Aaron Prince

Partner

Finance

“I help clients structure transactions that are protective of their investments and objectives and also work for all involved. This is particularly important in renewable energy transactions and often requires creativity because commercial and tax considerations need to be carefully balanced.”

Aaron Prince of Vinson and Elkins New York

Overview

Aaron Prince’s practice focuses on asset based financing, acquisition and joint venture transactions.

Aaron represents tax equity investors, private equity funds, sponsors, lenders, borrowers, and other investors in project finance, structured finance, acquisitions, joint ventures, tax credit transfers and general corporate transactions, primarily in the energy sector, including renewable energy (such as solar, wind, geothermal, energy storage, renewable natural gas, advanced manufacturing and refined coal). In addition, Aaron has experience advising clients on other asset-based and non-asset based financing transactions.

Experience

  • Banco Santander, S.A., as lead arranger and lender, in the financing of the acquisition by Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners of an interest in, and the payment of project costs for, the 932 MW Greenlight Electricity Centre combined cycle natural gas-fired power facility near Alberta, which will provide power to a co-located Meta data center

  • Igneo Infrastructure Partners in its preferred equity investment in Pathway Power LLC, a next generation independent power producer focused on building high-value renewables projects

  • Goldman Sachs as administrative agent, structuring agent and lender in an approximately $300 million senior secured credit facility and as tax equity investor in the approximately $165 million tax equity financing for a multi state distributed solar portfolio

  • Major financial institution in the up to $354 million tax equity financing of an approximately 150 MWac solar project in Randolph County, Indiana, and an approximately 195.6 MWac wind project in Jasper County, Indiana

  • T1 Energy Inc. in the $160 million sale of 2025 45X advanced manufacturing tax credits

  • Stonepeak in its acquisition of a 43.8% interest in the 629 MW Outpost solar project located in Webb County, Texas from Repsol, which values the Outpost solar project at $775 million

  • Stonepeak in its $340 million acquisition from Repsol of a 46.3% interest in a 777 MW portfolio of operating solar and battery storage projects located in New Mexico and Texas

  • An affiliate of Palmetto Solar, LLC in a $300 million asset-based, senior secured bridge term loan and tax credit transfer

  • Encore Redevelopment, LLC in the aggregate $389 million tax equity and preferred equity financing and construction, term loan and development debt financing, each provided by Brookfield, through its infrastructure debt platform, of a portfolio of approximately 100.843 MWdc of solar generating facilities and 6.993 MWac energy storage facilities

  • Trina Solar in $235 million project financing for its U.S. solar panel manufacturing facility based, in part, on the company’s monetization of 45X advanced manufacturing credit

  • Swift Current Energy in the ~$700 million debt financing, ~$250 million tax equity financing, and ~$270 million ITC transfers for the 800 MWdc Double Black Diamond Solar project in Illinois, which is expected to be the second largest single phase solar project in the US and the largest solar project in MISO

  • Major financial institution in the $326 million tax equity financing of three solar photovoltaic projects in  Arkansas, Mississippi, and North Carolina totaling 425 MWac

  • Tax equity investor in the sale of PTCs generated by an existing portfolio of 11 solar and wind projects to two buyers pursuant to the 3 separate transfer credit purchase agreements across two tax years

  • Stonepeak in the acquisition of a 50% interest in the approximately $11.0 billion Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project, which at 2.6 GW is expected to be the largest offshore wind project in the U.S. and one of the largest offshore wind projects globally upon completion, including the approximately $5 billion back-leveraged acquisition and delayed draw construction facilities procured to fund the acquisition and the future construction costs of the project (Proximo North America Offshore Wind Deal of the Year, 2024) (Project Finance International Americas Deal of the Year, 2024)

  • Stonepeak in the acquisition from Ørsted of an approximately $300 million interest in a 957 MW portfolio of four U.S. onshore wind projects

  • Major financial institution in the $325 million tax equity financing of an approximately 200 MWac solar photovoltaic facility and 150 MWac battery storage project located in Fresno County, California

  • Developer in the $244.5 million acquisition of a 14 project solar portfolio, with projects across the United States totaling 442 MW

  • Terra-Gen in the approximately $270 million construction financing and $136 million tax equity financing for the 64.5 MW Tehachapi Plains, 60.3 MW Oasis Power, and 14.4 MW Oasis Alta wind generation facilities in Kern County, California, and the 61.2 MW Coachella and 46.8 MW Painted Hills wind generation facilities in Riverside County, California

  • Private equity fund in a $150 million debut joint venture with a solar developer to acquire and develop community solar and other eligible renewable projects

  • An affiliate of Goldman Sachs Renewable Power in the $144 million acquisition of the 172.2MWdc American Kings Project in Kings County, California, and the sale of a tax equity interest in the project to M&T Bank

  • Terra-Gen in the approximately $250 million construction financing and $170 million tax equity financing for the 193.5MW Voyager Wind II Project in Kern County, California, and the 32.7MW Texas Big Spring Project in Big Spring, Texas

  • Tax equity investor in a $185 million tax equity investment and lender in a $60 million loan to repower three wind generation facilities in Texas totaling 546MW, each being developed by one of the largest renewable energy project developers in the U.S.

  • Cypress Creek in a mezzanine debt facility, a preferred equity issuance, and recapitalization intended to optimize its capital structure as part of its long-term growth strategy

  • SunRun as borrower in a $227 loan and a $14.4 million delayed draw term loan B credit facility

  • Morgan Stanley as lender, administrative agent, lead arranger, and issuing bank in a $440 million loan to finance the construction and development by Invenergy Wind North America of a 289 MW wind farm in Texas

  • Morgan Stanley Bank and Morgan Stanley Senior Funding as lenders, administrative agent, and lead arranger in a $361 million loan to finance the construction and development by a subsidiary of Invenergy Wind Global of an approximately 257.25 MW wind farm in Texas

  • Morgan Stanley Senior Funding as lender, administrative agent, lead arranger, and issuing bank in a $351.6 million loan to finance the construction and development by a subsidiary of Invenergy Wind Global of an approximately 207.2 MW wind farm in Texas majority-owned by TerraForm Power

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Credentials

Education

  • Brooklyn Law School, J.D. cum laude, 2008 (Brooklyn Law Review, Notes and Comments Editor)
  • Emory University, B.A. Philosophy; Member, Philosophy Honors Society, Phi Sigma Tau, 2005

Admissions

  • New York

Recognitions

  • Chambers Global, Projects: Renewables & Alternative Energy (USA), 2024–2026; “Up and Coming” in Projects: Renewables & Alternative Energy (USA), 2022 and 2023
  • Chambers USA, Projects: Renewables & Alternative Energy (Nationwide), 2021–2026; “Up and Coming” in Projects: Renewables & Alternative Energy (Nationwide), 2021 and 2022
  • Legal 500 U.S., Energy: Renewable/Alternative Power, 2022 and 2024; Finance: Project Finance, 2022–2024
  • Selected to the New York Rising Stars list, Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters), 2013–2023
  • Selected to the 500 Leading Energy Lawyers, Lawdragon, 2023–2026
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