TORONTO, Feb. 14, 2024 /CNW/ – Connor, Clark & Lunn Infrastructure (CC&L Infrastructure) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement to acquire a majority stake in the Sharp Hills wind farm (Sharp Hills, or the Project) from EDP Renewables Canada Ltd. (EDPR Canada), a subsidiary of EDP Renewables for an estimated Enterprise Value of approximately C$0.6 billion for an 80% stake and inclusive of investment tax credits. With the addition of this investment, CC&L Infrastructure will own more than 600 megawatts (MW) of wind generation assets and the Firm’s total portfolio of renewable energy projects will exceed 1.8 gigawatts (GW) of clean energy capacity across Canada, the United States, and Chile.
Windmill (CNW Group/Connor, Clark & Lunn Infrastructure)
Located in southeastern Alberta, Sharp Hills is one of the largest onshore wind farms in Canada with approximately 300 MW of capacity, representing clean energy generation equivalent to the amount of power used by more than 160,000 Alberta homes. The newly built project recently entered into operations, with remaining construction expected to be completed by Q2 2024. The construction of this facility marked a significant investment in the province, contributing to the local economy through job creation and funding to the community. Sharp Hills is fully contracted through a 15-year power purchase agreement with a high-quality counterparty.
“The Sharp Hills wind farm is an attractive addition to our increasingly diverse portfolio of infrastructure assets. We look forward to working further with our partner, EDPR, in the safe and successful operation of this facility for years to come,” said Matt O’Brien, President of CC&L Infrastructure. “CC&L Infrastructure has a long history and significant expertise as an owner of more than 80 clean energy projects. We are excited to continue expanding our asset base and are actively pursuing further investment opportunities created by the increasing demand for renewable power and the broader energy transition that is underway.”
“We’re excited to partner again with CC&L Infrastructure, this time in Alberta,” added Sandhya Ganapathy, CEO of EDP Renewables North America. “The Sharp Hills project underscores our continuing commitment to invest in Alberta and contribute to its grid resiliency and energy security. We look forward to continued efforts focused on Canada’s energy transition.”
This is CC&L Infrastructure’s second transaction with developer EDPR, having previously acquired a 560 MW portfolio of wind and solar assets in the United States. EDPR will retain a minority equity interest in Sharp Hills and continue to operate and manage the Project. National Bank Financial Inc. advised CC&L Infrastructure as financial advisor and Torys LLP as legal counsel while CIBC Capital Markets served as the financial advisor to EDPR Canada. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions expected to be satisfied in the coming weeks.
About Connor, Clark & Lunn Infrastructure
CC&L Infrastructure invests in middle-market infrastructure assets with attractive risk-return characteristics, long lives and the potential to generate stable cash flows. To date, CC&L Infrastructure has accumulated over $5 billion in assets under management diversified across a variety of geographies, sectors, and asset types, with over 90 underlying facilities across over 30 individual investments. CC&L Infrastructure is a part of Connor, Clark & Lunn Financial Group Ltd., a multi-boutique asset management firm whose affiliates collectively manage over CAD$118 billion in assets.
EDP Renewables (Euronext: EDPR) is a global leader in renewable energy development which has built a significant position in the energy landscape, establishing a presence in four global hubs – Europe, North America, South America, and Asia Pacific. With headquarters in Madrid and leading regional offices in Porto, Houston, São Paulo and Singapore, EDPR has a sound development portfolio of top-level assets and market-leading operating capacity in renewable energies. Its business mainly encompasses onshore wind, distributed and large-scale solar, offshore wind (through a 50/50 joint venture – Ocean Winds) and complementary technologies to renewables, such as hybridization, storage and green hydrogen. EDPR is a division of EDP (Euronext: EDP), a leader in the energy transition with a focus on decarbonization. EDP – EDPR’s main shareholder – has been listed on the Dow Jones Index for 16 consecutive years, recently being named the most sustainable electricity company on the Index.
NEW YORK (AP) — Shares of Tesla soared Wednesday as investors bet that the electric vehicle maker and its CEO Elon Musk will benefit from Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
Tesla stands to make significant gains under a Trump administration with the threat of diminished subsidies for alternative energy and electric vehicles doing the most harm to smaller competitors. Trump’s plans for extensive tariffs on Chinese imports make it less likely that Chinese EVs will be sold in bulk in the U.S. anytime soon.
“Tesla has the scale and scope that is unmatched,” said Wedbush analyst Dan Ives, in a note to investors. “This dynamic could give Musk and Tesla a clear competitive advantage in a non-EV subsidy environment, coupled by likely higher China tariffs that would continue to push away cheaper Chinese EV players.”
Tesla shares jumped 14.8% Wednesday while shares of rival electric vehicle makers tumbled. Nio, based in Shanghai, fell 5.3%. Shares of electric truck maker Rivian dropped 8.3% and Lucid Group fell 5.3%.
Tesla dominates sales of electric vehicles in the U.S, with 48.9% in market share through the middle of 2024, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Subsidies for clean energy are part of the Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2022. It included tax credits for manufacturing, along with tax credits for consumers of electric vehicles.
Musk was one of Trump’s biggest donors, spending at least $119 million mobilizing Trump’s supporters to back the Republican nominee. He also pledged to give away $1 million a day to voters signing a petition for his political action committee.
In some ways, it has been a rocky year for Tesla, with sales and profit declining through the first half of the year. Profit did rise 17.3% in the third quarter.
The U.S. opened an investigation into the company’s “Full Self-Driving” system after reports of crashes in low-visibility conditions, including one that killed a pedestrian. The investigation covers roughly 2.4 million Teslas from the 2016 through 2024 model years.
And investors sent company shares tumbling last month after Tesla unveiled its long-awaited robotaxi at a Hollywood studio Thursday night, seeing not much progress at Tesla on autonomous vehicles while other companies have been making notable progress.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 100 points in late-morning trading, helped by strength in base metal and utility stocks, while U.S. stock markets were mixed.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 103.40 points at 24,542.48.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 192.31 points at 42,932.73. The S&P 500 index was up 7.14 points at 5,822.40, while the Nasdaq composite was down 9.03 points at 18,306.56.
The Canadian dollar traded for 72.61 cents US compared with 72.44 cents US on Tuesday.
The November crude oil contract was down 71 cents at US$69.87 per barrel and the November natural gas contract was down eight cents at US$2.42 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$7.20 at US$2,686.10 an ounce and the December copper contract was up a penny at US$4.35 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 200 points in late-morning trading, while U.S. stock markets were also headed higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 205.86 points at 24,508.12.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 336.62 points at 42,790.74. The S&P 500 index was up 34.19 points at 5,814.24, while the Nasdaq composite was up 60.27 points at 18.342.32.
The Canadian dollar traded for 72.61 cents US compared with 72.71 cents US on Thursday.
The November crude oil contract was down 15 cents at US$75.70 per barrel and the November natural gas contract was down two cents at US$2.65 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was down US$29.60 at US$2,668.90 an ounce and the December copper contract was up four cents at US$4.47 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 11, 2024.
