Counsel
Chadron L. Edwards
Projects & Infrastructure, Banking & Finance, Energy Finance
Overview
Chadron Edwards represents sponsors, lenders, and other entities in connection with a wide range of project financing transactions, with a focus on energy and infrastructure. Chadron has strong experience in renewable energy, finance and public-private partnership transactions.
Chadron previously served in a credit structuring role in the transportation, infrastructure, and energy group at a major project finance bank in New York.
Experience
Represented:
- A private equity firm as purchaser in an approximately $111 million investment tax credit transfer transaction for a utility-scale wind generation project and associated infrastructure in Tunica County, Mississippi. The project is Mississippi’s first utility-scale wind farm.
- Morgan Stanley as underwriter in the refinancing of over $5 billion in debt to support design, development, and construction of high speed rail projects for Brightline Trains Florida, a high-speed passenger rail system connecting major populations in Florida. The overhauled capital structure included multiple tranches of tax-exempt private activity bonds and taxable high-yield notes.
- Two leading project finance banks as coordinating lead arrangers of a $200 million letter of credit facility and $100 million revolving borrowing base credit facility to support early stage (pre-NTP) transmission and renewable energy generation projects developed by an independent US clean energy developer, including an initial portfolio of over 20 wind and solar projects along with a transmission line. Collateral for this first-of-its-kind pre-NTP borrowing base financing includes equity commitments from multiple international funds, development-stage projects, projects under construction, and operating projects; several of these projects are in joint venture structures with leading US renewable energy and transmission developers.
- Represented Morgan Stanley as underwriter in the refinancing and expansion of the Jefferson Energy Terminal through the issuance of $382,295,000 of senior bonds. The oil products and renewable fuels terminal is located in Beaumont, Texas and includes marine shipping, rail, highway and pipeline infrastructure, as well as storage facilities. The financing structure utilizes both taxable and tax-exempt bonds issued by the Port of Beaumont Navigation District of Jefferson County, Texas in a public-private partnership structure.
- Represented a subsidiary of Apollo Global Management, as purchaser, in an approximately $11.1 million investment tax credit transfer transaction for a landfill renewable natural gas facility in Michigan, jointly owned by a subsidiary of OPAL Fuels Inc.
- An international project finance bank and a large group of institutional investors in a $496 million private placement loan and letter of credit structure for a subsidiary of Clearway Energy financing a portfolio of 172 operational solar assets across 14 states totaling 386MW, including community solar, commercial and industrial, and utility-scale projects.
- First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company with respect to a $4.6 million upsizing of an existing $78.6 million term loan and $7.0 million letter of credit facility for subsidiaries of CleanCapital, supporting a 46.7 megawatt portfolio of 59 commercial and industrial solar photovoltaic energy projects in California, Massachusetts and New Jersey.
- A private equity firm as purchaser in an approximately $112 million investment tax credit transfer transaction for two utility-scale solar and storage projects in Kern and Los Angeles Counties, California.
- The arranger, lender, agent and issuing bank in an amendment and upsizing of a $102.8 million senior loan and letter of credit facility secured by multiple portfolios of residential solar systems in California.
- The agent for a syndicate of approximately 20 lenders to a natural-gas-fired power plant in a distressed situation.
- Morgan Stanley as underwriter and placement agent in connection with the development and construction of the DesertXpress passenger rail project connecting the Los Angeles region with Las Vegas.
- Silicon Valley Bank, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) and KeyBank in a $290 million senior secured credit facility to finance a residential solar portfolio developed by Vivint Solar across the United States.
- The Sole Lead Arranger in a construction loan facility for SB Energy’s Athos I and Athos II utility-scale solar power projects totaling 450 megawatts.
- Fengate Real Asset Investments on a construction and back-leverage loan for a utility-scale wind project in Maine.
- BBGI Global Infrastructure and Vinci Concessions in connection with a refinancing the East End Crossing P3 project.
Chadron is active in pro-bono projects at Mayer Brown. He participated on a team that helped evacuate a group of women students from the Asian University for Women from Afghanistan during the fall of Kabul, using and coordinating personal and professional networks around the world.
Education
- Pepperdine University, BS, magna cum laude
- University of Virginia School of Law, JD
Admissions
- New York
Professional & Community Involvement
- Chadron is an officer in the New York Army National Guard