Solar Power Partners, Inc. (Solar Power Partners) has appointed G. Robert Powell as its vice president (VP) and chief financial officer (CFO); David Kunhardt as VP of partnership finance and Art Athas as VP of market development. Powell is the former CFO at Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). Kunhardt has 21 years of experience in tax equity finance. Athas was instrumental in securing the first distributed solar power purchase agreement in the US.
All three bring extensive renewable energy, sales, and financial experience to the Solar Power Partners team, and will support the company’s growth and unique value as America’s premier independent solar power producer.
As VP and CFO, Powell oversees Solar Power Partners’s financial activities, which includes working with financial partners, guiding the company’s overall finance strategy, and leading other corporate development functions. Powell was most recently VP and CFO of PG&E. During his tenure as CFO of PG&E, the company completed both long and short-term financings in addition to executing power purchase contracts in the solar, wind, and biomass sectors.
Prior to PG&E, Powell was a partner in PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP’s national energy practice, where he advised clients on financial restructurings, Sarbanes-Oxley implementation, SEC reporting, and commodity trading strategies and controls. Previously, Powell was a partner at Arthur Andersen LLP’s worldwide energy and communications practice where he managed numerous project financing transactions.
In his role as Solar Power Partners’ VP of partnership finance, Kunhardt builds on 21 years of experience in partnership debt and equity finance to deliver management of partnership tax-advantaged investments, encompassing the origination, development, structuring, and documentation of portfolio financing. Prior to joining Solar Power Partners, Kunhardt served as a director of RBC Apollo Equity Partners in the expansion of investor relationships. Before that, Kunhardt was senior vice president with Transamerica and AEGON USA Realty Advisors, directing a program for ten years that reached more than $1.7 billion in partnership investments.
As VP of market development, Athas works to identify potential markets with clients and industry partners, employing targeted business-development methodologies to develop multi-MW projects throughout the US. Athas brings considerable experience in the renewable energy field, having been an instrumental party in securing the first distributed solar power purchase agreement in the country at Solar Integrated Technologies (SIT). He was most recently a founder and operator of the renewable energy consulting firm Green Source Solutions where he advised several solar start-up firms in the US and Canada, and was a critical team member in the launch of the first solar integrated roofing technology company in the country, SIT.
“Continuing to grow our large portfolio of completed projects and creating value for our customers from renewable energy requires extraordinary leadership and experience,” said Alexander von Welczeck, president and chief executive officer, Solar Power Partners. “The leadership of Bob, David, and Art will significantly contribute to our ongoing success, which comes from the strength and conscientious work of our team.”