AMHERST, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Catalyze, a clean energy transition company that finances, builds, owns and operates solar, battery storage and electric vehicle charging systems for commercial and industrial customers, celebrated the operation of its Amherst solar farm with a ribbon cutting attended by local officials.
The 6.4 MW solar farm will produce the entirety of its clean energy on behalf of the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority, which serves low-to-moderate income residential customers. The Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority was enrolled by Ampion, a community solar subscription management company. Over 1,300 housing units are subscribed to the Amherst solar farm.
The Amherst solar farm is helping the Town of Amherst fulfill its role as a NYSERDA Clean Energy Community, contributing to New York’s goals of distributed solar generation, as well as the need for projects to benefit disadvantaged communities. New York state is targeting 6 GW of distributed solar by 2025, 70 percent renewable energy by 2030, and 40 percent of clean energy investments benefiting disadvantaged communities.
"We’re proud to support New York’s efforts in building a clean, resilient and low-cost grid powered by renewable energy," said Steve Luker, CEO of Catalyze. "Community solar projects like Amherst offer the opportunity to provide lower energy costs and renewable energy access to everyone, including low-to-moderate income communities.”
The solar farm also utilizes sheep, shepherded by a landowner of the Amherst community, to maintain the vegetation on site during the grazing season. This provides the landowner with a new source of revenue as well, while having minimal negative impact on the solar site itself. In this way, this project offers the unique opportunity for Amherst residents to claim the benefits of a clean energy economy in a way that was previously inaccessible.
Catalyze is owned by leading energy investors EnCap Investments L.P. and Actis. To learn more about Catalyze’s leadership team, visit https://catalyze.com/company/leadership/.
About Catalyze
Catalyze is a national Energy Transition Partner that develops, finances, owns, and operates integrated renewable assets, and combines its proprietary technology, financial strength, and battery and electric vehicle savvy to deliver standardized, yet configurable systems that meet their partners’ unique needs. These offerings enable commercial and industrial property owners, operating companies, and their customers to extract greater value from their assets, take increased responsibility and ownership of their energy profile, and ultimately become part of the clean energy transition. Catalyze owns two proprietary technologies – REenergyzeⓇ, an origination-to-operations software integration platform that helps accelerate and scale the nationwide adoption of commercial and industrial solar and storage, and SolarStrapⓇ, a proprietary mounting technology to install rooftop panels. To learn more, visit www.catalyze.com.
About EnCap Investments L.P.
Since 1988, EnCap Investments has been a leading provider of growth capital to the independent sector of the U.S. energy industry. The firm has raised 24 institutional investment funds totaling approximately $40 billion and currently manages capital on behalf of more than 350 U.S. and international investors. Founded in 2019, the EnCap Energy Transition platform is led by four Managing Partners, each with 30-35 years of experience in the development and operations of renewables and power generation. For more information, please visit www.encapinvestments.com.
About Actis
Actis is a leading global investor in sustainable infrastructure. Actis has raised $US25 billion since inception and has more than US$15 billion of assets under management. A team of over 120 investment professionals operates from 17 offices across five continents. Actis’ global experience, operational know-how and strong culture allows it to build and operate global sustainability leaders of scale, while delivering competitive returns for institutional investors and measurable positive impact for the countries, cities and communities in which it operates.
Actis is a signatory to the United Nations backed Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI), an investor initiative developed by the UNEP FI and the UN Global Compact. The firm has consistently been awarded the highest rating score in the UNPRI independent assessment. www.act.is
About Ampion
Ampion offers the easiest way to join the clean energy movement while saving money through Community Solar. As a Public Benefit Corporation, Ampion believes in giving people the power to make homes, businesses and communities more sustainable and prosperous. By connecting residents and businesses to local solar farms, Ampion boosts sustainability in communities and supports local economies. Learn more at www.ampion.net.
