The Energy Gang

This week, we present a special episode produced in collaboration with CohnReznick Capital.How do you broker billions of dollars worth of renewable energy deals — and do it again and again?It takes grit, sure. But it also requires empathy.And that, says Conor McKenna, is the real art of the deal.McKenna is a senior managing director at CohnReznick Capital Markets. He’s helped close 8 gigawatts of wind, solar and biomass projects over his career.We all know “The Art of the Deal,” Donald Trump’s 1987 book that offers hard-nosed business advice. The book includes lessons like fight back, play the game hard, and deliver the goods. This advice has shaped our perception of real estate and Wall Street culture. But McKenna says one important lesson is missing: how to form good relationships so that everyone benefits from a deal.“Every time we’ve seen someone focus on getting that last dollar out of an individual transaction, we’ve found that they’ve had a much harder time in repeating business and grow