I have developed irreplaceable skills in renewable energy project management, client and subcontractor relations, financial modeling, risk management, M&A processes, solar array design, energy and chemical data analysis, negotiations, and business development.
Hi, I’m
Miles Braxton
Dual-Use Solar Executive
Oxon Hill,MD
Summary
Overview
6
years of professional experience
Work History
Okovate Sustainable EnergyWashington, DC
CEO & Co-Founder |
10.2022 - Current
Job overview
- Okovate develops community solar on active farmland, enabling farmers to grow crops between the rows of the array, ensuring profitable and sustainable farming practices;
- Created value proposition model for farmers and investors to understand full value proposition of agrivoltaics for different crop types;
- Conceived the AgriLease to promote shared land use, lower solar array OpEx, and ancillary payments to farmer to supplement income;
- Diligencing development pipeline of over 100 MW of crop-producing agrivoltaic arrays across 6 markets
Summit Ridge EnergyArlington, VA
Director, Risk Management |
06.2022 - 04.2024
Job overview
- Led insurance, bonding, EH&S, ESG, and asset loss prevention programs for largest community solar developer/owner in U.S.;
- Insured over 160 MW equating to over $405M in new project TIV;
- Placed Property, Casualty, Cyber, Crime, D&O, and E&O policies in conjunction with investor requirements;
- Negotiated 25% Property Insurance rate reduction in hard market, saving $575,835 on premiums within 23-25 period, for 16-month term;
- $72k+ in Corporate Liability renewal premium savings;
- Increased company's bonding capacity by $75M over 2 years;
- Set up JV Bonding Indemnifications to limit SRE liability;
- Created and Optimized Internal Insurance Calculator for New Markets;
- Tracked and Compiled ESG data and Surveys for investors;
- Maintained SRE's Deadline Tracker to track key development milestones, outside dates, and payment deadlines
Renewable Power | Goldman SachsBoca Raton, FL
Associate,
10.2020 - 06.2022
Job overview
- Led Risk Management workflows (insurance, EH&S, and asset loss prevention programs) for US' largest PV+BESS construction fleet in 2021 (2.4 GW, $3.2B in TIV)
- Saved GSRP approx. $1.24M in premiums through degradation analysis of fleet materials and fluctuating annual revenues in coordination with GSAM FP&A team
- Limited insurance premium renewal increase to 6.7% in fleet with 181% loss ratio in historically poor power insurance market via underwriter negotiations (comparable asset owners saw 20-40% increases)
- $2.1B managed in tax equity and construction debt insurance workflows
- $3.6M managed in open insurance and warranty claims; $2.2M in claim dollars recouped for asset repair and production loss
BlackOak CollectiveWashington, DC
Co-Founder & Senior Advisor |
04.2020 - Current
Job overview
- Created partnership services business plan for the non-profit
- Secured over $120K in partnership revenue while Director of Partnerships (Microsoft, EDF, Recurrent Energy, Yale, and others)
Sol SystemsWashington, D.C.
Associate, Business Development |
12.2018 - 09.2020
Job overview
- Lead analyst for NY and NJ markets - facilitating the deployment of $65MM+ in projected capital expense for C&I solar through successful B2B and RFPs
- Designed 350+ C&I PV array systems using CAD software
- Generated and analyzed financial models for 90+ projects/markets
- Created a virtual data room containing over 190+ early and late stage solar projects' files for potential investors through Sol's capital raise initiative for it's C&I Development Team. This lead to joint venture with a $7B clean energy investment firm - Capital Dynamics - in August 2019, forming Sol Customer Solutions
ITility, Inc.Herndon, VA
Renewable Energy Project Analyst |
05.2018 - 09.2018
Job overview
- Project analyst fellow on small team (4) in awarded renewable energy contract - converting 220 tons of chicken manure into 2 MW of electricity through anaerobic digestion - of $2M grant from the MEA
- Used stoichiometry to analyze energy & mass balance equations/conversions from lab consultant and identified errors
- Designed cost-risk analysis model in Microsoft Excel to assist in selecting an anaerobic digester EPC contractor from six bidders
- Created internal project and risk management plans (utilizing RACI table/responsibility matrix), operations handbook, and governance charter for new Renewable Energy division of company
Education
Yale Center For Business And The EnvironmentNew Haven, CT
Certificate from Financing & Deploying Clean Energy
2020
University Overview
Year-long program led by industry leaders in clean energy project finance, technology, policy, and innovation
University of Virginia
Bachelor of Science from Environmental Science
2018
University Overview
Concentration in Atmospheric Sciences
Minor in Technology Leadership (honors engineering program)
Zhuhai Branch of Beijing Normal University
Certificate from Mandarin Language And Chinese Coastal Culture
2014
University Overview
Skills
Having a passion for increasing diversity in sustainability, I have given presentations on Navigating a Clean Energy Career as a Young Professional of Color at Yale, Columbia, Duke, USC, UVA, Howard, Bowie State, Coppin State, the UNC Clean Tech Summit, RE Markets Conference, Solar Power International (now RE), and MidWest Solar Expo In 2020, I co-founded BlackOak Collective, a non-profit network of Black students, professionals, and advocates dedicated to sustainability I am now building my own ClimateTech development business that focuses on dual-use/agrivoltaic solar development In my spare-time, I enjoy weightlifting, cycling, and reading climate-dystopia novels
Affiliations
Affiliations
GreenBiz 30 Under 30 (2022), Rising Star Under 30 Gold Winner (2021) - Cleanie Awards; Leadership in Green Power Education Award (2020) - EPA & CRS; Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (JEDI) Champion Award (2020) - Clean Energy Leadership Institute (CELI); Greek Man of the Year (2017) - U.Va.; Rodman Scholar; Altria Scholar; Founder of Black Leaders in Environmental Sustainability (BLES) at U.Va.; Trees for the Future Ambassador; Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc; SABLE Society; IMP Society; Co-Founder of Okovate Sustainable Energy; Board of Directors Member at Society of Black Solar Professionals, Walter N. Ridley Scholarship Board Member (U.Va.).
Community Service
Community Service
Ambassador at Trees for the Future
TFF is a non-profit that plants forest-scale gardens in West Africa, empowering villages for a lifetime. I host social events for young professionals in D.C. and South Florida to raise money for the organization. To date, I have raised over $4,650 for TFF. Through ambassador program, I hope to travel to Cameroon with TFF and supply rural villages with sustainable agriculture and renewable energy practices.
Timeline
CEO & Co-Founder |
Okovate Sustainable Energy
10.2022 - Current
Director, Risk Management |
Summit Ridge Energy
06.2022 - 04.2024
Associate,
Renewable Power | Goldman Sachs
10.2020 - 06.2022
Co-Founder & Senior Advisor |
BlackOak Collective
04.2020 - Current
Associate, Business Development |
Sol Systems
12.2018 - 09.2020
Renewable Energy Project Analyst |
ITility, Inc.
05.2018 - 09.2018
Yale Center For Business And The Environment
Certificate from Financing & Deploying Clean Energy
University of Virginia
Bachelor of Science from Environmental Science
Zhuhai Branch of Beijing Normal University
Certificate from Mandarin Language And Chinese Coastal Culture
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