From Bottleneck to Breakthrough

In early 2025, UGE faced an enviable challenge: evaluating over 100 solar projects from its purchase of OYA’s development pipeline. Each site came with zoning and permitting uncertainty—was solar allowed by-right, did it require a conditional use permit, or was it outright prohibited? Normally, answering these questions would take hours of manual checks and local ordinance and sentiment research, per site. To act quickly without multiplying headcount, Camille VanSkiver, who leads Origination and Market Analysis, turned to Spark AI after evaluating various options. Spark could deliver yes/no feasibility answers in minutes, not weeks – and promised white glove customer support.

UGE has spent over 15 years making clean energy accessible, designing solar projects that respect local communities, preserve farmland, and give landowners sovereignty over their property. This community-first philosophy means UGE approaches development with acute sensitivity to local sentiment. For Camille, maintaining trust at the earliest stages is essential. “Making sure that UGE can stay attuned to the concerns of the community is really important. We want to be a positive role model for solar,” she explains.

When the OYA portfolio landed, UGE faced an urgent question: how to quickly and accurately decide which opportunities to pursue, especially in new markets where they had little prior development experience. Spark AI became the answer. By embedding Spark into their origination process, UGE transformed how they screen, prioritize, and de-risk projects.

Reports are shared internally from Origination through Development, providing both a temperature check on local sentiment and a roadmap for realistic permitting pathways.

Spark aggregates zoning regulations, historical project data, and community sentiment into a unified platform that provides UGE with the same depth of diligence that might have otherwise taken days. For UGE’s pipeline, the impact was immediate: two-thirds of sites had sufficient public data for Spark to screen, while the rest were flagged for deeper review. Across their pipeline, Spark has made UGE’s preliminary screening process significantly faster by helping them immediately gauge whether a county or town is worth investing time and significant capital to develop in it. 

For UGE, Spark has become more than a research shortcut - it’s a strategic advantage. It allows their team to move faster, scale responsibly, and keep community voices at the forefront of every decision. The team is able to focus on what projects could be successful and get their timeline moving ASAP by being able to filter through immediate red flag sites and prioritising those that have a potential path. By combining Spark’s speed and precision with their own community-driven approach, UGE can enter new markets with confidence, reduce risk, and keep local stakeholders at the heart of every project. It’s a partnership that benefits both companies, and the communities they serve.