Charging Our Lives, Changing Our Future

Matt Cheney is also the CEO of CleanPath Ventures LLC, a next-generation company that manages capital-intensive renewable energy project development and financing, principally in developing countries. The CleanPath platform formed CleanPath Emerging Markets, LLC (CP-EM) in 2017 to install 100% distributed large-scale and microgrid solar PV power systems and battery storage to provide critical electricity services in rural areas of Uganda, and then to other Sub-Saharan African countries.

Prior to Mr. Cheney was founder and CEO of MMA Renewable Ventures, LLC, the first solar energy IPP and tax equity syndicator (formed in 2004). MMA Renewable Ventures focused on development, ownership/operation of utility and distributed scale solar, wind, biomass and energy efficiency projects, and syndicating tax equity funds. By 2010, MMA had syndicated or arranged over $800 MM of tax equity and debt to its portfolios. MMA was merged with Fotowatio S.A. in 2010 and continued as CEO. MMA/Fotowatio then merged its utility-scale business with SunEdison in 2011, producing a substantial exit at $290 MM.

Beginning 1999, Mr. Cheney was the CEO of NUON Renewable Ventures and Business Development Director for NUON NV, a Dutch utility based in Amsterdam. He designed and executed NUON’s global renewable energy investment strategy, was regional manager for NUON’s global M&A team. Mr. Cheney himself took NUON Renewable Ventures private in 2004.

Prior to NUON, Matt was a Contracts and Implementation Officer for the U.S. Agency for International Development for 6 years, beginning in 1988, stationed to La Paz, Bolivia.

Mr. Cheney is a visionary and thought leader in the world of renewable energy project development and finance and has an exemplary track record of success. He has accomplished this by consistently developing winning business plans, raising capital, and employing and improving teams that succeed in a constantly changing world of renewable energy and technology. He is an engaging leader that has demonstrated his ability to pivot quickly in pursuit of evolving opportunities, optimizing value for his team and his investors as markets change.

Over the years, Mr. Cheney has both worked to expand established renewable energy firms and has built new companies from the ground up, including raising capital to finance expansion. He is skilled in the overall development and continuing refinement of business plans and strategies, and is equally skilled in the comprehensive implementation of those plans, including the scaling the business to meet the growth in the domestic and international markets for distributed energy.

Mr. Cheney’s vision of market attributes and direction provides a competitive advantage, setting the stage for productive strategic alliances, partnerships and joint ventures. He is experiences in both working closely and confidently with Boards and in raising capital for both enterprise and project purposes, and has a strong track record of doing so at considerable scale. He has a demonstrated ability to bring out the best in the teams with whom he is working, and that proven capacity to deepen those teams qualitatively, including in finance and accounting, which is central to managing the business platform, including reporting.

Mr.Cheney is also an active investor and entrepreneur in the clean tech industry, including energy efficiency, SaaS, block chain and AI, including the nexus of water, waste, and energy. He served as Chairman of Enact Systems, Inc, an end-to-end SaaS platform providing solutions to the global clean energy ecosystem and as an investor in PV Evolution Laboratories. Consistent with his work with start-ups, he has provided proving grounds for new tech through his PVUSA facility, which has hosted over 50 new tech companies including PVEL and SunFolding.

Mr. Cheney is also a skilled public speaker and content expert on renewable energy and clean technology topics, including commercialization & securitization. He is also widely recognized as an innovator, including having financed the first solar PV “power purchase agreement” (PPA) behind the meter power plant for Green Mountain Energy in 2000, and having financed the largest and first utility-scale PV power plant in the world in 2007 at Nellis Airforce Base in Nevada.

Finally, Mr. Cheney has invested considerable time and resources in promoting “community solar” programs across the country, including organizing SB43 in California, the “Green Tariff and Shared Renewables Program” bill signed into law in 2014. While making a market for community solar (and other renewables) in California, he has also with both private sector companies and with investor-owned, municipal & co-operative electric utilities.

Benton earned his JD and MBA (New Venture Management) from the University of San Diego as well as specialties in International Law from Trinity College, Dublin, and Strategic Management from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In an adventurous change-making career of over $100M in deals, Benton’s proudest accomplishment is coaching his daughter’s undefeated soccer team.