Welcome back to The Pexapark Podcast! In this special edition, we explore how investors are redefining Independent Power Producers (IPPs) for a new era of complexity and scale.
In this episode Luca Pedretti sits down with Jordi Francesch, Managing Director, and Pierre Bartholin, Senior Director and Head of Power Hedging and Origination at Nuveen Infrastructure, to discuss how the global investment manager is building next-generation IPPs under the Nuveen Clean Energy platform. With roots in Glennmont Partners, Nuveen Infrastructure operates across 12 markets and four core technologies – onshore and offshore wind, solar PV, and batteries – with a growing footprint spanning Europe, the US, and Asia.
Enjoy a discussion on themes including:
- How Nuveen Infrastructure integrates development, construction, operation, and revenue structuring under one clean energy platform
- The evolution from passive infrastructure to agile, risk-aware IPPs combining energy management, procurement, and digital systems
- Why today’s IPPs must think like investors – vertically integrated, equity-minded, and growth-oriented
- The rise of “virtual utilities”: balancing long-term PPAs with merchant exposure and active portfolio optimization
- Building commercial capabilities: from energy risk and hedging teams to short-term market optimization and guarantees of origin trading
- Digitalization and data strategy – deploying ETRMs, digital twins, and automation to manage complex portfolios efficiently
- Scaling smart: around 20 FTEs per gigawatt as a market benchmark for efficient, system-driven IPPs
- The next wave: batteries, co-location, and mastering optimization across hybrid portfolios
- Key challenges and opportunities – regulatory adaptability, talent density, and putting the off-taker and grid at the center of the IPP model
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