Libra Group subsidiary acquires 1.4 GW pipeline of solar and energy storage projects and adds team of seasoned Canadian developers, increasing GSI’s presence to 12 U.S. states and Canada
[April 12, 2023, New York, New York] — Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure (GSI), the North American renewable energy subsidiary of Libra Group, has announced the strategic acquisition of the solar and battery development portfolios of Saturn Power, including its team of seasoned developers and an approximate 1.4-gigawatt (GW) pipeline of early to late-stage solar and energy storage projects in 5 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces.
Harnessing the expertise of Saturn Power, a leading developer and operator of renewable energy projects and leader in the emerging battery storage market, the deal allows GSI to substantially bolster its development capabilities, building on over a decade of experience investing, developing, and overseeing the operations of clean energy projects. It also expands GSI’s footprint from 7 to 12 U.S. states, which will now include New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, Florida, Minnesota, Michigan, Colorado, Illinois, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, as well as Alberta and Saskatchewan in Canada.
“We are delighted to welcome members of Saturn Power’s expert team to help us develop a stronger renewable energy business capable of transforming communities at pace and at scale,” said Chief Executive Officer of GSI Mazen Turk. “With this acquisition, the integration of both management teams will dramatically increase our capabilities in developing efficient, effective, and essential renewable energy projects nationwide. This also represents the next step in our strategic goal to grow our pipeline to the 5 GW mark of clean power by 2029.”
The acquired pipeline includes 72 solar projects, 90% community solar projects, and six battery storage projects. The deal also adds skilled energy developers, engineers, and senior leaders, bringing GSI’s total headcount to more than 50 employees. GSI plans to direct $200 million of capital investment to bolster its North American operations, including building the acquired pipeline in the coming years.
Community solar projects are designed to democratize the availability of solar power generating capacity among individuals and businesses that have had restricted access to solar energy sources. In 2022, the U.S. Administration announced an initiative to bring community solar to the U.S. as part of the $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. GSI’s expertise in managing diverse solar projects in different settings will be put to good use with the new community solar portfolio.
“When we founded Saturn Power 16 years ago, our mission was to build an organization that focused on developing a sustainable environment for future generations through the advancement of clean, renewable energy” said Doug Wagner, Co-Founder, President and CEO of Saturn Power. “I am immensely proud of what we have accomplished and am both honored and excited that Saturn will be joining GSI, where we can leverage the experience and expertise of our dedicated team, helping to scale the business to provide more communities with access to renewable energy. By merging our respective teams, we will enhance our development, engineering, and construction capabilities, providing a platform for further growth in the years ahead.”
GSI is one of four renewable energy subsidiaries of Libra Group, which include a presence in North America, Central America, and Europe. This acquisition takes the overall renewable energy portfolio of Libra Group to 3 GW of projects owned, developed, or pending development in eight countries.
Manos Kouligkas, Chief Executive Officer of Libra Group, stated, “This acquisition is significant, not just for its scale, but for the signal it sends that renewable energy projects continue to be sound financial investments with strong returns and multiple economic, social, and environmental benefits.” He continued, “The opportunities provided by community solar projects will not only help the U.S. to achieve its carbon reduction commitments, but will create essential new jobs to serve the green economy. With assets and a pipeline of projects, GSI is positioned to be one of the leading privately owned renewable platforms in the United States.”
About Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure
Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure (GSI) (www.greenwoodinfra.com) is one of the clean energy subsidiaries of Libra Group. GSI is a renewable energy company focused on the development, construction and operation of distributed generation and utility-scale solar energy and battery storage projects in North America. As of March 2023, the company developed approximately 178 MW across 43 renewable energy projects, many of which are still owned or operated by GSI, and has an additional project pipeline of 1.6 GW. GSI’s seasoned team also has a proven track-record investing in power assets and partnering with multiple top-tiered investors.
About Libra Group
Libra Group (www.libra.com) is a privately owned, global business group that encompasses 30 operating entities: 20 businesses predominately focused on aviation, renewable energy, maritime, real estate, hospitality, and diversified investments, and 10 social initiatives. With assets and operations in nearly 60 countries, the Group applies the strength of its global network and capabilities to deliver cross-sector insights and growth at scale, while mitigating risk. Today, Libra’s Social Responsibility Programs include 10 social initiatives created to address unmet needs and grantmaking that helps people worldwide.
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) released a preview of its World Energy Transitions Outlook for 2023.
