Apex Clean Energy

What Apex Clean Energy does

Apex Clean Energy is a Charlottesville, Virginia-based renewable energy independent power producer founded in 2009 that develops, constructs, owns, and operates utility-scale wind, solar, and battery energy storage projects across more than 20 U.S. states. The company runs the full project lifecycle — origination, development, transmission, construction, and long-term asset management — and supports its portfolio with a 24/7 Remote Operations Control Center that monitors over $2 billion of operating assets, a proprietary internal data analytics platform built on thousands of datasets and millions of data points, and a diversified product set that includes utility-scale wind, utility-scale solar, standalone and co-located energy storage, distributed energy resources / community solar, and a "Powered Land" offering tailored to hyperscale data center loads.

Its commercial offering is structured primarily around long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) and virtual PPAs sold directly to utilities (Xcel Energy, DTE Energy, Dominion, Great River Energy, Algonquin), large corporates (Google, Meta, McDonald's, Ford, Walmart, IKEA, Starbucks, Rivian, Cargill, Applied Materials, eBay, Smithfield, Samsung), and the U.S. government (U.S. Army). Apex monetizes the business through three reinforcing streams: (1) project sales and capital recycling — selling projects, partial stakes, and development rights to financial partners such as Ares, EGCO, Enbridge, Altius/Great Bay, SK Gas/SK Eternix, and ALLETE; (2) long-term asset ownership and operations generating recurring cash flow; and (3) joint-venture development and royalty financing that combine debt, equity, and Inflation Reduction Act tax credit monetization.

The company is majority-owned by Ares Management following an October 2021 majority stake acquisition and is led by CEO Ken Young (formerly COO and Vestas), CFO Kenny Chernauskas, CCO Eamon Perrel, CDO Scott Koziar, and CLO Kurt Friesen, supported by a 400+ person professional team. As of 2025–2026, Apex reports 12 GW of clean energy commercialized, 2 GW under management, a 50+ GW development pipeline (32 GW of priority projects expected to reach COD by 2032), 2.2 million acres of land under lease, 42 originated facilities in operation, $1.05B in corporate refinancing closed October 2025, and $2.79B in project financing closed January 2026, indicating an active capital-recycling IPP model at meaningful commercial scale.

Name

Apex Clean Energy

Legal name

Apex Clean Energy Holdings, LLC

Website

http://apexcleanenergy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Apex Clean Energy is a Charlottesville, VA-based renewable energy IPP that develops, constructs, owns, and operates utility-scale wind, solar, and storage projects across 20+ U.S. states, supplying long-term PPAs to utilities, large corporates, and government entities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Utility-Scale Renewable Energy Development

NAICS

Electric Power Generation (22111), Wind Electric Power Generation (221115), Solar Electric Power Generation (221114)

SIC

Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Structuring & Offtake (PPAs, CfDs, Corporate PPAs, Merchant Strategy) (EUAMAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Utility-Scale Generator PPAs (Project Offtake) (EUAGADAB), Retail & Community PPAs (Community Solar/Shared Renewables) (EUAGADAC), Utility-Scale Power Generation Asset Management (EUAEAMAA), Aggregation Services (Load Aggregation, Community Choice, Buyer Pools) (EUAGAEAC), Incentives, Grants & Program Administration (Auctions, Tenders, IRA/ITC/PTC Advisory) (EUAMAAAJ)

Keywords

• Utility-scale wind energy
• Renewable energy development
• Solar power generation
• Energy storage solutions
• Power purchase agreements

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlottesville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Project Sales and Capital Recycling: Apex sells renewable energy projects to investors and utilities after development, using proceeds to fund new project development. Transactions include strategic portfolio selldowns, partial stake sales, and full project sales to financial partners.
2. Asset Ownership and Operations: Apex develops, constructs, owns, and operates clean energy projects for long-term cash flows. The Remote Operations Control Center manages over $2 billion of operating assets 24/7/365.
3. Joint Venture Revenue: Through joint ventures like SA Grid Solutions with SK Gas and SK Eternix, Apex co-invests in storage projects and earns development and management fees.
4. Royalty Financing Structures: Apex participates in innovative financing arrangements combining debt, equity and tax credit financing, including monetization through sale to unrelated parties.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Apex Clean Energy develops, constructs, owns, and operates utility-scale wind, solar, and energy storage projects across the United States, selling the generated power to utilities, corporations, and government entities under long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs). The company also delivers community solar (distributed energy resources) subscriptions and powered land solutions for large-load customers such as data center operators, operating across the full project lifecycle from site origination through asset management.

Product overview

Apex Clean Energy is a renewable energy project developer offering a platform of utility-scale clean energy solutions. The core portfolio consists of utility-scale wind, utility-scale solar, energy storage (standalone and co-located), and distributed energy resources (community solar). The 'Powered Land' solution serves large-load customers requiring 24/7 reliable power with secured interconnection and renewable resources. Notable named projects include Coles Wind (311 MW, Illinois), Emerson Creek Wind (Ohio/PJM), Raven Storage (100 MW, Texas), Great Kiskadee Storage (100 MW, Texas), Timbermill Wind (189 MW, North Carolina), Coldwater Solar (150 MW, Michigan), Rocky Forge Wind (79.3 MW, Virginia), Prosperity Wind (300 MW, Illinois), Angelo Solar (195 MW, Texas), and Great Pathfinder Wind (224 MW, Iowa). The company operates through the full project lifecycle from origination through construction and asset management, with a Remote Operations Control Center (ROCC) monitoring operating assets 24/7/365.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Utility-Scale Wind
• Utility-Scale Solar
• Energy Storage
• Distributed Energy Resources (Community Solar)
• Powered Land Solutions

Quantifiable outcome

• 800 million tons of CO2 displaced over project lifetimes
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor, strategic and major.

