ClearGen invests in distributed generation assets that are quicker to power and provide cost savings to end-users.
Charlotte, N.C.--CBRE Investment Management, on behalf of funds it manages, today announced the acquisition of ClearGen Holdings LLC, a leading provider of reliable capital solutions for distributed energy projects.
Combining CBRE IM’s strong ownership commitment with the breadth of capabilities of the CBRE platform and ClearGen’s differentiated investment strategy uniquely positions the business to accelerate growth, expand development partnerships and ensure that distributed energy projects get built.
Since its launch in 2020, ClearGen has built a high-quality portfolio of more than 250 contracted distributed energy infrastructure projects across 14 states, helping municipalities, businesses and developers realize cost savings, emissions reductions and resiliency. Following the transaction, ClearGen’s leadership team will continue in place, and the company will look to expand its team out of its Charlotte, N.C., headquarters to meet the growing market opportunity.
ClearGen finances and owns assets that are quicker to power relative to extended utility grid interconnection timelines while providing cost savings and resiliency to end consumers. The firm is well positioned to capture the tailwinds of increasing electricity demand growth from data centers, electrification and industrial onshoring by providing reliable capital to facilitate the build out of critical distributed energy resources.
“This is a watershed moment for us,” said Rob Howard, CEO of ClearGen. “We’re excited to partner with CBRE IM. Their sector knowledge and support give us the resources to expand our partnerships, pursue strategic acquisitions and continue to invest in high-quality distributed assets. Our mission to provide reliable capital for sustainable solutions hasn’t changed, but the opportunity to grow it has.”
“We are excited to acquire ClearGen, and we believe that its differentiated partnership approach, strong track record and ability to move with speed and conviction provide unique certainty to distributed energy developers at a time of significant market uncertainty,” said Robert Shaw, Managing Director, Private Infrastructure Strategies at CBRE Investment Management. “Our commitment to ClearGen exemplifies our strategy of investing in infrastructure 2.0 assets with strong contracted revenues that benefit from long-term macro digitalization and decarbonization tailwinds.”
Marathon Capital, LLC, an independent investment bank focused on the clean economy, served as financial advisor to ClearGen.
About ClearGen
ClearGen acquires, owns and manages distributed energy projects that generate long-term sustainable cash flow. Established in 2020, ClearGen has acquired over 250 distributed energy projects across over 14 states. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, ClearGen’s dedicated team is focused on helping distributed energy developers get quality projects built by providing reliable capital for sustainable solutions. For more information, visit https://clear-gen.com.
About CBRE Investment Management
CBRE Investment Management is a leading global real assets investment management firm with $155.3 billion in assets under management* as of June 30, 2025, operating in 20 countries around the world. Through its investor-operator culture, the firm seeks to deliver sustainable investment solutions across real assets categories, geographies, risk profiles and execution formats so that its clients, people and communities thrive.
CBRE Investment Management is an independently operated affiliate of CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBRE), the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm (based on 2024 revenue). The company has more than 140,000 employees (including Turner & Townsend employees) serving clients in more than 100 countries. CBRE Investment Management harnesses CBRE’s data and market insights, investment sourcing and other resources for the benefit of its clients. For more information, please visit www.cbreim.com.
*Assets under management (AUM) refers to the fair market value of real assets-related investments with respect to which CBRE Investment Management provides, on a global basis, oversight, investment management services and other advice and which generally consist of investments in real assets; equity in funds and joint ventures; securities portfolios; operating companies and real assets-related loans. This AUM is intended principally to reflect the extent of CBRE Investment Management’s presence in the global real assets market, and its calculation of AUM may differ from the calculations of other asset managers and from its calculation of regulatory assets under management for purposes of certain regulatory filings.