March 19, 2026 | Energy | North America | Active
On 2-Mar-26, a consortium of investment firms led by BlackRock’s Global Infrastructure Partners (“GIP”) and Swedish private equity firm EQT entered into a definitive agreement to acquire US power company AES for $33.4bn, including debt. The transaction comes amid a sharp rise in energy demand driven by the booming AI industry, and it follows other major US utility deals, including Blackstone’s acquisition of TXNM Energy ($11.5bn, announced in May 2025 and expected to close in 2H’26) and Constellation’s acquisition of privately-held Calpine ($16.4bn, announced in January 2025 and closed in January 2026). The consortium, which includes the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) and the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), is offering $15.00 per share, implying a 35.5% premium to AES’ undisturbed share price of $11.07 on 8-Jul-25, before media reports surfaced that the company was exploring a potential sale amid takeover interest. If is notably a 13.2% discount to the target’s one-day closing price of $17.28. AES can continue to pay its regular quarterly dividends, provided these do not exceed the most recent quarterly dividend declared before the merger agreement (last declared was $0.17595 per share). The deal needs AES shareholder approval (50%) and is conditional on federal, state, and foreign regulatory approvals, including from the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO), the New York Public Service Commission (NYPSC), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), CFIUS, and under the HSR Act. Both parties have agreed to use their reasonable best efforts to secure all required approvals and to complete the transaction, yet a ...
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