In this preview report, they share the vision for the transition of the energy landscape required to meet the Paris Agreement’s goal: keeping global warming under a 2°C increase and bringing CO2 emissions to net zero by mid-century. They report that investments in clean energy will need to accelerate radically to reach this as the energy transition is off-track, with current trends in energy generation falling well short of IRENA’s 1.5°C pathway, resulting in a projected emissions gap of 16 gigatonnes (Gt) in 2050.
Although global investment across all energy transition technologies reached a record high in 2022, annual investment has to more than quadruple to remain on the 1.5°C pathway, and to stay on track, they project global solar PV additions will need to increase from 191 GW per year to 551 GW per year.
IRENA predicts that by 2050, most of the world’s power will be generated from renewable sources. Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure (GSI) is proud to play its part in the transition.
Read the full article here: https://www.irena.org/Publications/2023/Mar/World-Energy-Transitions-Outlook-2023
Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure (GSI) shares this analysis of the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) effect on renewables from a project finance perspective, according to S&P Global Commodity Insights.
An uplift in project financings of renewable project financings is projected for 2023, supported by federal policy, with an increasing emphasis on environmental principles and energy security.
Financial and legal experts have reported that they expect $20 billion to $21 billion in tax equity financing for renewable projects in 2023, with the transition to a clean energy future accelerating. The climate bill, known as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), is viewed by many in the renewable energy ecosystem as the single most positive development in the history of renewable energy finance in the United States.
With supply chain constraints delaying construction on projects originally planned for 2022, the true impact of the IRA will take time to work its way into the market. However, the persistent demand for tax equity and sheer size of the incentive programs suggests significant long-term growth for renewables.
President Joe Biden signed the IRA in August 2022 and comprises $370 billion in energy climate spending, including tax incentives for solar, wind, hydrogen and energy storage projects. Approximately $270 billion of the new law is attached to various tax credits, but project developers and investors anticipate further details from the Internal Revenue Service on its implementation.
ESG is still hot, with lenders and investors continuing to seek environmental, social and governance, opportunities. Overall, there is very strong appetite for these kinds of deals from the lending community.
Read the full article here: https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en/market-insights/latest-news/electric-power/011823-renewable-project-financing-to-rebound-in-2023-as-energy-transition-accelerates
The team at Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure (GSI) celebrated the end of year holidays with friends and family, at the MetLife stadium, enjoying the new Jets gameday tradition of atmospheric home opener followed by the singing of the national anthem.
The visit to New Jersey’s home to New York NFL teams, Jets and Giants, was one of a series of events fostering a work culture that promotes work-life balance. Enriching the employee experience is vital to our employee culture, and this ethos is at the heart of teamwork. Creating a cordial workplace is an intrinsic part of our company’s success, paying dividends such as higher productivity, improved employee engagement and better focus on common goals.
Libra Group is a privately-owned, global business group that encompasses 30 operating entities, with assets and operations in nearly 60 countries: 20 businesses predominately focused on aviation, energy, maritime, real estate, hospitality, and diversified investments, and 10 social initiatives. GSI is one of Libra Group’s renewable energy subsidiaries.
[November 22, 2022, New York, New York] — The latest report by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) reveals soaring adoption of solar energy by corporate America. GSI’s CEO, Mazen Turk, stated: “This report reveals a really encouraging trend that is being led by some of America’s tech and retail giants. These companies are now installing record levels of solar to power their facilities such that corporate adoption now accounts for 14% of the US solar market”
The “Solar Means Business 2022” report, which tracks and analyzes commercial solar adoption, named Meta, Amazon, Apple, Walmart and Microsoft as the top 5 corporate solar users in America. The report reveals that through June 2022, U.S. businesses have installed nearly 19 gigawatts (GW) of on-site and off-site solar capacity, which is double the 9.4 GW installed through 2019.
“About half of all corporate solar has been installed in the last two and half years,” said SEIA president and CEO Abigail Ross Hopper. “Solar Means Business highlights the incredible flexibility of solar, whether it’s installed on a warehouse roof, on a carport or at an off-site facility, showing the various ways that companies are meeting their needs with clean, affordable energy. From data centers to industrial freezers, the most energy-intensive business operations are turning to solar as the most reliable and affordable way to power their infrastructure.”
Solar Means Business 2022 reveals that Meta dramatically increased its installed solar capacity from 177 megawatts (MW) in early 2019 to 3.6 GW today and now has the largest corporate solar portfolio in the United States. Target remains the top onsite corporate solar user, while Microsoft leapt into the top 10 by installing 479 MW of new capacity since 2019.
