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Key Takeaways | How Traditional Energy Funds are Shifting Toward Green Energy: A Conversation with Encap Investments and Quantum Energy Partners

The energy market has undergone significant change in the past 12 months, with even more on the horizon. Our webinar series explores how these changes have shaped—and will continue to impact—the energy industry, including discussions of what’s to come.

Our latest webinar featured McDermott partners Edward Zaelke and Parker Lee, as well as Shawn Cumberland, Managing Partner of Energy Transition of EnCap Investments, and Alex Jackson, Director at Quantum Energy Partners.

Below are key takeaways from the webinar:

1. Although energy transition investment funds may have different focuses, they generally take an all-of-the-above approach, with respect to investing, in the various subsectors of the energy transition and are willing to invest in any technology, in any portion of the energy industry (except for highly capital intensive projects with binary risk profiles).

2. Similar to the approach for conventional oil and gas investments, investment funds are focused on investing in strong management teams with a successful track record, which is manifested either through a management team that already has an interesting business plan or a management team that can successfully implement the investment fund’s strategy for a new business.

3. Environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) policies have become pervasive in all industries—especially within the energy industry—and must permeate all aspects of an investment fund’s strategy. Effective ESG policies and proper environmental stewardship have become licenses to operate within the energy industry and without them, operating companies and investment funds will have extremely limited ability to gain legitimate interest from potential investment partners.

4. When developing a relationship between an investment fund and a management team for a new investment, it is critical for both parties to ensure there are aligned interests and expectations between the two parties.

5. Investment funds see abundant opportunities within the energy transitions space and are bullish on those investments’ capability to satisfy energy demand over the next two to three decades but are also looking to achieve diversification to protect their limited partners from the cyclical nature of energy investment.

To access past webinars in this series and to begin receiving Energy updates, including invitations to the webinar series, please click here.




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Key Takeaways: SPACs and How to Plug into the Opportunities They Present in Renewable Energy and Green Infrastructure

On April 14, McDermott Will & Emery partners Tom Conaghan and Carl Fleming and Nicole Neeman Brady, CEO and director of the renewable energy SPAC, Sustainable Development Acquisition I Corp, discussed the rise of special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), the opportunities they present in renewable energy and in the transition to green infrastructure and the complex legal and business challenges these vehicles present.

Below are key takeaways from the webinar:

  1. There has been an increase in SPAC activities in recent years, and this presents an opportunity for sponsors, investors and private companies. Each stakeholder has distinct advantages for entering into a SPAC transaction.
  2. Sponsors are able to take advantage of the industry experience they already have, including in the capital markets sector and the specific industry sector of the target company. Investors have downside protection with the money they invest, which may be refunded at a later date. Investors are also eligible to purchase warrants in connection with SPAC initial public offerings (IPOs), offering additional protection. Private companies are offered access to capital markets without having to undergo a traditional IPO, which is a burdensome process in complying with various regulations and underwriter requirements.
  3. Various SPACs consider different factors in making investments. Sustainable Development Acquisition I Corp, for example, looks for sustainability goals that balance profit and purpose as a B Corp. and prioritizes companies that have expertise and goals that are consistent with sustainable growth.
  4. Private companies that are hoping to do a SPAC transaction should prepare in advance to make sure it is ready to comply with public company laws and regulations. These rules are complex and will require long lead times before the company is in a position to be regulated as a public company. In particular, preparation of financial statements can be challenging to prepare. As there is an 18- to 24-month deadline for SPACs, private companies would benefit from getting a head start in preparation.
  5. The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has recently been more involved with IPOs conducted through SPACs, including publishing a primer on SPAC transactions and a statement on whether warrants should be treated as equity or liability for accounting purposes. In light of such recent developments from the SEC, all stakeholders should exercise more caution in performing SPAC transactions and avoid cutting corners.

To access past webinars in this series and to begin receiving Energy updates, including invitations to the webinar series, please click here.




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