NineDot Energy Raises $225 Million in Equity Financing to Build and Operate Distributed Battery Energy Storage Projects

NineDot Energy®, the leading developer of community-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) in the New York City metropolitan area, today announced that it secured an additional $225 million equity capital commitment from Manulife Investment Management as well as Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG), NineDot’s existing institutional equity investor. Manulife Investment Management led the round with a $135 million commitment and concurrently acquired an equity interest. This new equity funding is expected to allow NineDot to advance its substantial project pipeline in the New York City area and to expand geographically as well as potentially through acquisitions. When combined with existing project financings from CIT, SMBC, and NY Green Bank, a division of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), among others, NineDot has now secured a capital base of approximately $400 million.

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NineDot Energy Northeast Bronx Battery Site (Photo: Business Wire)

“We are honored and excited to have Manulife Investment Management as a NineDot equity investor and partner,” said David Arfin, NineDot Energy CEO and co-founder. “From our first meeting it was clear that Manulife IM understood the importance of battery storage in modernizing the urban electric grid, making it cleaner, more resilient, more equitable, and less costly. Having Manulife Investment Management and Carlyle – two of the world’s leading infrastructure investors – in our corner will truly energize NineDot’s future.”

NineDot’s New York City battery storage projects support New York Governor Hochul’s nation-leading roadmap for 6,000 megawatts of energy storage capacity in New York State by 2030, on the path to 100% zero-emission electricity for the state by 2040. Battery storage is a critical part of New York’s sustainable energy infrastructure, enabling more renewable energy on the grid, accelerating the retirement of the dirtiest “peaker” plants, and making the grid more stable and resilient.

Recep Kendircioglu, Global Head of Infrastructure, Manulife Investment Management, said: “We have been believers in community-scale battery storage for a long time and are pleased to form a long-term equity partnership with NineDot Energy. We view NineDot as the leading BESS developer in a complex but attractive market. We look forward to supporting the team at NineDot as it executes on its growth pipeline in New York and scales its business.”

NineDot is on track to achieve its goal of having 400 megawatts of battery storage capacity in development by the end of 2026, while adhering to the most stringent safety requirements for any jurisdiction in the United States as specified by the New York City Fire Department (FDNY). NineDot’s initial battery storage site, located in the Pelham Gardens neighborhood of the Northeast Bronx, became operational last summer – a first-of-its-kind community-scale battery storage system in NYC, designed to provide power and resilience to the local grid at times of peak demand. In addition, NineDot has approximately 30 projects under construction across the New York metro area, with many more in development. A typical NineDot Energy 5-megawatt project is designed to power 5,000 New York City households for four hours on a peak summer day. From a decarbonization perspective, using the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) emissions methodology, if a NineDot site were operating in 2022 it would be estimated to have reduced local greenhouse gas emissions by 420 tons of CO₂e (carbon dioxide equivalent).

“When we first backed NineDot in 2021, we recognized they had a unique strategy to support New York’s energy transition. Over the past two years we’ve worked closely with them as they’ve experienced tremendous success building out their platform and project pipeline. We look forward to partnering with Manulife Investment Management, providing further support to the NineDot team as they pursue their ambitious goals,” said Pooja Goyal, Chief Investment Officer of Carlyle’s Infrastructure Group.

As part of this transaction, Christopher McKenzie, a Managing Director on Manulife Investment Management’s Infrastructure team, will join NineDot’s Board of Directors.

About NineDot Energy

NineDot Energy is the leading community-scale, battery storage developer and operator in the New York City metropolitan region. We create innovative urban energy solutions that support a more resilient grid, deliver economic savings, reduce carbon emissions, and improve environmental equity. Many of our battery storage locations are designed to include solar systems and electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) capabilities as well. NineDot Energy’s name derives from the classic mathematical puzzle for sparking out-of-the-box solutions. We are based in Brooklyn, New York. Learn more at nine.energy.

About Carlyle

Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) is a global investment firm with deep industry expertise that deploys private capital across three business segments: Global Private Equity, Global Credit and Global Investment Solutions. With $382 billion of assets under management as of September 30, 2023, 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 28 offices across four continents.

About Manulife Investment Management

Manulife Investment Management is the global brand for the global wealth and asset management segment of Manulife Financial Corporation. We draw on more than a century of financial stewardship and the full resources of our parent company to serve individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. Headquartered in Toronto, our extensive capabilities in public and private markets are strengthened by an investment footprint that spans 19 geographies. We complement these capabilities by providing access to a network of unaffiliated asset managers from around the world. We’re committed to investing responsibly across our businesses. We develop innovative global frameworks for sustainable investing, collaboratively engage with companies in our securities portfolios, and maintain a high standard of stewardship where we own and operate assets, and we believe in supporting financial well-being through our workplace retirement plans. Today, plan sponsors around the world rely on our retirement plan administration and investment expertise to help their employees plan for, save for, and live a better retirement. Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulifeim.com.

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