Macquarie, the Houston firm accused of market manipulation of natural gas prices in Kansas and Oklahoma during the 2021 winter storm, is investing millions in solar energy.
As reported by Business Wire this week, the asset management arm of Macquarie Group is backing renewable-energy company Sol Systems with an $85 million debt investment, riding a wave of U.S. demand for green power.
The funds will be used to build and operate five utility-scale solar projects in Illinois and Ohio. Based in Washington, D.C., Sol anticipates completion by the end of next year.
Macquarie Asset Management and Sol Systems jointly announced a $US85 million debt investment in support of the construction and operation of five utility-scale solar projects located in Illinois and Ohio. The investment marks the first tranche of a planned broader collaboration between the compa
Sol Systems is a leading national renewable energy firm focused on deploying sustainable infrastructure paired with impact. The firm has recently announced partnerships with Microsoft, Google, FedEx, REI, and other large corporations to help them achieve their sustainability goals and benefit surrounding communities. The firm was established in 2008 and is backed by KKR.
Macquarie Asset Management provided the investment on a fully bilateral basis in the form of a six-year term loan facility. The facility is subordinated to senior debt and tax equity and is secured against Sol Systems’ ownership interest in the underlying solar projects. The projects are expected to complete construction by year-end 2025 and once operational, all of the projects will generate revenues under long-term, fixed-price power purchase agreements with a highly creditworthy, leading software services provider.
“We are excited about the beginning of our partnership with Sol Systems,” said Harlan Cherniak, Head of Infrastructure Debt in the Americas for Macquarie Asset Management. “The investment aligns with our strategy of providing customized capital structure solutions to top-tier financial partners, strategic infrastructure sponsors, and their portfolio companies, as well as our ongoing commitment to accelerate the decarbonization of the US power and transmission grid.”
“We are thrilled to partner with a leader in infrastructure finance such as Macquarie Asset Management and to have closed this highly creative transaction,” said James Machulak, Senior Vice President of Finance and Operations at Sol Systems. “The financing will help Sol Systems continue working towards its goal of accelerating an equitable transition to a sustainable energy future.”
Since its inception in 2012, the Macquarie Asset Management Private Credit team has raised over $US23 billion in client commitments and has made over 165 infrastructure debt investments globally, spanning a range of subsectors including renewable energy, power and utilities, digital infrastructure, and transportation.
Since 2008, Sol Systems has financed or developed over $US2 billion in solar projects, is operating and building over 2 GW of projects, and serves more than 40,000 customers across its environmental commodities and infrastructure solutions businesses.
Marcquarie remains a target of lawsuits by the Kansas Attorney General stemming from high natural gas prices during the 2021 winter storm that gripped the Midwest and South. Marcquarie was also a major marketer of natural gas in Oklahoma during the storm when prices soared from $2-$3 per Mcf of natural gas to more than $1,200—the highest natural gas price recorded in the U.S.