Crestwood Energy

What Crestwood Energy does

Crestwood Energy is a Hinsdale, Illinois-based private equity investment firm founded in 2007 that arranges and invests debt and equity capital in energy and renewable energy projects. The firm targets small-to-mid-scale wind (1-10 MW), solar (1-10 MW), hydroelectric (1-10 MW), ethanol/biofuels, landfill gas, battery technologies, and gasification opportunities, providing legal, financial, and technical expertise to source, plan, finance, and implement investments. Its core business is the deployment of sponsor capital into a portfolio of affiliated operating companies, holding vehicles, and minority investments.

The firm's product surface is organized across multiple investment vehicles and portfolio companies rather than conventional goods or services. Operating affiliates include Crestwood Biofuels Investors, LLC; Crestwood BI Investors, LLC; and Crestwood CF Investors, LLC, alongside minority holdings in Three Rivers Energy (a 50MGY Delta T bio-refinery near Coshocton, OH acquired in June 2012 as a 50/50 partnership with Lakeview Energy), CleanCapital Holdco I LLC (a $21 million solar portfolio spanning 15 projects in 7 states), Will County Energy, LLC (a landfill-gas-to-electricity project at a Waste Management site), Bolder Industries (waste tire recycling producing Bolder Black carbon black), and metals-industry holdings (Golden Aluminum, Mayco Industries, Meltatec Steel Abrasive). Earlier positions in Carson, Mojave, Rupert, and Glenns Ferry cogeneration facilities have been exited. The clean-energy focused fund vehicle Clean Feet Investors I, LLC provides access to a secondary portfolio of distributed renewable investments including BrightFarms, Mosaic Power, Grean Grid Solar, Nextility, Sol Systems, and Stem.

The revenue model is private equity investment returns — management fees on affiliated funds plus capital appreciation, interest payments on debt positions, and distributions from portfolio companies. Investment terms are negotiated on a deal-by-deal basis with no public pricing disclosure. GTM is exclusively relationship-driven (referral and direct outreach via the principals' legal and energy-industry networks), and the firm is founder-led by President W. Kirk Grimm, who has held the role since inception and previously practiced as a partner at Winston & Strawn LLP and McGuireWoods LLP for over 25 years, supplemented by a board of energy and finance operators.

Name

Crestwood Energy

Legal name

Crestwood Energy, Inc.

Website

https://crestwoodenergy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Crestwood Energy is a Hinsdale, Illinois-based private equity firm founded in 2007 that arranges debt and equity capital for small-to-mid-scale renewable energy projects across wind, solar, hydroelectric, biofuels, landfill gas, battery, and gasification sectors, serving energy project developers and operators through multiple affiliated investment vehicles and portfolio companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Renewable Energy Private Equity

NAICS

Electric Power Generation (22111), Biomass Electric Power Generation (221117)

SIC

Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)

akta.pro primary industry

Real Assets — Energy & Power Infrastructure (Renewables, Conventional, Storage) (FSAHAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Renewable Energy Infrastructure (FSAAAKAG), Asset Management & Owner’s Engineering (Lifecycle Strategy, Budgeting, Technical Due Diligence) (EUAMAGAJ), Wind Farm Ownership & Operations (IPP/Utility-Owned Asset Operations) (EUACAFAF)

Keywords

• Private equity investing
• Renewable energy finance
• Clean energy investment
• Project equity funding
• Energy infrastructure investments

Headquarters

HQ city

Hinsdale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Private Equity Investment Returns: Crestwood Energy generates returns through equity and debt investments in energy and renewable energy projects. The firm invests in portfolio companies and projects, earning returns through capital appreciation, interest payments on debt, and distributions from portfolio companies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Crestwood Energy is a private equity investor that arranges for, and invests in, debt and equity funding for energy-related investment opportunities. The firm targets wind power, hydroelectric power, solar energy, landfill gas, ethanol/biofuels, gasification technologies, and battery technologies, with a typical target project size of 1 to 10 MW, leveraging combined legal, financial, and technical expertise of its principals to source, plan, finance, and implement investments.

Product overview

Crestwood Energy operates as a private equity investment firm specializing in energy and renewable energy sectors. The company arranges for and invests in debt and equity funding for energy-related investment opportunities. Its portfolio consists of multiple investment vehicles and portfolio companies across renewable energy verticals, including wind power, hydroelectric power, solar energy, battery technologies, landfill gas, ethanol/biofules, and gasification technologies. The investment products include private equity funds (Clean Feet Investors I, LLC), operating companies in clean energy asset ownership (Zero6 Clean Energy Assets, Inc., CleanCapital), and project-specific investments (Will County Energy, LLC for landfill gas to electricity). Target investments focus on projects in the 1 to 10 MW range for wind, hydroelectric, and solar, as well as cogeneration and combined heat and power technology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Clean Feet Investors I, LLC Private equity fund for socially responsible investments in small to medium-sized renewable energy and energy-conserving projects, available to investors through the Crestwood Energy affiliate network.
• Zero6 Clean Energy Assets, Inc. (ZCEA) Specialized company focused on acquisition and ownership of clean energy assets including wind, solar, small hydro, combined heat and power, and energy storage solutions; available as an investment vehicle through Crestwood Energy affiliates.
• CleanCapital Holdco I LLC Solar project ownership and operating platform; Crestwood Energy affiliates invested in a $21 million portfolio of 15 solar projects in 7 states.
• Will County Energy, LLC (WCE) Landfill gas to electricity project located in Will County, Illinois, south of Chicago, operating on a Waste Management-owned landfill; available for co-investment through Crestwood Energy affiliates.
• Waste to Energy Partners, LLC (d/b/a Bolder Industries) Waste tire recycling operation producing Bolder Black, a recycled custom carbon black product; operates the Maryville Carbon Solutions facility in Maryville, MO.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Generate Capital: Specialist private capital provider focused on distributed renewable energy and infrastructure projects — closely aligned with Crestwood's model of providing debt and equity to small/mid-scale clean energy assets.
• Lakeview Energy: Co-investor with Crestwood Biofuels Investors in Three Rivers Energy (50MGY Delta T bio-refinery), serving as managing partner. Operates in the same small-scale biofuels/energy PE space.
• CleanCapital: Owner/operator of distributed solar projects in which Crestwood Energy affiliates invested (CleanCapital Holdco I, $21M portfolio of 15 solar projects in 7 states). Direct counterparty in solar project acquisition and operating.

Broad incumbents

• Energy Capital Partners: Private equity firm focused on power generation, renewable energy, and energy infrastructure — a larger peer operating in adjacent energy PE verticals.
• I Squared Capital: Global infrastructure private equity manager with renewable energy and power generation investments — a broader incumbent with overlapping renewable infrastructure exposure.
• Brookfield Renewable Partners: Large-scale global owner/operator and investor in renewable power assets including wind, solar, and storage — a scaled incumbent in the same thematic space as Crestwood's investments.
• Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital: Publicly traded specialist in renewable energy and energy efficiency project finance; a much larger incumbent offering overlapping debt and equity solutions for clean energy projects Crestwood targets.
• ArcLight Capital Partners: Private equity firm focused on energy infrastructure investments including power generation, transmission, and renewables — a comparable energy-focused PE platform.

Emerging players

• Altus Power: Owner/operator of commercial-scale solar projects; comparable as a distributed-solar-focused vehicle and potential acquirer of the kinds of projects Crestwood invests in.
• Bolder Industries: Waste-tire recycling portfolio company (Waste to Energy Partners, LLC) in which Crestwood-affiliated principals hold founder/manager positions. Comparable as a niche waste-to-value clean energy platform.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Crestwood Energy