Blue Ridge Power, the North Carolina-based engineering, procurement and construction subsidiary of solar developer Pine Gate Renewables, will reportedly lay off more than 500 employees by November 18.
Credit: Blue Ridge Power
Blue Ridge Power President David Sanders filed two Worker Adjustment and Retaining Notification (WARN) Notices with North Carolina Dept. of Commerce on September 18, permanently laying off 169 and 348 employees at its Asheville and Fayetteville businesses, respectively.
“Over the past several months, the company has been impacted by factors beyond its control, including evolving regulatory and capital market environments that have affected many other companies in the renewable energy sector,” Sanders stated in the filings.
Blue Ridge Power unsuccessfully sought additional financing to retain employees, according to the filings. The company is winding down but not ceasing operations. Employees affected by the layoffs have not had their positions terminated yet.
Pine Gate Renewables founded Blue Ridge Power in spring 2021 as its EPC arm. Blue Ridge Power would handle the developer’s construction and operation of utility-scale solar projects. In 2023 alone, Blue Ridge Power installed 1.15 GW of solar, making it the 11th highest-ranked company on Solar Power World‘s 2024 Top Solar Contractors List, with a total installed capacity of 4.3 GW as of that year.
Pine Gate Renewables sent Solar Power World the following statement:
“Blue Ridge Power has experienced market headwinds similar to those impacting the entire renewable energy industry, requiring Pine Gate Renewables to dedicate significant resources to support the organization. After reviewing numerous options to find a path forward, Pine Gate made the difficult decision to conduct an orderly wind-down of Blue Ridge Power. Blue Ridge Power will continue to assess how best to support each of its ongoing projects, including working with its customers to transition those projects to another EPC provider. This decision in no way reflects the hard work or dedication of our valued team members, and we are deeply grateful for all of their contributions.”
