From puzzle to pipeline: how a unified workflow transforms development

The demand for electricity will grow by 50% by 2050, largely driven by data center power demand and transportation electrification. Renewable energy is well-positioned to meet the demand, given the faster deployment times than alternatives like oil and gas, not to mention the climate incentives of clean energy. 

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But renewables can’t meet this rising demand if we continue to operate using traditional workflows that are slow, fragmented, and riddled with bottlenecks. Outdated processes — characterized by siloed stakeholders and manual due diligence — will inevitably prevent projects from scaling at the pace and reliability the grid now requires. To truly address this opportunity, developers must evolve how they work. Whether focused on utility-scale renewables or data center siting, developers need workflows that enable speed, accuracy, and the ability to adapt fast. One solution is to adopt the working model of the Accelerated Development Framework (ADF). ADF enables developers to reduce risk upfront through automation, focusing resources only on projects with high likelihood of NTP. However, a critical aspect of ADF is the importance of maintaining a unified workflow across every project. While ADF establishes the foundation for speed and scale and bringing risk management forward in project timelines, unified workflows eliminate costly bottlenecks, minimize risk exposure, and provide developers with a more direct path to completion.

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The traditional workflow: disconnected and risk-prone

Fragmented processes frequently characterize today's development landscape. Whether you're a development shop relying on multiple external consultants for environmental assessments, interconnection studies, and community engagement, or an Independent Power Producer or hyperscaler with in-house expertise, workflows often become disjointed.

Risks compound rapidly when multiple stakeholders own isolated pieces of the due diligence puzzle. Teams operating in traditional development workflows frequently work in silos with inconsistent timelines, disparate tools, and varying assumptions. This fragmentation inevitably leads to data inconsistencies, communication delays, and cascading errors.

Why stopgap solutions no longer work

The combination of disconnected workflows and linear development processes means critical risks often remain hidden until late in project timelines, creating significant inefficiencies at scale. When it comes to risks, it’s not a matter of if but when. Costly mistakes like community opposition discovered post-permitting, or interconnection delays missed in early screening, are common consequences of disjointed approaches. In a market that demands speed, where hyperscalers, off-takers, and investors demand rapid development, waiting for multiple deliverables from separate teams is increasingly untenable.

What a unified workflow looks like

A cornerstone of accelerated development is consolidating workflows in a single environment while leveraging automation to mitigate risks and advance the most promising projects. A unified workflow creates a system where developers can access and manage the entire development pipeline through one platform. Automation is key to achieving speed and scale, especially for time-consuming desktop research. However, truly efficient development requires integrated expertise that can navigate the human elements of the process while maintaining oversight of critical project milestones. 

With the right combination of tools and expertise, developers can take a modular approach, addressing specific knowledge gaps precisely where needed. Environmental risk factors, interconnection challenges, and community sentiment can be flagged automatically, allowing teams to identify potential obstacles early and pivot quickly to better opportunities. This approach enables automation to handle the scientific aspects of due diligence while human expertise focuses on the nuanced art of development, resulting in less waiting, reduced uncertainty, and minimal rework.

From friction to focus

Developers who truly leverage ADF in a unified workflow will be poised to win in the energy game. Unified workflows will allow developers to move faster to site control, reduce due diligence costs, and increase productivity overall. Most importantly, they give your team the bandwidth to focus on what’s truly viable, not just what’s available.

Whether you're looking to supplement your existing team's capabilities during periods of increased demand or seeking expertise in specific development areas, a modular service approach can integrate seamlessly with your current processes. This flexibility allows developers of all sizes to access specialized knowledge exactly when and where it's needed, without the overhead of maintaining permanent staff for fluctuating workloads.

By embracing unified workflows that combine automated risk assessment with on-demand expertise, development teams can transform their approach from a fragmented puzzle to a streamlined pipeline, delivering the renewable energy and data center infrastructure our future demands.

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