Country for PR: United States
Contributor: PR Newswire New York
Tuesday, September 21 2021 - 23:00
AsiaNet
Talen Energy Corporation and Cumulus Growth Secure $175 Million of Capital from Orion Energy Partners
THE WOODLANDS, Texas, Sept. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --

-- Investment Capitalizes the Cumulus Digital Infrastructure Platform By 
Funding the Carbon-Free Hyperscale Data Center Campus and Nautilus Coin Joint 
Venture with TeraWulf

Talen Energy Corporation ("Talen") and its wholly-owned subsidiary Cumulus 
Growth Holdings LLC ("Cumulus Growth") announced today that they have taken 
additional steps forward in capitalizing and executing Talen's strategic 
transformation to a renewable energy and digital infrastructure growth 
platform. Cumulus Growth, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Cumulus Digital 
LLC ("Cumulus Digital"), has secured a 6-year, up to $175 million strategic 
capital partnership (the "Investment") with Orion Energy Partners ("Orion"). 

The Investment from Orion will be used to fund common infrastructure for the 
Cumulus hyperscale data center campus located adjacent to Talen's 2.5 Gigawatt 
Susquehanna carbon-free nuclear plant, as well as to fund Talen's 
previously-announced bitcoin mining joint venture with TeraWulf, known as 
Nautilus Cryptomine. Up to $125 million of the Orion capital will be available 
following closing and an additional $50 million will be available once agreed 
milestones have been satisfied. In addition, Orion will receive a non-voting 
equity interest in Cumulus Digital Holdings LLC ("Digital Holdings"), the 
parent of Cumulus Digital. The Investment will be secured by a pledge of 
substantially all of the assets of Digital Holdings and its subsidiaries.

Concurrent with the Investment, subsidiaries of Talen Energy Supply LLC ("TES") 
sold the equity interests of certain clean energy project development entities 
(holding primarily: data center, renewables, and battery storage assets) and 
certain undeveloped land to Cumulus Growth, in return for voting convertible 
preferred equity interests in subsidiaries of Cumulus Growth.  Post-closing, 
Talen will own common equity in Cumulus Growth and its subsidiaries and TES, 
and certain of its subsidiaries, will own voting convertible preferred equity 
in certain Cumulus Growth subsidiaries, which provide TES with equity 
participation in Talen's clean energy and digital infrastructure 
transformation. 

"We are pleased to partner with Talen and Cumulus Growth on this exciting and 
differentiated ESG transformation," said Nazar Massouh, CEO and Co-Managing 
Partner of Orion. "Our firm was built on the core principle of funding energy 
transition and environmental innovation across infrastructure assets by 
partnering with exceptional management teams, entrepreneurs, and operators.  We 
believe the Cumulus Growth strategy and infrastructure assets under development 
offer significant competitive advantages in accelerating the convergence 
between the clean power and digital infrastructure sectors," continued Mr. 
Massouh. 

"We are grateful for the capital, partnership and confidence of Nazar Massouh 
and the entire Orion team," said Alex Hernandez, CEO of Cumulus Growth and 
President of Talen.  "We have broken ground on the Cumulus data center campus, 
which will provide carbon-free energy generated by Susquehanna's dual units to 
power the campus, including up to 475 Megawatts for hyperscale data center 
clients and 300 Megawatts for coin mining and other blockchain applications. 
The Cumulus data center investment will create family-sustaining jobs, 
technology training, and other economic benefits including tax revenue and 
increased consumption of local goods and services to both Pennsylvania and the 
surrounding community. The first two Cumulus data centers, one for hyperscale 
cloud and another for coin applications, are expected to be completed by the 
second half of 2022," continued Mr. Hernandez.

"Digital infrastructure and clean power are converging and growing at an 
accelerating rate across the globe," said Gary Wojtaszek, former CEO of 
CyrusOne and Advisor to Talen and Cumulus Growth.  "The Cumulus Growth platform 
is well-positioned to serve technology customers by providing carbon-free, 
low-cost, ultra-reliable electricity integrated with digital asset 
infrastructure at scale.  These attributes enable the Cumulus Growth platform 
to offer the lowest total cost of ownership together with ESG benefits to 
hyperscale, cloud, AI, coin, and blockchain clients globally. Additionally, 
Cumulus Growth is expected to offer customers the ability to supplement its 
giga-scale carbon-free offering with 400 Megawatts of new solar generation 
capacity under development in Pennsylvania," continued Mr. Wojtaszek.

"We are excited to take the next step in Talen's journey as a Force for Good," 
said Drew Karian, Managing Director of Riverstone Holdings LLC. "Talen's growth 
into renewable, storage, and sustainable digital infrastructure solutions are 
tangible expressions of Riverstone's commitment to lead decarbonization at the 
scale required to make meaningful impact," continued Mr. Karian.

Following the Investment and initial capitalization of Cumulus Digital, Talen 
and Cumulus Growth intend to raise incremental growth equity in the near-term 
for further data center, coin, storage and renewables growth projects. 

