Ross Cashin

Class of 2026-2027

University College Dublin
Economics and Finance

Capstone Project Abstract

My Capstone project involves working with Energy Vault, an independent power producer that develops, owns, and operates energy storage systems across the United States and globally. As electricity demand increases, renewable generation expands, and data center development accelerates, global power markets are evolving rapidly, creating a new demand for flexible and reliable energy capacity. This capstone project will support the company in evaluating where these changes create the most attractive opportunities for their investment decisions in large scale energy storage projects.
This project will focus on developing a comprehensive investment thesis for various U.S. energy storage markets. I will characterize and compare major U.S. power markets, identify the factors that drive storage demand and project economics, and develop a framework for assessing market attractiveness and risk. This analysis will help shape Energy Vault's strategy in identifying priority markets and developing a go-to-market strategy to inform the company’s future investment and deployment decisions.

Why did you choose ESTEEM?
I chose ESTEEM to help me translate my skills coming from a pure finance background into a more whole business proposition. I have always been creative and I felt ESTEEM was the perfect way to set myself up to go out and build something of my own later down the line. The fact that you also get to meet such incredible people made the program super exciting for me!

What do you hope to do after ESTEEM?

After ESTEEM I hope to work in either sustainable energy to help the world make the transition to cleaner future, or in finance, helping to facilitate entrepreneurs to build things that will help the world

What do you like to do in your free time?

In my free time I play a lot of soccer, I also enjoy running and golf. When I am tired and need to unwind I enjoy cooking with some music or a podcast and to keep my brain sharp I like playing poker with friends.