Walmart’s diverse set of on-site and off-site solar has kept them in the top 5 for the last decade, states the report. Companies like Intel, Google, Switch and Digital Realty are all using solar energy at data center facilities, which help to power critical information and data infrastructure. In addition, food and beverage giants like Ab Inbev and Starbucks, health care companies like Kaiser Permanente and DaVita, and other top brands like Home Depot and T-Mobile are all top 25 corporate solar users.
There are now 23 U.S. companies that have installed at least 100 MW of solar capacity, up from 11 companies in 2019. 18 of the top 25 companies ranked in this report are pursuing 100% renewable energy or carbon neutral goals.
The full report tracks over 47,000 corporate solar installations nationwide, which together generate enough electricity to power 3.2 million homes and offset 20.4 million metric tons of carbon annually.
In addition, the report now tracks commercial solar projects that are paired with battery storage, which is particularly helpful for businesses that provide essential services or supply critical information or data infrastructure.
Total commercial solar installations are expected to double again over the next 3 years with nearly 27 GW of off-site corporate solar projects scheduled to come online by 2025. This represents nearly a third of the total contracted solar pipeline.
To download the full report see www.SolarMeansBusiness.com.
[October 5, 2022, Alexandria, Minnesota] — Allied Solar, a new joint venture between Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure (GSI) and SolarGen today formally announced their plans to develop a 40-megawatt (MW) utility-scale solar park on approximately 200 acres of privately-owned land in Alexandria, Minnesota. The proposed project will provide clean, renewable energy to power at least 7,600 homes within the Midwest Independent System Operator (MISO) territory.
GSI is a New York-based renewable energy operator and investor with interest in developing solar and storage facilities across the United States. SolarGen is a solar developer based in Colorado.
“This is an exciting project that will cement GSI’s growth plans and continue to support and advance the nation’s transition to a reliable, clean energy future” said Mazen Turk, CEO of GSI. “This project will increase access to sustainable energy and promote local job creation. In addition, this step forward is proof that solar is not only affordable but can be implemented across the country—whether it be the American South, mid-Atlantic, Mountain West, or the Northeast.”
The 200 acres of private land identified as the home of the project are under contract with Allied Solar pending necessary permits and approvals. The project is currently under review for a Conditional Use Permit with the Douglas County (MN) Land & Resource Department. If passed, the project will be fenced and landscaped based on input from the Douglas County Planning Advisory Commission and the families who own and live on and around the property.
“This is one of the most key points of interconnect in the upper Midwest, and one of the most efficacious locations for injecting 50 MW of reliable and cost-effective renewable energy to serve the area,” said Carmine Iadarola, CEO of SolarGen.
Currently, only three percent of Minnesota’s electricity generation comes from solar. Of that generation, only 24% comes from utility-scale projects. Large-scale projects like the Alexandria solar farm will help accelerate clean energy generation in the state and help it reach its stated goal of 10% solar generation in Minnesota by 2030.
The Alexandria, Minnesota project is one of the first developments to be announced as part of the deal GSI announced with SolarGen in March of 2022. That deal included up to 233 MW of new solar capacity in five U.S. states (in addition to Minnesota, they include Colorado, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin).
About Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure
GSI (www.greenwoodinfra.com) is a clean energy subsidiary of the Libra Group (www.libra.com), a privately owned international business group spanning 35 countries across six continents and active in renewable energy, aviation, hospitality, real estate and shipping as well as selected diversified investments. GSI is focused on investment, development, and operation of utility-scale solar energy projects. As of January 2022, the company developed approximated 200 MW in 32 renewable energy projects, many of which are still owned or operated by GSI. Recent partners include DTE Energy, Delmarva Power, and Duke Energy.
About SolarGen
SolarGen is a family-owned business based in Denver, CO. With almost 40 years of experience developing energy and water infrastructure, SolarGen has developed 1,100 MWs of natural gas power, 1,000 MWs of wind, and 500 MWs of solar. As of October 2022, the company is actively developing over 500 MW of power across the United States.
Contact:
Ben Finzel, RENEWPR, for Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure
ben@renewpr.com
+1 202-277-6286
The following is an interview with GSI Chief Executive Officer, Mazen Turk, and RENEWPR’s Ben Finzel. Find the original article here: https://www.renewpr.com/single-post/the-common-sense-colloquy-q-a-with-mazen-turk-of-greenwood-sustainable-infrastructure.
[September 14, 2022, New York, New York] — With a name like RENEWPR, we are often viewed as a renewable energy-only PR firm. We aren’t, but renewables and sustainability are an important part of our work and a key area of interest and focus (particularly since we’ve worked on numerous wind and solar campaigns and client projects). So we were thrilled when our friends at The Libra Group re-introduced us to Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure (GSI), a company we had worked with previously.
