Scientist Claire Burch works on clean energy projects that protect our environment. She also sees its potential to help communities in unexpected ways. We caught up with Claire to discuss her work and the future of clean energy.

Q: Why do you enjoy working in the clean energy industry?

I love working in the renewable energy sector. Seeing these projects come to fruition is really rewarding. There's a wealth of opportunity for this work to help the environment and do a lot of good in communities.

I enjoy working with clients that care about the environment and want to make a positive impact through building these projects. I think when our clients work with us, they see our passion and the level of expertise that our firm carries. We're all driven by that same love of the environment and that this work is so important.

"There's a wealth of opportunity for this work to help the environment and do a lot of good in communities."

Q: What does our clean energy work look like?

Olsson’s clean energy work includes wind, solar, battery storage, hydropower, and geothermal. We have a really unique set of experts that I love working with and learning from. We have experts on staff to really handle most of the environmental challenges that our client might encounter. Our clients appreciate that we offer a full range of services, including environmental, which is my specialty.

I help our clients with local permitting, which can be challenging because it varies so greatly. Working through those tricky ordinances is a difficult but enjoyable part of renewable energy development. We've had to become nimble and flexible.

We also work a lot with local or state governments and help with things like public meetings. It’s important to see where everyone is coming from, the local effects, and the future impact of these projects. Part of our job is showing the potential benefits of clean energy projects, not only for the environment, but also for communities.

We have experts on staff to really handle most of the environmental challenges that our client might encounter.

Q: How do you see this industry changing?

There’s a lot of innovation and growth happening in the industry. People are coming together and collaborating more than they ever have before. Mindsets are shifting that it’s not just about building a project, but becoming a community partner. These projects can have an incredible impact on communities like increasing local jobs or bringing in tax revenue.

"People are coming together and collaborating more than they ever have before."

We're seeing popularity in community benefit agreements or similar things, which is exciting. The agreements – between developers and communities – invest money in specific community infrastructure projects. In Oklahoma, where I’m based, some of our rural school districts have gotten new school buildings with the tax money from some of those wind farms.

Another example is the dual land use that’s happening at some solar farms. There’s a lot of research being done about planting agriculture or even raising certain wildlife at these sites. The shade from the panels have helped some plants like tomatoes and lettuce grow really well. It’s neat seeing these conversations and the potential opportunity for collaboration.