Curtis Hart

CURTIS HART focuses his practice on project finance, project and portfolio M&A, development financing, equity investments and joint ventures, and related transactions in both the renewable and conventional power markets, as well as for infrastructure and industrial assets.

Curtis represents sponsors, private equity, tax equity investors, and other key participants in connection with financing and equity arrangements at all stages of a project’s life-cycle as well as representing financial institutions, energy and commodity companies in a variety of transactional, regulatory and risk management matters.

Curtis’ recent experience includes:

• Invenergy in its joint venture creating Illuminate USA with LONGi, the world’s largest solar panel manufacturer.
• One of the largest private energy companies in North America with respect to a US$620 million investment (and related follow-on investments) from a Private Equity investor in the company’s thermal and data center businesses.
• One of the largest private energy companies in North America with respect to the sale of 49% of its interests in a portfolio of ten renewables projects (including wind, solar and battery energy storage projects).
• A private equity investor in its preferred equity investments in portfolios of renewables projects, including (i) a US$250 million investment in a 500 MW solar PV facility with co-located BESS located in California, (ii) a US$200 million investment in an approximately 525 MW wind facility located in Texas, and (iii) a US$175 million investment in two solar facilities with co-located BESS located Puerto Rico.
• A leading electricity generation investment and management firm in bids to acquire natural gas-fired power plants across the eastern United States.
• A leading electricity generation investment and management firm in its acquisition of a portfolio of three natural gas-fired power plants in New York and Maine.
• I Squared Capital and Ares EIF in the approximately US$1.0 billion sale of the 870 MW Oregon Clean Energy Center to Indiana Michigan Power Company (an AEP company).
• A private equity investor in bids to acquire district energy assets across multiple U.S. jurisdictions.
• A private equity fund in its approximately US$625 million Section 363 purchase of certain assets of Pine Gate Renewables.
• Ørsted in its divestment of a 50% equity stake in three U.S. onshore projects to Energy Capital Partners for US$572 million.
• Atlantic Power & Utilities in its sale to Pacolet Milliken, LLC (“Pacolet”) of 100% of the equity interests in Piedmont Green Power, a project company that owns a 55 MW biomass-fired power plant, located in Barnesville, Georgia.
• Invenergy Renewables, acting through its previously announced consortium with Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) and funds managed by Blackstone Infrastructure, in its approximately US$1.5 billion acquisition of a 1,365-megawatt unregulated, contracted renewables portfolio from American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP).
• Invenergy Renewables Holdings LLC, the largest private renewable energy company in North America, in connection with a US$1 billion follow-on equity investment from funds managed by Blackstone Infrastructure Partners.
• I Squared Capital in its US$961 million acquisition of Atlantic Power Corporation, including the US$415 acquisition financing thereof.
• I Squared Capital and Atlantic Power Corporation in its sale of hydroelectric generation assets, for total consideration of US$318.4 million, plus a potential earnout based on the evolution of NYISO market pricing.
• Harrison Street in the formation of a US$250 million joint venture with Soltage LLC to fund 450 MW of distributed solar and energy storage projects across the United States.
• Harrison Street in its acquisition and joint venture financing with Akuo energy for a 93 MW wind farm near Chicago, Illinois.
• GE Energy Financial Services in leading a consortium for the tax equity financing of Amadeus Wind, a 250 MW wind project located north of Rotan, Texas.
• GE Energy Financial Services and Berkshire Hathaway in the tax equity financing of a repowered 146 MW wind project in Texas.
• Codan Limited, a manufacturer and supplier of communications, metal detection, and mining technology headquartered in Adelaide, Australia, in its purchase of Domo Tactical Communications from Marlin Equity Partners for approximately US$88 million.
• The South Carolina House of Representatives in the evaluation of bids presented to the South Carolina General Assembly in connection with the sale of the Santee Cooper state-owned utility, as well as an alternative plan to maintain ownership and reform the utility.
• Advising clients in matters related to general corporate governance and issues related to boards of directors and corporate officers.
• Advising clients in structuring, analyzing, and negotiating physical and financial commodity-related agreements, including long-term full requirements wholesale energy services and supply contracts, electricity and natural gas purchase and sale agreements, commodity hedge agreements, and standardized industry agreements, such as ISDAs and NAESBs.