In 2023, the company announced it would build a renewables microgrid for a Native American tribe in California after securing a US$225 million debt facility. Recently Scale Microgrids secured a US$150 million tax equity investment with Truist Bank for its distributed, C&I and community-scale solar PV and energy storage projects.
New York-headquartered Dispatch Energy is a new provider of distributed energy projects, having launched on 5 September, 2024. The company debuted, claiming US$20 million of initial funding, 15MW of seeded solar facilities and an additional pipeline of solar and fuel cell projects it says exceed US$75 million.
The company also has three subsidiaries, Dispatch Renewables, Dispatch Capital and Golden Row, through which it provides its distributed energy solutions, such as on-site solar, battery storage, and EV charging.
In US parlance, ‘distributed’ can mean behind-the-meter (BTM) commercial or industrial-sited projects, but can also mean grid-connected, front-of-meter projects that are at the smaller end of the scale (5-20MW, though possibly higher).
Scale Microgrids acquired by EQT
Investor EQT Infrastructure Technology has agreed to acquire Scale Microgrids from private equity firm Warbug Pincus and other shareholders.
Scale Microgrids currently has an estimated 250MW of operating and in-construction assets and says it has another 2.5GW of near-term projects in the pipeline.
The acquisition of Scale Microgrids is EQT’s first North American investment, born from its Transition Infrastructure strategy, a strategy aimed at scaling existing businesses. EQT launched the strategy in December 2024, acquiring German battery energy storage system (BESS) developer-operator ju:niz Energy.
In 2023, EQT acquired UK clean energy and battery storage developer-operator Statera and in 2021, the company acquired four standalone BESS projects totalling 400MW/600MWh in Texas from Black Mountain Energy Storage (BMES).
Ryan Goodman, CEO of Scale Microgrids said of the company’s acquisition: “Today marks the start of an exciting new chapter for our company. EQT brings a depth of experience, resources, and capital that will enable us to continue pursuing our vision to power the world with distributed energy.”
“I’m incredibly proud of what our team has built, and believe this transaction will enable us to unlock even greater opportunities for the customers, employees, and communities we serve. We’re appreciative of our past shareholders, led by Warburg Pincus, for their support in helping us get to where we are today.”
Scale also secured a tax equity deal with Truist Bank worth US$150 million for its pipeline late last year (Premium access article).
Dispatch Energy secures US$209 million
Dispatch Energy has closed on capital commitments of over US$209 million in platform-based debt and equity.
The company announced on 9 January that the capital raised will accelerate its strategy of developing, owning, and operating distributed generation and storage assets.
In Q4, Dispatch started construction of US$28 million of fuel cell facilities, and it expects to deploy an incremental US$150 million across generation and storage facilities this year.
Dispatch says the capital was raised from employees, family offices and institutional investors. CEO Richard Dovere said of the commitments: “We are excited to be so formidably capitalised as the distributed generation market enters its next phase.”
“Industries across the spectrum need power, and DG is an essential part of filling that need. The flexibility of this capital enables our creative, hard-working team to provide dynamic solutions to customers.”