For more information regarding Cumulus Data, please visit: 
https://cumulusinfra.com/

For more information regarding Cumulus Coin, please visit: 
https://cumuluscoin.com

For more information regarding the Nautilus Cryptomine JV, visit:
https://talenenergy.investorroom.com/2021-08-03-Talen-Energy-Corporation-Announces-Zero-Carbon-Bitcoin-Mining-Joint-Venture-with-TeraWulf-Inc


Additional information regarding Talen's energy and digital infrastructure 
transformation is available on Talen's website and in its recent ESG Equity 
Investor Day presentation. Institutional investors may access a replay of the 
event via the following registration link: 
https://talenenergy.investorroom.com/2021-esg-equity-investor-day

Information on the Talen, Cumulus Coin, Cumulus Data or Orion websites is not 
part of this press release.

About Orion Energy Partners
Orion Energy Partners is a leading private credit and equity capital partner 
supporting middle market infrastructure and related companies focused on energy 
transition and environmental innovation, with firmwide assets under management 
of more than $2.5 billion. Orion provides a range of creative financing 
solutions as an alternative to equity investment and traditional loans. Orion's 
target investment sectors include energy efficiency, digital infrastructure, 
sustainable power generation, renewable fuels, waste & recycling, water, 
transportation and midstream. Orion manages long-term, committed capital across 
multiple investment funds, allowing Orion's team to forge transformational 
relationships across a diverse group of companies and to be patient and 
supportive as these organizations execute on their business plans. For more 
information, please visit www.OrionEnergyPartners.com

Contact information for Orion Energy Partners:
Bethany Gorham
Senior Vice President, Investor Development, Engagement, & Accountability
Bethany@OrionEnergyPartners.com 

About Cumulus Coin
Cumulus Coin, a subsidiary of Talen, is driving the convergence between 
blockchain applications and carbon-free electricity.  Cumulus Coin intends to 
create sustainable bitcoin at industrial scale by mining zero-carbon coins with 
the appropriate regulatory overlay in a secure location in the United States. 
The first two Cumulus Coin mining facilities, totaling 300 Megawatts, will be 
located at the flagship Susquehanna digital campus powered by >1 Gigawatt of 
ultra-reliable, carbon-free, 24x7 nuclear power. The first Cumulus Coin mining 
building is anticipated to commence operations in the second half of 2022.  For 
more information, visit: https://cumuluscoin.com

About Cumulus Data
Cumulus Data, a subsidiary of Talen, is developing a 475 Megawatt hyperscale 
data center campus located outside Berwick, PA, with the potential to expand 
operations to other sites across the United States. The flagship Susquehanna 
campus will be powered by >1 Gigawatt of ultra-reliable, carbon-free, 24x7 
nuclear power with the lowest total cost of ownership (TCO) for cloud data 
center customers in the United States. Cumulus Data is also expected to offer 
customers the ability to supplement its carbon-free offering with 400 Megawatts 
of new solar generation capacity under development. Cumulus Data has broken 
ground on its digital campus and anticipates having its first data center 
available for lease in the second half of 2022.  For more information, visit: 
https://cumulusinfra.com/

About Talen Energy Corporation
Talen, through its subsidiary, TES, is one of the largest competitive power 
generation and infrastructure companies in North America. TES owns and/or 
controls approximately 13,000 megawatts of generating capacity in wholesale 
U.S. power markets, principally in the Mid-Atlantic, Texas and Montana.  

Through its subsidiary, Cumulus Growth, Talen is developing a large-scale 
portfolio of renewable energy, battery storage, and digital infrastructure 
assets across its expansive footprint. For more information, visit 
https://www.talenenergy.com/esg-focused-future/

About Riverstone Holdings LLC
Riverstone is a global energy and power-focused private investment firm founded 
in 2000 by David M. Leuschen and Pierre F. Lapeyre, Jr. with over $45 billion 
of equity and debt capital raised to date. Riverstone conducts buyout and 
growth capital investments in the energy industry, with a leading franchise in 
low-carbon investing. The firm's pioneering investment vehicles in low-carbon 
platforms - which include mobility, battery materials, solar, wind and 
renewable fuels – span over 15 years, with $8.6 billion committed to the 
category since 2005 and over $3.6 billion raised across its low-carbon 
strategies since 2020 alone. With offices in New York, Menlo Park, London, 
Houston and Mexico City, the firm has executed over 200 transactions across 
North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia.

Investor Contact
Olivia Sigo
Director, Finance, Investor Relations & ESG
+1C281-203-5387
Olivia.Sigo@talenenergy.com

Media Contact
Taryne Williams
Media & Community Relations Manager
+1 610-601-0327
Taryne.Williams@talenenergy.com

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information
This press release includes "forward-looking statements." All statements, other 
than statements of historical fact, included in this press release that address 
activities, events or developments that Talen expects, believes or anticipates 
will or may occur in the future, as well as aspirational goals, are 
forward-looking statements. These statements are based on certain assumptions 
made by Talen based on its experience and perception of historical trends, 
current conditions, expected future developments and other factors it believes 
are appropriate. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these 
forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press 
release. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this 
cautionary statement. Talen undertakes no obligation and does not intend to 
update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances 
occurring after the issuance of this press release, except as required by law. 
This press release and the materials referred to herein are not an offer to 
sell or purchase, or a solicitation of an offer to sell or purchase, any 
securities.

SOURCE: Talen Energy Corp.