GSI is led by Chief Executive Officer Mazen Turk. We have the good fortune of working with Mazen and his team to help promote their work, including the announcement earlier this year of a terrific new solar energy acquisition. Given GSI’s focus on sustainable projects across the country, it made sense to profile them and talk with Mazen about their work. We’re thrilled to include Mazen in the Common Sense Colloquy series.
At GSI, Mazen focuses on GSI’s growth strategy through development and acquisition of early-stage utility scale solar PV and battery projects. Mazen also oversees the operational asset management of the company’s numerous sustainable energy project portfolios. The company “develops, invests in, and manages sustainable infrastructure assets, such as renewable and waste to energy projects throughout North America.” Prior to joining GSI, Mazen held several managerial positions at other Libra Group subsidiaries. In these roles, Mazen had responsibility for managing the day-to-day operations of distributed generation solar projects and engaging in business development activities aimed at growing the Libra Group’s renewable energy portfolios.
Mazen is a registered Professional Engineer in New York State and began his career as a Civil Engineering Consultant focusing on large transportation and infrastructure projects for the private and public sector. In addition to his strong background in sustainability, Mazen has a clear understanding of how markets affect development and what that means for long-term project opportunities.
My thanks to Mazen for sharing his wisdom with us – and you.
Q: How would you describe the state of the clean energy marketplace today? What are the current challenges and opportunities?
A: I have always viewed the renewable energy market in the US, whether it is the Mandatory/ Compliance Market, or the Voluntary market, as a highly policy-driven market. Regulatory regimes not only affect the end user or purchaser of green power, they affect all stakeholders from developers, to utilities, and the investment community (among others). There is no doubt that the switch to renewable energy is necessary and already happening at a large scale due to favorable economic policies, but it is not without its challenges:
1. Adoption of renewable energy at a large scale requires a large reform in the country’s power infrastructure. The power grid in the US dates to the early 1950s and was built for fossil fuel plants. The grid is in need of capacity upgrades and smart grid updates to handle the variability and intermittency of the various renewable technologies including battery storage.
2. Developers and investors continue to face long-term price predictability over the lifetime of the project. This is especially challenging as long term contracted revenue (i.e., long term PPAs) are steadily getting shorter. Developers and investors don’t like volatility and uncertainty.
3. As renewable technology continues to become more and more affordable, there is an influx of projects fighting for interconnection queues across all major utilities in the US. Utilities are often bogged down with numerous interconnection applications, some of which will never materialize, creating a backlog and straining the utilities.
The most interesting opportunity for renewables is in the storage space. As the cost of batteries continues to decrease, the widespread use of batteries can improve grid stability. Allowing utilities or independent power producers to deploy power when needed the most not only stabilizes the demand and supply, but also helps minimize major infrastructure upgrades to the grid.
Q: What do you think the renewable energy industry needs to do or say differently to continue to grow and prosper? Are there key messages that you think need to be highlighted in outreach and promotion?
A: The goal of the renewable energy sector is to eliminate our reliance on burning of fossil fuels and to deploy clean sustainable renewable energy solutions to counter climate change. Traditional power plants have historically been large-scale centralized facilities which are located far from the end user such as coal-fired power plant and nuclear plants. The various technologies used in the renewable energy sector have created the ability to decentralize the power supply; now referred to as distributed generation. Distributed generation has many environmental advantages, and its use reduces the amount of electricity that must be generated. Distributed generation, however, does require a mix of local, state, and federal policies to compete with the traditional power plant.
In addition, the deployment of decentralized power generation requires a smart grid. The challenge of upgrading the power grid in the US cannot be understated. It is crucial this is highlighted in the context of regulatory regimes so that utilities can keep pace with growing demand. A digitalized smart grid needs government expenditures and should be led by the utilities. Grid planners and operators face significant complexities especially with the deployment of electric vehicles and grid interactive residential solar. With the new mix of technology, the grid must now adapt to these variables load patterns and bidirectional power flows.
Q: What have you learned in your engineering career that has been applicable to your role at GSI? Any key lessons that you have applied to help GSI succeed?
A: One of the fundamental techniques of problem solving is the reverse engineering approach. Reverse engineering is the act of breaking down or dismantling an object to find out how it works. The knowledge gained from understanding how things work, gives you the ability to recreate a system or an object with added enhancement. Being an engineer by education, I learned to apply this systematic and analytical approach to problem solving. Breaking down one big problem into may smaller problems makes it easier to systematically find smaller solutions.
