Meet Angie Burke, Director of Operations and Maintenance

Introduction

Based in Denver, Colorado, Angela “Angie” Burke is the Director of Operations and Maintenance at Pivot Energy, where she leads Pivot’s nationally recognized land stewardship practice. Named the North American Agrivoltaics 2024 Champion of the Year, Angie is a respected voice in dual-use solar. We sat down with Angie to discuss her work at Pivot and her learnings as a leader in solar agrivoltaics.

Tell us what brought you to the solar industry and to Pivot Energy.

I’ve been in solar for 11 years now, but I originally studied architecture. The switch from designing buildings to creating AutoCAD designs for residential solar felt natural – both require precision, creativity, and an eye for how systems come together. From there, I eventually found my niche in operations and maintenance. 

I joined the Pivot team four years ago, after deciding to move from Michigan to Denver – one of the sunniest cities in the U.S. – to advance my solar career. I was drawn to Pivot’s purposeful approach and genuine commitment to land stewardship, and it’s proven to be exactly the kind of mission-driven work I’d been seeking.

I grew up as a Captain Planet kid, so landing here – designing, engineering, and fighting climate change – feels full-circle. I’ve always wanted to do work that makes a real impact, and Pivot gives me that daily.

What is your role at Pivot Energy?

I am the Director of Operations and Maintenance at Pivot Energy. My role is split between supporting our portfolio asset managers and leading Pivot’s land stewardship initiatives and standards. 

On the operations side, I help ensure our solar farms run smoothly and efficiently. That includes preventative servicing, troubleshooting systems issues, managing maintenance schedules, and working closely with our asset managers to optimize performance across all sites. 

The land stewardship component of my job is where I get to roll up my sleeves a bit more. I spend time on site and build relationships with landowners, grazing partners, and vegetation partners – creating new partnerships and strategies that stimulate local economies, promote soil health and biodiversity, and adapt to the needs of communities, climates, and terrains. This work supports solar renewable energy generation while protecting the long-term health of U.S. land.

Tell us more about the dual-use partners Pivot works with, and how they benefit from these partnerships.

We collaborate closely with landowners, grazing partners, and local communities to create projects that deliver economic, environmental, and cultural value. By involving partners early – often during planning or permitting – we ensure they have a voice in the project. We actively welcome feedback and foster collaboration that drives success for everyone involved.

For landowners, our solar lease partnerships create an opportunity to earn reliable income from their land.  We see farmers facing challenges such as declining crop yield, increasing input costs, or a desire to retire while keeping land productive and in the family. Solar land leases provide a long-term solution to those hurdles. 

For grazing partners, our collaboration delivers reliable access to pasture, critical for sheep grazers with limited acreage and expanding herds. Rather than renting more land or downsizing their flock and income, Pivot offers a better third solution: We pay grazers to manage vegetation at our dual-use solar sites, making solar one of the most practical and profitable contract grazing opportunities for small to mid-sized family farms.

Communities also benefit when solar farms are designed with shared value in mind. Community solar projects increase local energy choice, and Pivot’s approach creates local solar jobs, generates tax revenue for community initiatives, preserves open space, and enhances energy security by reducing dependence on imported fuels.

What’s a moment at Pivot that you’re especially proud of?

It’s hard not to get choked up telling this story because it speaks to the real, human impact of purpose-driven solar. One of the moments I’m most proud of was a chance connection that ended up saving a farmer’s herd – and his fifth-generation family business. 

A Colorado rancher was facing a difficult decision to sell his land. He’d been under pressure for a while, and without access to pasture, it looked like the end of the road. Then one day, he spotted a Pivot sign at another project site and decided to call the number. By pure coincidence, the extension he dialed rang directly to me. I had just joined the Pivot team and was looking for grazing partners, and he was looking for a lifeline – it felt like the stars aligned. 

We started working together soon after, and about four years later, he’s grown his herd and kept the farm in the family through our grazing partnership. Driving past our sites and seeing his sheep under the panels is a powerful reminder of what this work is really about.

Are there common misconceptions that Americans have about solar – especially solar on farmland or rural property?

I am most frustrated by the misconception that solar damages farmland. I’ve seen online speculations about solar panels leaching toxic chemicals into the soil or rendering land unusable for agriculture in the future. 

Solar panels are not toxic. The materials are stable and fully enclosed – there’s no risk of chemicals leaking into the ground. And when solar projects are developed thoughtfully, they can actually help protect and preserve agricultural land. With proper practices, farmland can rest, regenerate, or even continue to be harvested. When a project ends, improved soil health and biodiversity make the land even better suited for agricultural productivity. 

That’s why we’re so intentional about how we approach land use. Done right, it’s mutually beneficial for American farmland, communities, and energy systems.

What makes Pivot different from other solar providers?

Pivot really shines in that we are committed to dual-use on 100% of qualified sites while many solar developers or independent power producers (IPPs) are just starting to explore the practice. It’s been embedded in our development standards for years, and today we incorporate dual-use elements across 72 active or contracted sites. Our core set of research-backed best practices ensure consistency and repeatability, and our open, collaborative culture and deep expertise allows us to tailor each site to its landscape, climate, and community needs. We know how to apply the right technologies and fine-tune each variable – such as row spacing, panel height, vegetation management approach, and seed mix – to maximize agrivoltaic benefits. 

We’re also proud to strengthen the industry through external collaboration. Our long-term relationships with landowners, grazers, and communities help shape better project outcomes. Our work with the American Solar Grazing Association (ASGA) advances training and certification programs that help grazers scale their solar grazing practices. With United Agrivoltaics, we connect developers and farmers. And through Heartland Alliance, we enhance habitats for quail, butterflies, and native pollinators. These partnerships sharpen our own work while strengthening the entire agrivoltaic ecosystem – we are all on the same team!

And honestly? Pivot is just a great place to work. We take our mission seriously but take care of each other too, with great work-life balance and strong team culture. I’m grateful every day to be in a role where technical strategy meets personal impact. I couldn’t have written a better job description.

Connect with Angie and the Pivot team

Want to chat more about Pivot’s industry-leading dual-use practices? Connect with Pivot on LinkedIn.  

Or, contact us to explore partnership opportunities.