Solar for the benefit of all

Lightstar develops, builds, and owns community solar projects with more than 1 gigawatt (GW) of projects completed or in development in the United States and abroad. Founded in 2019 by a seasoned team of solar developers, our mission is to ensure solar is a benefit for all – people, places, and the planet. We are focused on leading in community solar development that is built with ecology and agricultural needs at the forefront, which in our mind is a key next phase of the clean energy transition.

Origin Story

Lightstar is a trailblazing of community solar development. Our leaders and team helped to define the market from the beginning. The company was founded in 2019 to ensure that solar is a benefit to all – people, places, and the planet. Our first projects brought the benefits of solar to the affordable housing community.

Lightstar’s executives and partners are pioneers in clean energy and have successfully developed 1,000 MW of renewable energy projects across the United States and abroad. Our focus has been building and operating solar farms that produce 2 to 20 MWs of solar energy.

Lightstar uses environmentally sound best practices, aiming to leave the soil better than we found it. We use native plants, pollinator-friendly seed mixes, and test the soil before, during, and after construction.

Our trailblazing spirit drives us as we push forward innovative ways to provide additional benefits to landowners, the local community and the surrounding ecology.

Our business model

Lightstar is unique in that we not only develop and build our solar projects, we also own and operate them. This means that we align all phases with our ethos of ensuring solar provides not only profit, but also benefits people and the planet. We have the backing of an established funding partner, Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, that is committed to expanding access to solar energy. This means that we have secure financing and when we begin a project, our partners can rely on the fact that we’ll take it through to completion.

Lightstar’s immediate parent company is Eagle Creek Renewable Energy.  Founded in 2010 to acquire, enhance, and operate small hydroelectric power facilities, Eagle Creek’s affiliates currently own and operate  84 hydroelectric facilities representing 691 megawatts of capacity across the United States. Eagle Creek is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ontario Power Generation, one of the largest, most diverse power generators in North America.

Our Team

  • Paul Wheeler

    Founder & CEO

  • Tom Brown

    Co-Founder & COO

  • Lucy Bullock-Sieger

    Vice President of Strategy

  • Kaporsha Alexander

    Applications Engineer

  • Ben Aparo

    Vice President of Development

  • Sam Baily

    Director of Acquisitions

  • Jackie Basile

    Director of Development

  • Kelly Buchanan

    Policy Manager

  • Kami Cohen

    Director of Markets

  • Liam Daley

    Liam Daley

    Development Manager

  • Owen Deitcher

    Development Associate

  • Allison DeNunzio

    Director of Engineering

  • Chris Feigh

    Origination Manager

  • Olivia Feldman

    Development Manager

  • Jared Feske

    Senior Origination Manager

  • Brianna Fiorillo

    Policy & Strategy Manager

  • Nicholas Gebhart

    Senior Origination Manager

  • Dianna Helm

    Dianna Helm

    Solar Design Engineer

  • Amy Kennedy

    Associate General Counsel

  • Wendy Ko

    Senior Accountant

  • Guy Logan

    Director, Capital Markets

  • Aaron MacQueen

    Vice President and General Counsel

  • Kyle McAdam

    Development Manager

  • Max Moritz, GIS Analyst

    Max Moritz

    GIS Analyst

  • Anna Nelms

    Controller

  • Steven O’Toole

    Director of Asset Management

  • Emma Pollard

    Origination Associate

  • Jason Rossi

    Vice President, EPC

  • Lauren Skirball

    Policy and Strategy Manager - West

  • Brandon Steele

    Senior Origination Manager

  • Cecelia Stephens

    Development Manager

  • Jonathan Sutula

    Director of Construction

  • Stefano Tandon

    Vice President of Origination

  • Meghan Welborn

    Director of Marketing and Public Relations

Contact us to discuss solar for your land