Sign up here for our Women's Networking Breakfast! Co hosted by our friends at Women's Energy Network -Greater NYC and Women's Infrastructure Network - NY Chapter

Calling all trailblazers! Grab your sleeping bag and trail maps and get ready for Camp Proximo 2025! 

Breakfast hosted by Assured Guaranty 

Arguably the hottest topic both in data center infrastructure as well as in the power sector; how are we powering it? The race is on as operators work to meet the demands of their hyperscale clients without disrupting activity on the local grid system. Our speakers guide us through: 

• How are goals for clean energy factoring into operators evaluations of power sources? Is nuclear a red herring only available as an option to hyperscale clients?

• How are load growth forecasts from utilities and grid operators affecting pricing for new data centers?
• New technologies and strategies improving baseline efficiencies for Data Centers: Do more efficient models definitively mean less overall electricity demand? Or will it create more accessible power on the grid?

Labor costs, material costs, supply chain issues, pandemics, inflation and high  interest rates seem to have become a new normal for the infrastructure market to deal with. The pressures have eased overall, but many of the lingering effects of these factors continue to push the availability of capital for new projects. Join top DOTs as they walk through their upcoming pipeline for new projects within their states. ** INVITE ONLY** Please register your interest here or email maura.murphy@exilegroup.com with any questions.

With total deal volumes in the United States north of $27 Billion, the power and renewable market is as strong as ever.  Welcome our session leaders as they delve into the top trends in financing and origination in the sector! We’ll explore: 

• What assets are expected to have the highest deal volume in 2025

• Review of the 2024 market - what worked and lessons learned 

Our panel of top speakers explores providing for the exponential demand from the digital and TMT sector. 

• Do data centers continue to dominate the sector, or will overbuild stem the flow of new buildout? 

• How are investors and lenders sourcing new opportunities in the sector? 

• What challenges are there in updating active infrastructure, and what strategies are being deployed?

State and Federal incentive schemes have historically been the driving force for new infrastructure buildout. How are developers viewing the legacy of the IIJA and the IRA, and what are we looking for in terms of future supporting legislation and frameworks? 

• What works and what needs some polish: policy and regulatory framework review

• Policy drives progress in most cases, how can active policies further support new infrastructure buildout?

Tax equity continues to dominate the landscape around financing structures for renewable energy assets. Opportunities like direct pay and transferability have further excited developers and opened the playing field for many that may not have qualified in the past. 

• What investment structures are turning out most popular to replace traditional tax equity to enhance sponsor returns?

• Explore how tax equity lenders are qualifying recapture risk

• Success stories and best practices in transferability

- What players have been best at seizing the opportunities in the market? Evaluation of lessons learned and strategies deployed

- Best practices in seeking institutional debt for digital asset classes and the rise of Private Placements in Digital infrastructure

- Are appetites for digital infrastructure growing into player, or is the risk curve still more geared towards high capital and high risk markets?





• Are alternative procurement styles working? Or are more traditional agreements still preferred for the lifespan of most assets? 

• Is the current infrastructure landscape in the US leaning more towards smaller projects, or is the industry ripe for a new crop of mega projects? What have been the main drivers? 

• Best practices in transparency and accountability for new contracts

With the continued problem solving of intermittency issues for renewable energy, we still look towards traditional energy sources to provide reliable and (mostly) cheap energy. How are investors and developers looking to maximize the efficiency of these assets? What future does O&G have in these portfolios?

• Major successes and active challenges in the market

• How are investors communicating the need for gas to their LPs and GPs? 

• Are gas peakers the new normal (again)? What is next for the O&G sector?

Explore key features of Digital Infrastructure assets that appeal to investors interested in getting long duration exposure and looking to capitalize on the opportunities this market presents

• Will the traditionally dominant first tier markets continue to attract the most investment or will we see more appetite for M&A activity in second and third tier markets?

• Do any digital assets/ regions pose conflicts with funds’ investment mandates or provide opportunities for insurance/pension funds?

