HOUSTON, Aug. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Quantum Capital Group and its affiliates today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Cogentrix Energy, a premier U.S. independent power producer, from funds managed by Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) for a total consideration of approximately $3 billion. The Cogentrix platform is comprised of 5.3 gigawatts of efficient and flexible natural gas-fired power plants, located throughout PJM, ERCOT, and ISO-NE, which support the reliability, resiliency, and affordability of the U.S. electricity market.
Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Cogentrix has a multi-decade track record of successfully acquiring, developing, constructing, operating, and optimizing conventional and renewable power generation assets throughout the U.S. Following transaction close, the Company will continue to be led by current CEO John Ragan and the existing Cogentrix management team.
“We are at a critical juncture in the evolution of the domestic power market. Electricity demand is rapidly increasing thanks to explosive growth in data centers and AI, the reshoring of manufacturing, and the electrification-of-everything,” said Wil VanLoh, Founder and CEO of Quantum. “This growth is occurring at the same time our grid is becoming more unstable with additions of intermittent renewable power and continued retirements of coal-fired generation. Now more than ever, we need reliable and efficient power infrastructure. This is what the Cogentrix assets provide.”
Michael MacDougall, Partner at Quantum, said: “We are thrilled to partner with the Cogentrix team. Having stewarded more than 18 gigawatts of assets over its 40+ year history, the Company is a proven leader in building, managing, and optimizing power generation assets of all technology types. We expect to meaningfully grow the Cogentrix platform, with a focus on gas-fired power generation, renewables, and battery storage. Our goal is to deliver clean, reliable, and affordable power to customers.”
Matt O’Connor, a Partner within Carlyle’s Global Infrastructure team, added: “This is a win-win transaction for everyone involved as Cogentrix begins its next chapter of growth with Quantum. We are proud of the significant transformation Cogentrix has achieved under our ownership. We wish John and his team continued success as they expand their platform and seize numerous opportunities in the rapidly evolving U.S. power sector.”
“We are pleased to have supported Cogentrix’s efforts to establish decarbonization objectives for its fleet of natural gas-fired power generation assets while continuing to support grid reliability, a critical balance required to effectuate the energy transition,” said Pooja Goyal, CIO of Global Infrastructure at Carlyle. “This successful transaction is a testament to the deep sector expertise of our energy and infrastructure platform at Carlyle. We look forward to continuing our investment activities in this rapidly growing area, including partnering with our management teams on growth opportunities and deploying capital in new investments.”
“We are grateful for Carlyle’s partnership, which has provided us with the tools and capabilities to capture a growing opportunity set within the U.S. power market,” said John Ragan, CEO of Cogentrix. “As we look to the future, we are confident Quantum’s deep knowledge of the energy markets, successful track record of business building, and risk management capabilities will drive significant long-term value for our customers, employees, investors, and other stakeholders.”
Guggenheim served as Quantum’s financial advisor while King & Spalding and Vinson & Elkins provided legal advice to Quantum. Lazard served as Carlyle’s financial advisor and Latham & Watkins as legal advisor.
The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals and is expected to close between the fourth quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of 2025.
About Quantum Capital Group
Founded in 1998, Quantum is a leading provider of private equity, credit, and venture capital to the global energy and energy transition industry, having managed together with its affiliates more than $27 billion in equity commitments since inception. For more information on Quantum, please visit www.quantumcap.com.
About Cogentrix
Founded in 1983, Cogentrix is a leading independent power producer with a long track record of successfully acquiring, developing, constructing, operating and improving power generation assets across the United States. Further information is available at www.cogentrix.com.
About Carlyle
Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) is a global investment firm with deep industry expertise that deploys private capital across its business and conducts its operations through three business segments: Global Private Equity, Global Credit and Global Investment Solutions. With $435 billion of assets under management as of June 30, 2024, Carlyle’s purpose is to invest wisely and create value on behalf of its investors, portfolio companies and the communities in which we live and invest. Carlyle employs more than 2,200 people in 29 offices across four continents. Further information is available at www.carlyle.com. Follow Carlyle on X @OneCarlyle and LinkedIn at The Carlyle Group (CG).
