus multiple family office investors. The company markets through direct landowner outreach, municipal and community stakeholder engagement, and an investor portal; technology centers on proprietary geospatial site-identification tools and a project diligence framework.
The company is small (1-10 employees, including the two co-founders and Director of Engineering Will Bliss) and is actively hiring a Director of Land, Permitting, and Community Outreach. Revenue is generated through contracted utility-scale PPAs, recurring community solar subscription bill credits, and project development gains or long-term operational returns realized through Fund I. The primary customer segments are landowners providing sites, residential and commercial electricity consumers subscribing to community solar, utilities procuring renewable energy, and institutional investors participating in Fund I.
East Light Partners firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- East Light Partners
- Legal name
- East Light Partners PBC
- Website
- https://eastlightpartners.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- East Light Partners is a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based public benefit corporation that originates and develops utility-scale and community-scale solar energy projects (with storage contemplated) across the Northeast US, generating revenue through NYSERDA-contracted PPAs, community solar subscriptions via NYSEG/Central Hudson/National Grid, and its East Light Capital Fund I.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
East Light Partners industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Renewable Energy Project Development
- NAICS
- Solar Electric Power Generation (221114), Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211)
- SIC
- Electric Services (4911), Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)
- akta.pro primary industry
- PPA Origination, Structuring & Offtake Contracting (Physical/Financial, Sleeves) (EUAMAMAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Community Solar Development & Subscription Management (EUAMAJAA), Solar Financing, Leasing & Ownership Platforms (Tax Equity, PPA, Securitization) (EUAMABAJ), Incentives, Grants & Program Administration (Auctions, Tenders, IRA/ITC/PTC Advisory) (EUAMAAAJ)
Keywords
Where East Light Partners is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cambridge
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
East Light Partners business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Community Solar Subscriptions: Utility credits from community solar projects sold at a fixed discount to subscribers (residential and commercial customers), generating monthly revenue streams. Customers save 10% annually on electricity.
- Utility-Scale Power Purchase Agreements: Long-term fixed price contracts with creditworthy counter-parties (utilities) through NYSERDA procurement. Projects include ELP Stillwater Solar (20 MW NYSERDA contract) and ELP Ticonderoga Solar (awarded through NYSERDA annual procurement under Clean Energy Standard).
- Fund I Investment Returns: East Light Capital Fund I advances origination and development of 75-100 MW portfolio of distributed and utility-scale solar and storage projects, with returns generated through project development and sale or long-term operation.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Community Solar Utility Credits |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
East Light Partners product offering
Product offeringCore offering
East Light Partners originates, develops, and finances utility-scale and community-scale solar and storage projects in the Northeast US, selling electricity to utilities under long-term PPAs awarded through NYSERDA procurement and offering community solar subscriptions that distribute utility credits at a 10% discount to residential and commercial subscribers. The company partners with landowners for site control and with family office investors and strategic partners through East Light Capital Fund I to advance a 75-100 MW development portfolio.
Product overview
East Light Partners is a mission-driven public benefit corporation that operates two core product lines: Utility Scale Solar Projects and Community Solar Projects. Utility Scale Solar delivers large-scale solar power plants (typically 20 MW) to the grid under NYSERDA contracts. Community Solar provides shared solar installations where residential and commercial subscribers receive utility credits saving 10% annually on electricity. The company has operational projects including ELP Greenport (7 MW), ELP Kinderhook (7.5 MW), ELP Stanford (7.5 MW), ELP Saugerties (3 MW), ELP Ghent (4.3 MW), ELP Myer (3 MW), and East Fishkill (2.8 MW), with under-construction projects ELP Stillwater (20 MW utility), ELP Ticonderoga (20 MW utility), ELP Rotterdam (20 MW utility), ELP Stuyvesant (20 MW utility), ELP Union Vale (2.7 MW), ELP Claverack (7.5 MW), ELP Livingston (6.3 MW), and ELP Kipp (5 MW), plus development-stage projects Roe Jan, Greenbush, and Catskill.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Utility Scale Solar Projects Large-scale solar power plants developed for utilities and grid operators under long-term fixed-price power purchase agreements awarded through NYSERDA procurement under the Clean Energy Standard, providing significant clean energy generation capacity to the Northeast US grid.
- Community Solar Projects Shared solar power plants whose electricity is distributed to multiple residential and commercial customers through utility credits within NYSEG, Central Hudson, and National Grid service areas, allowing subscribers to save 10% annually on electricity without installing panels on their own property.
Quantifiable outcome
- 10% annual electricity savings for community solar subscribers
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use East Light Partners
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
East Light Partners technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
East Light Partners partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- NYSEG (New York State Electric and Gas)coreNYSEG logo appears on FAQ page indicating partnership for community solar subscriptions. Customers within NYSEG service area can subscribe to East Light community solar projects.