• Have specialist digital funds enjoyed an advantage over generalist infrastructure funds in competing for assets?

Fan favorite discussion returns to the Proximo Stage! Five futurists unite to guide us through the next stages of innovative infrastructure and smart city updates. 

• What opportunities for collaboration across the sectors can we find in the next generation of infrastructure? 

• How does smart city infrastructure support equitable environments? 

• What markets do next generation infrastructure developers look to in financing these projects? 

The need for further buildout of new transmission across the US is an acute pain point for developers, IPPs, utilities and ratepayers alike. While this issue has been identified, how is the industry going about addressing it? 

• Who pays? Replacing outdated transmission is necessary but not cheap- is it on the developer or offloaded to the end consumer? 

• Building out new transmission is also a challenge; what major roadblocks are developers facing? 

• Are current policies and plans for new buildout efficient? Where are the most pertinent inefficiencies?

Given the tremendous investment in fiber, with over half of U.S. households having access and about 25% using fiber services, there's a significant opportunity for further growth. Especially when emphasizing both increasing penetration in existing areas and expanding into underinvested regions.

• Is new data center buildout driving more fiber infrastructure? 
• Are there still opportunities in rural fiver for large cap investment groups? 
• How is the investment landscape for fiber evolving, and how are operators and investors alike approaching the consolidation wave?

An industry going through massive transformation due to consumer expectations and new technologies affecting demand, Logistics and Supply Chain finance is in need of capital to put to work and creative minds to solve the challenges in the market. This panel explores

• Evaluating current supply chain practices for inefficiencies 

• Rise of US Manufacturing - identifying opportunities and areas primed for investment

• Port infrastructure, labor shortages, and how to best mitigate associated risks

• What new technologies are driving the BESS sector? Analysis of non-lithium iron batteries and implications of long duration capabilities

• Other than capital or demand, what constraints exist on growth in the energy storage space?

• Capitalizing on excitement for new storage: incentives, credits, and the quickly expanding role of storage on the grid

Project finance serves as a vital catalyst, transforming ambitious energy and infrastructure ideas into tangible, operational assets. In North America, shifting regulatory environments and growing stakeholder expectations demand innovative financing approaches that can bridge capital shortages and foster collaboration. This panel will explore current best practices, examine real-world examples, and identify the emerging trends shaping successful project finance deals.

• Structuring project finance deals to manage risk and optimize capital- what new strategies and funding sources have become most popular for borrowers and investors? What attributes make them attractive? 

• Harnessing public and private partnerships for large-scale infrastructure and energy projects.

• Leveraging innovative funding models and sustainable financing options

• Path to feasibility for hydrogen 

• What major blockades the industry still faces; and solutions going into place for address them 

• Accessing tax credits, federal funding and attracting investors - demystifying the track to financial close

This panel looks at the best structures, strategies and investors for both greenfield and brownfield project financings including the role of bank syndications and insurance in a market struggling with political and regulatory instability. Experts will discuss how the project finance sector is adapting to emerging challenges while identifying key trends in risk management and lender strategies.

• How are lenders evolving their approach to address changing risk profiles and market conditions?
• What trends are there in the secondary loan market for project finance in 2025?
• In which sectors are insurance products most applicable moving forward? How do insurers manage risks associated with policy shifts and regulatory uncertainty?
• Do lenders still consider the US market fertile for project finance, or has uncertainty (in policy, regulations, and inflation) dampened enthusiasm? What strategies are being used to counteract these risks?
• Future Outlook: How are lenders positioning themselves for the next wave of infrastructure and energy projects in North America?

With so many hyperscaler clients turning to nuclear to provide their base load of power needed, it seems the conversation around nuclear is back on the table.  SMRs in particular have had a new wave of interest, and potential government support. This workshop explores: 

- Overview of their advantages over traditional nuclear reactors, such as quicker build times and lower costs

-AI appetites driving interest & other applications, as well as implications for future power buildout

- feasibility for new projects and financial structures best suited to support