John Hancock to finance solar projects in the US

Soltage-Greenwood, a joint venture between the premier North American solar power provider Soltage, LLC, and Greenwood Energy, the North and Latin American clean energy division of the Libra Group, has announced an equity financing of US$70 million led by John Hancock Life Insurance Company for the construction and operation of seven solar photovoltaic power stations in Massachusetts and North Carolina totaling 32 MW of generating capacity.

This is the second Soltage-Greenwood commitment led by John Hancock, and builds upon a first round of solar PV assets announced earlier this year. Together, the consortium of investors has committed more than US$110 million of investment into 13 Soltage-Greenwood solar projects, located in five states with a combined generating capacity of 45 MW. Once commissioned, electricity will be sold exclusively through long-term agreements with a mix of municipalities and utilities.

Jesse Grossman, Soltage co-founder & CEO, stated:

This second portfolio demonstrates the stability and repeatability of solar investment through our capital platform. We look forward to managing these solar assets for the benefit of our electricity clients and investment partners for decades to come.

Camilo Patrignani, CEO of Greenwood Energy, commented:

We are truly pleased to have John Hancock’s continued support in our current and future solar projects. This comes as a great follow-up to the initial portfolio developed by the Soltage-Greenwood team earlier this year.

Recep C. Kendircioglu, CFA, Managing Director on John Hancock’s Power & Infrastructure Group, stated:

We are pleased to execute an additional transaction with Soltage-Greenwood. These solar assets represent a continuation of our relationship with the Soltage-Greenwood team to further deploy capital into clean, reliable sources of energy.

Soltage-Greenwood, a joint venture formed in 2013, is focused on the development, financing and operation of solar power plants for commercial-scale customers. The joint venture combines Greenwood Energy, the clean energy division for the Americas of the Libra Group, a privately owned international business group comprising 30 subsidiaries operating across five continents with Soltage, LLC, a leader in U.S. solar development backed by a group of investors including Tenaska, one of America’s largest independent energy companies with approximately 11,000 MW of power generating assets under management.