- Central HudsoncoreCentral Hudson logo appears on FAQ page indicating partnership for community solar subscriptions. Customers within Central Hudson service area can subscribe to East Light community solar projects.
- National GridcoreNational Grid logo appears on FAQ page indicating partnership for community solar subscriptions. Customers within National Grid service area can subscribe to East Light community solar projects.
- NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority)coreNYSERDA awarded East Light Partners contracts through their annual procurement under the Clean Energy Standard. ELP Stillwater Solar received 20 MW contract in 2018; ELP Ticonderoga Solar awarded contract in 2019. ELP Stillwater was first project in its cohort to enter construction.
- East Light Capital Fund I Strategic Partners (Solar Engineering, Procurement and Design)coreTwo strategic partners invested in East Light Capital Fund I, each industry leaders in solar engineering/procurement and design, and large-scale independent power production respectively. Fund targets 75-100 MW of distributed and utility-scale solar and storage projects in the Northeast U.S. over five years.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
East Light Partners competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Nexamp: One of the largest community solar and distributed energy developers in the US, with active operations in New York and other Northeast states. Direct competitor for NYSERDA awards, community solar subscribers, and utility partnerships in the same geographies East Light targets.
- Pivot Energy: National community solar and small utility-scale solar developer active in New York and other progressive clean energy states. Directly comparable on community solar subscription economics and on NYSERDA-style procurement competition.
- Hecate Energy: Renewable energy developer with strong Northeast US utility-scale solar and storage pipeline and NYSERDA procurement wins. Comparable in project scale (20 MW+ class), Northeast geographic focus, and IPP/IPP-adjacent business model.
- Dimension Energy: Developer of community solar and distributed generation projects focused on the Eastern US, including New York. Directly comparable on community solar subscriber acquisition model and small-to-mid-scale development.
- Summit Ridge Energy: Community solar owner/operator and developer with a substantial New York portfolio. Comparable in community solar subscription model, utility credit monetization, and project scale profile.
- Lightstar Renewables: Community solar developer focused on Northeast US markets, including New York, with utility partnership and subscriber acquisition model similar to East Light's community solar business.
- Cypress Creek Renewables: Large-scale solar developer historically focused on community solar and utility-scale projects across the US. Comparable across both of East Light's product lines, though operating at a meaningfully larger scale.
Broad incumbents
- ENGIE North America: Global energy major with significant renewable energy development and ownership in the Northeast US, including community solar and utility-scale solar/storage. Competes for the same NYSERDA awards and utility PPAs as East Light, but as part of a much broader portfolio.
- EDF Renewables North America: Major renewable energy developer with utility-scale solar and storage projects across the Northeast and broader US markets. Competes directly for NYSERDA procurement awards but operates at a substantially larger scale.
Emerging players
- Solstice: Community solar subscriber acquisition and customer management platform with New York operations. Comparable in the community solar subscriber experience layer that supports ELP's 10%-discount subscription model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
East Light Partners social profiles
Digital presenceEast Light Partners financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
East Light Partners leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
East Light Partners funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
East Light Partners 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 East Light Partners
What does East Light Partners do?
East Light Partners originates, develops, and finances utility-scale and community-scale solar and storage projects in the Northeast US, selling electricity to utilities under long-term PPAs awarded through NYSERDA procurement and offering community solar subscriptions that distribute utility credits at a 10% discount to residential and commercial subscribers. The company partners with landowners for site control and with family office investors and strategic partners through East Light Capital Fund I to advance a 75-100 MW development portfolio.
Is East Light Partners a public or private company?
East Light Partners is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was East Light Partners founded?
East Light Partners was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is East Light Partners based?
East Light Partners is headquartered in Cambridge, United States, in the North America region.
How does East Light Partners make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Community Solar Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are utility-Scale Power Purchase Agreements and fund I Investment Returns.
Who are East Light Partners's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Nexamp, Pivot Energy, Hecate Energy, Dimension Energy, Summit Ridge Energy, Lightstar Renewables and Cypress Creek Renewables. Broad incumbents are ENGIE North America and EDF Renewables North America. Solstice is listed as an emerging player.
Does East Light Partners have an API?
No public API is recorded for East Light Partners.
What industry is East Light Partners in?
East Light Partners's product category is Renewable Energy Project Development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAMAMAD, PPA Origination, Structuring & Offtake Contracting (Physical/Financial, Sleeves), with a secondary code of EUAMAJAA, Community Solar Development & Subscription Management. Its NAICS code is 221114 and its SIC code is 4911.