A Clean Energy Developer Spots New Opportunities In The US

---

---

The US has seen $22 billion in major clean energy investments go up in smoke over the past six months, and yet the energy transition persists. A case in point is the Texas-based independent power producer Treaty Oak Clean Energy. Despite the partisan political headwinds of today, Treat Oak is poised to whip its 17.3 gigawatt pipeline of solar, wind, and battery storage projects into high gear, aided by a new $300 million line of credit.

There Goes $22 Billion In Clean Energy Investments, Up In Smoke

The figure of $22 billion comes from the organization E2, which tracks major investments among various clean energy sectors, including manufacturing. “Businesses canceled, closed, and scaled back more than $22 billion worth of new factories and clean energy projects in the first half of 2025 after cancelling another $6.7 billion in June alone,” E2 announced last week, noting that EV makers accounted for much of the hurt.

As may be expected, congressional districts held by Republican lawmakers have suffered disproportionately. “More than $11.7 billion in investments and 11,700 jobs have been cancelled, delayed or closed in Republican districts so far in 2025. Over $6.1 billion and nearly 4,000 jobs have been lost in Democratic districts,” E2 reported.

On the bright side, E2 also charted approximately $2.1 billion in new investor activity in June. However, a single investment of $1.8 billion in a green hydrogen production facility accounted for much of the total.

Seeking Clean Energy Promise Among The Ashes Of Public Policy

Into this picture steps the independent power producer Treaty Oak Clean Energy. The company counts wind, solar, and battery energy storage in its roster, with a focus on rural markets.

Those rural markets have become a difficult road to travel for clean energy developers, even before this year’s abrupt shift in federal energy policy. In the years leading up to the 2024 presidential election cycle, a growing number of US counties imposed new restrictions on clean energy development, and local opposition has been rising. New state-based limitations on renewable energy are also looming in Texas and elsewhere.

Still, money talks. Some counties are eager to wrap their hands around new tax revenue from clean energy projects, and now the need for new revenue is stronger than ever. The new federal tax law (the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”) will cut federal assistance and rake through county budgets like a sledgehammer, setting off a scramble to fund schools, roads, and other basic services.

County budgets aren’t the only factor that could help swing local approval in favor of wind turbines and solar panels. Rural property owners, farmers, and ranchers are also being impacted by the public policy chaos. In April, a reporting team at Bloomberg Law took note of skyrocketing farm bankruptcies this year, with particular attention on the federal government. “Unpredictable tariffs, immigration overhauls, federal program cuts and frozen Agriculture Department funding are now part of the discussions farmers are having as they seek financial help,” they observed.

Farmers and ranchers have been pulling in new income by leasing their property for wind and solar projects since the early 2000s, helping to hedge against unfavorable commodity prices, water shortages, and climate impacts. The additional factor of crazy quilt policy-making should help stimulate interest, and new organization called Renewable Energy Farmers of America aims to keep the momentum going over the coming years.

In addition to the direct financial benefits of tax revenue and lease income, Treaty Oak also points out that its projects require little, if any, ongoing support from public service providers, including police, fire, and EMS, among others.

Follow The Money

Treaty Oak has some powerful winds in its sails. The biggest infrastructure management firm on Earth, Macquarie Asset Management, put Treaty Oak on its portfolio roster in 2022. Macquarie notes that it currently has $588.1 billion under its belt, covering more than 170 companies and more than 105 gigawatts of green energy in construction, operations or development.

State, local, and/or federal policy hurdles aside, Treaty Oak now has a $300 million credit facility in hand to speed more projects through the pipeline. A credit facility enables developers to finance a series of projects without having to reinvent the financial transaction wheel each time.

The new credit facility reflects the continued interest of the global financial community in the US energy transition. The transaction featured the New York credit firm ING Capital (a branch of the global firm ING Group) along with Nomura Corporate Funding Americas and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation as Coordinating Lead Arrangers.

“The Facility will significantly enhance Treaty Oak’s rapidly expanding renewable energy project pipeline, which includes utility-scale solar, wind, and battery energy storage assets (“BESS”),” Treaty Oak explained in a press statement announcing the transaction earlier this week.

“This Facility strategically positions us to accelerate our buildout of important renewable projects in the US and opportunistically approach a market that is experiencing significant regulatory change,” emphasized Treaty Oak CEO  Chris Elrod.

“This financing reflects strong lender confidence in our business model and management team and gives us a competitive advantage,” Elrod added for good measure.

What Is This Clean Energy Strategy Of Which You Speak?

I reached out to Treaty Oak for more details on the clean energy opportunities they have spotted, including their strategy for lining up off-takers through power purchase agreements.

In the meantime, a quick look at two of the company’s projects indicates that one area of focus is the scaling-up of solar projects in states and counties that have either let the clean energy boat pass them by, or are poised for a fresh burst of growth.

One example is the company’s Redfield solar project, now under construction in Grant County, in Arkansas. On a 50-state ranking of installed solar capacity, Arkansas routinely turns in a respectable but unremarkable performance. It currently holds down the #19 slot for installed solar capacity with a total of almost 3,000 megawatts, though it racked up enough activity in 2024 to win #8 for capacity additions last year.

As reported by the local ABC station KATV, the $123 million, 100-megawatt Redfield project occupies more than 1,000 acres of land in a remote area. When completed, the project will produce enough clean energy for 18,000 homes. A to-be-named tech company has already claimed the entire output through a 15-year power purchase agreement.

The total lifespan of the array is pegged at 40 years, long enough to generate more than $10 million in new tax revenue for Grant County. KATV cited Grant County Judge Randy Pruitt, who said that the revenue will go to infrastructure improvements, including roads and schools.

“So that’s really, really positive for our community. It’s going to create 200 construction jobs, and they are trying to hire as many locals as they can,” Pruitt added.

Construction began late last year and Redfield is expected to begin turning out the solar-produced kilowatts sometime during the first half of 2026, proving once again that clean energy is the quickest way to get more electricity into the hands of eager off-takers.

Image: Via CleanTechnica archive.