Also, in a competitive environment such as the solar sector in the US, the adoption of new technologies can be a game changer for certain projects. Whether it is the deployment of automation to improve efficiencies and reduce cost, or the use of new products aimed at increasing revenue, the deployment of the appropriate technology can improve the economics of a project and increase its value. The effective deployment of technology requires a deep technical know-how and experience, and when combined with the appropriate capital structure, optimum performance can be achieved.
Q: What’s the best “common sense” advice about communications you’ve received?
A: Listening. A good listener has the ability to “peel the onion” and get to the core of the matter. When people sense that you distracted and not mindful of the conversation, they refrain from sharing the core truth. By being a good listener, your conversation partner will be aware that they have your full, nonjudgmental attention, enabling better communications.
Q: What’s the best “common sense” advice about communications you’ve given to others?
A: Other than listening, my advice would be to speak less, and keep things simple. Being calculated with your words is not only prudent, but it is also a more effective way to communicate. Being concise and relevant ensures your audience is focused on the message.
[June 30, 2022, New York, New York]- Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure (GSI) has promoted Joseph Sacks to Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective June 2022. Joe has a long-standing career with GSI, having been one of the original team members when the company was founded in 2010. He rejoined the GSI a decade later to help promote the growth of their energy infrastructure investments and assets – and to identify and invest in innovative, diverse sustainable infrastructure projects in North America.
Joe has proven experience in financing and investing, having served in a number of principal roles, including direct equity investments as well as bank and non-bank lending within the middle market and project finance spaces. In his role as CFO Joe’s focus will be on continuing the GSI’s commercial growth in the energy sector, managing risk and investment strategies, as well as a new remit of overseeing the company’s financial health as he looks to build robust internal financial and operational processes.
Mazen Turk, CEO of GSI says: “Joe is a tremendous asset to GSI and his promotion is thoroughly well-deserved. He has worked tirelessly as a founding team player, and will play an integral part of our growth right across the renewable energy spectrum. Having someone as resilient and formidable as he is, will prove invaluable in his role as CFO. ”
Joe Sacks, CFO of GSI, says: “This is an exciting phase of growth for GSI and I am eager to rise to the challenges and maximise the opportunities which lie ahead. The strength and scalability of our investment, development, operation and financing of both distributed generation and utility-scale solar energy projects across North America is central to that growth. I look forward to working with the team to continue the on the growth trajectory which will enable us to meet our ambitious growth and sustainability goals.”
GSI, one of Libra Group’s renewable energy subsidiaries, is a New York-based renewable energy operator and investor with interest in developing solar and storage facilities across the United States. As of January 2022, the GSI has developed approximately 200 MW in 32 renewable energy projects, many of which are still owned and operated by GSI. GSI recently closed the acquisition of 233 MW of utility scale solar developments with more in the pipeline.
Libra Group’s four clean energy subsidiaries will soon reach the one-gigawatts mark in the development of renewable energy projects, including solar, wind, and waste-to-energy. This includes more than 220 projects owned, currently under development, or previously developed in six countries.
About Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure
Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure (GSI) (www.greenwoodinfra.com) is one of the clean energy subsidiaries of Libra Group. GSI is a renewable energy company focused on the development, construction and operation of distributed generation and utility-scale solar energy and battery storage projects in North America. As of March 2023, the company developed approximately 178 MW across 43 renewable energy projects, many of which are still owned or operated by GSI, and has an additional project pipeline of 1.6 GW. GSI’s seasoned team also has a proven track-record investing in power assets and partnering with multiple top-tiered investors.
About Libra Group
Libra Group (www.libra.com) is a privately owned, global business group that encompasses 30 operating entities: 20 businesses predominately focused on aviation, renewable energy, maritime, real estate, hospitality, and diversified investments, and 10 social initiatives. With assets and operations in nearly 60 countries, the Group applies the strength of its global network and capabilities to deliver cross-sector insights and growth at scale, while mitigating risk. Today, Libra’s Social Responsibility Programs include 10 social initiatives created to address unmet needs and grantmaking that helps people worldwide.
Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure (GSI) announces the completion of major upgrade to its L’Anse Warden power facility, including biomass plant turbine refurbishment and boiler system improvements.
GSI has announced the completion of the major upgrade to its Michigan-based clean power business, L’Anse Warden Electric Company, with the finalization of the refurbishment of its flagship biomass power plant. The overhaul included refurbishment of its GE turbine, as well as a number of improvements to the boiler and related systems. This was the initial phase of a restoration program expected to exceed $6 million in capital expenditure.
GSI is an independent power producer with 32 clean energy-operating projects located in five states across the US. The company develops, invests in, and manages sustainable infrastructure assets throughout North America.