Partner case study: Catalyst Energy Partners

In October 2024, we announced a new partnership with Catalyst Energy Partners to advance the deployment of clean energy in the US. In this case study we dive into more detail on the partnership, Catalyst’s history, and what’s next.

What does this mean in practice?

We are collaborating with Catalyst to develop, build, own and operate new clean energy projects in major US markets. The focus of our partnership will be to accelerate the development of utility scale renewables projects by developing them alongside conventional power plants. This will allow us to use the existing grid infrastructure for new projects, reducing the overall time needed to get projects connected to the grid and deploying the renewable energy they generate.

CEP has an extensive portfolio of development stage clean energy assets in the US. Through the partnership, JERA Nex will provide the financial support, strategic oversight and operational knowledge to develop assets with a view to their being transitioned to the global JERA Nex portfolio.

Why Catalyst?

Catalyst has two strong advantages that led us to partner with them. First, they already have an extensive portfolio of development stage assets in the US, which is a key market for us. Second, they take an innovative approach to utilizing existing grid infrastructure, meaning we can accelerate the deployment of clean energy to the grid. This aligns with our mission to scale renewables for a sustainable future, and our desire to keep up the momentum our significant growth last year generated.

“At JERA Nex, our objective is to scale renewables to meet the increasing global demand for clean energy, by utilizing our extensive experience in building, owning and operating large scale energy generation around the world. We are thrilled to partner with Catalyst Energy Partners to expand our footprint in the United States and capitalize on their unique approach to repurposing conventional power facilities. CEP’s expertise and vision, combined with our global scale and experience creates a powerful partnership.” – Richard Scott, VP Onshore, JERA Nex

What are the benefits of collaboration?

“The energy transition relies on collaboration. We need to see governments, regulators, developers, investors, operators, grid operators, consumers and others involved across the value chain working together to better utilize existing infrastructure to deliver sustainable, affordable and secure energy for all. Our partnership with Catalyst Energy Partners is an example of how collaboration can bring shared benefits of deep industry expertise, innovative approaches and new ways of thinking. Together, we look forward to delivering renewable energy in the US, combining Catalyst’s unique approach to bring renewables to market with JERA Nex’s global footprint and industry knowledge.” – Alex Perkin, Programme Manager, Onshore for JERA Nex

“With the increasing demand for renewables across the United States, and the challenges with interconnection, innovative approaches will be required.  Our approach at Catalyst is to optimize the existing grid infrastructure to deliver more with less.  Partnering with JERA Nex brings their breadth and depth of industry experience and resources to rapidly accelerate our growth plans.” – Steve Malnight, President of CEP

Where are both companies based?

JERA Nex is headquartered in London with a global footprint including in Japan, Taiwan, the US, Germany, Norway, Belgium, Australia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Singapore. Catalyst Energy Partners based in Dallas, Texas with projects throughout the US.

What’s Catalyst’s history?

CEP was founded by Matt Cheney, CEO, a veteran in the renewable energy industry who has successfully built and managed several renewable development and financing platforms, along with Steve Malnight, President, an accomplished utility leader and former senior executive at PG&E, with over 20 years of management experience in the energy sector.

“At CEP, our objective is to facilitate a rapid transition to clean energy production alongside existing energy infrastructure, causing minimal impact on the existing grid. The partnership with JERA Nex, with our strong strategic alignment, will bring together the capital and knowhow to make our combined vision a reality…Our shared vision and combined resources will enable us to make a significant impact in the renewable energy sector.” – Matt Cheney, CEO of CEP