Others are beginning to notice what The Texas Lawbook has been following for some time: that despite the carping of state lawmakers and fossil fuel grumps, renewables are being woven into the fabric of Texas energy — both in its dealmaking and its grid. The analysts at Preqin are the latest to say so out loud. This week’s CDT Roundup has their observations along with the usual roster of last week’s deals.
Claire Poole, the Doyenne of Texas Deal Journalism, is Retiring
Claire Poole, one of the brightest lights in business journalism, is retiring. Her last day is today. For decades, she has written about dealmaking in Texas and beyond with integrity, talent and grit. But the biggest story she’s been involved with may well be her own.
Arch Resources, CONSOL Energy to Merge, Creating $5.2B Global Coal Operation
Latham & Watkins, Gibson Dunn, Wachtell and McGuireWoods advised on the $2.8 billion merger-of-equals transaction to create Core Natural Resources. The deal combines mining operations across 11 states aimed at global coal exports of metallurgic grade coal.
Lone Star Funds to Acquire Carrier Global Fire Business for $3B
Carrier Global says the sale to Dallas-based PE Lone Star is part of its continuing divestiture of non-core businesses to refocus as a pure play provider of heating, cooling and solar energy climate-control products.
Winston Snags Two McDermott Energy Partners
Kevin Brophy and Ming Lei have worked together on a variety of upstream and midstream deals involving EIV Capital and Houston’s Westlawn Group.
FERC Authorization for Two South Texas LNG Projects Halted by Court
Authorizations for the Texas LNG Brownsville and Rio Grande LNG facilities were vacated by the DC Circuit Court of Appeals and returned for a second time to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for further environmental scrutiny. The court said FERC was “arbitrary and capricious” in efforts to side-step environmental justice requirements in the approval process.
Quantum Capital to Acquire Cogentrix for $3B; King & Spalding, V&E, Latham Advise
Based in Charlotte, N.C., Cogentrix operates natural gas power plants throughout the Eastern Seaboard, New England and Texas. The acquisition, says Quantum’s CEO, is driven by the power needs for data centers and AI.
Arcosa Expands into NY-NJ with $1.2B Acquisition
Kirkland advised Arcosa on their purchase of the aggregates and building materials businesses of Stavola Holding Corp. The transaction, largest in the company’s history, was paired with the divestiture of a steel components business.
Casey’s to Acquire CEFCO Convenience Stores in $1.45B Deal
The all-cash transaction adds 148 stores in Texas and another 50 across Mississippi, Florida and Alabama. Paul Weiss, Cleary Gottlieb and Fort Worth’s Bourland, Wall & Wenzel advised.
Simpson Thacher’s Houston Office Advised on KKR/T-Mobile Metronet Deal
Corporate partners Breen Haire and Shamus Crosby advised on the creation of a joint venture with T-Mobile to secure Metronet, along with its two million broadband customers across 17 states.