• e-Storage (Canadian Solar)coreTechnology or Integration · 24 June 2026e-Storage (Canadian Solar subsidiary) supplying 75 MW / 381 MWh battery energy storage system for Coldwater Solar facility in Branch County, Michigan. Deliveries begin early 2027, commercial operation mid-2027. Uses proprietary SolBank lithium-ion phosphate battery packs.
• SolAmerica EnergyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 10 June 2026Apex sold 28 MWdc portfolio of Illinois community solar projects (four 7 MW projects in Ameren and ComEd territories) to SolAmerica Energy. Projects will deliver bill savings to residents and businesses through Illinois community solar program. Expected commercial operations in 2027.
• Ducks UnlimitedstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 April 2025Five-year landmark conservation partnership potentially providing more than $6 million (and up to $18 million in matching contributions) to fund conservation efforts in regions where Apex's development overlaps with DU's highest-priority landscapes.
• Great River EnergyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Offtake agreement with innovative solution to transmission constraints leveraging GRE's existing injection rights to bypass traditional interconnection hurdles for 300 MW Minnesota wind project.
• Ford Motor CompanycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 6 September 2024Ford's agreement with DTE Energy through MIGreenPower program enabled largest purchase from utility in U.S. history for Michigan solar projects including Coldwater Solar, Branch Solar, and Cold Creek Solar Park.
• DTE EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024DTE Energy purchasing power from Coldwater Solar (150 MW) through MIGreenPower program. Project uses bipartisan PILT program guaranteeing consistent revenue for host communities. Ford Motor Company's agreement with DTE enabled largest purchase from utility in U.S. history.
• City of Liberal, KansasminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 August 2024Agreement for effluent water procurement supporting renewable energy project development in Kansas, demonstrating innovative approaches to resource acquisition.
• SK Gas and SK EternixcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Joint venture SA Grid Solutions established in early 2024 for energy storage development. First project is Great Kiskadee Storage, a 100 MW battery facility in Texas. The JV leverages Inflation Reduction Act provisions for innovative financing combining debt, equity and tax credit financing. SK participated as investor delivering clean energy investment dollars.
• Summit Ridge EnergycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024Multiple distributed energy portfolio sales including Illinois DER portfolio transaction in 2025 and 2026. Apex sells community solar and distributed generation projects to Summit Ridge for commercialization.
• GooglecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2023PPA with Google for Timbermill Wind (189 MW) in North Carolina supporting Google's 2030 commitment to 24/7 carbon-free energy. Google data center in Botetourt County signed PPA enabling Rocky Forge Wind construction. Partnership advances Google's operations on PJM grid.
• WeyerhaeusermajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2021Agreement to develop 1,000 MW of utility-scale solar and solar-plus-storage projects on Weyerhaeuser property in southeastern United States. Enables large-scale solar deployment on commercial forestland with secured interconnection and transmission viability.
• Plug PowermajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2021Largest U.S. green hydrogen PPA with 345 MW of wind power directly supplying hydrogen production plant. Co-development of hydrogen plant - first and largest wind-supplied hydrogen project in U.S. and largest onshore wind-powered project globally.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• NextEra Energy Resources: The largest U.S. renewable energy developer and IPP. Both companies originate, develop, construct, and operate utility-scale wind, solar, and storage projects sold under long-term PPAs to utilities and corporates, making them the most directly comparable pure-play U.S. renewable IPP.
• Invenergy: Privately-held U.S. utility-scale wind, solar, and storage developer with a comparable end-to-end development model and similar hyperscaler/corporate PPA customer base. Operates the same project lifecycle from origination through asset management.
• Clearway Energy Group: Owns and operates one of the largest renewable energy portfolios in the U.S., with a focus on wind, solar, and storage PPAs. Direct competitor for hyperscaler and utility offtake contracts.
• EDF Renewables North America: Subsidiary of EDF developing utility-scale wind, solar, and storage projects across the U.S. Overlaps directly with Apex on technology mix, PPA structure, and customer segments (utilities, corporates, government).
• ENGIE North America: Major utility-scale renewable developer in the U.S. with comparable wind, solar, and storage offerings and similar large-customer PPA focus. Direct competitor on corporate procurement RFPs.
• RWE Renewables Americas: Operates one of the largest renewable energy footprints in the Americas, with onshore wind, solar, and storage project development and operation. Competes with Apex for utility-scale PPA offtake.

Emerging players

• Longroad Energy: Developer, owner, and operator of utility-scale wind, solar, and storage projects in North America. Smaller and earlier-stage than Apex but with a directly overlapping business model and customer base.
• Avantus (formerly 8minute Solar Energy): Vertically integrated solar developer with utility-scale and community solar offerings. Partial overlap with Apex's solar and community solar portfolio, particularly in California and the Southwest.
• Hecate Energy: Privately-held developer of utility-scale solar, wind, and energy storage in North America. Comparable development pipeline and PPA origination model with focus on hyperscaler and utility customers.

Regional players

• Innergex Renewable Energy: Canadian-based renewable energy IPP operating wind, solar, and storage across North America. Overlaps in technology stack and PPA model, but with a primarily Canadian footprint and a more limited U.S. utility-scale presence than Apex.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/apexcleanenergy
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCnJ37J8J2yjUEbzHDXAgpHw
• Facebookfacebook.com/apexcleanenergy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/apex-clean-energy
• Instagraminstagram.com/apexcleanenergy

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds11 records

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments2 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Apex Clean Energy