Strategic partnership will accelerate the deployment of 1,500 Megawatts of behind-the-meter power solutions for data centers
AUSTIN, Texas – May 6, 2025 – Thunderhead Energy Solutions LLC (“Thunderhead”), a developer of ultra-reliable behind-the-meter power solutions for data centers, has secured a funding relationship with Harbert Management Corporation (“HMC”), an investor with over 35 years of experience in U.S. power generation. Thunderhead and HMC will collaborate on the development of up to 1,500 MWs of new power generation capacity to support data center needs.
This partnership comes at a pivotal moment, as data center developers increasingly face power supply constraints amid soaring demand driven by AI and cloud computing growth. The collaboration will focus exclusively on deploying onsite power solutions, allowing new data center capacity with a “speed to power” pathway. Under the agreement, HMC will own and operate the generation assets in partnership with Thunderhead once certain milestones are achieved.
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“Thunderhead has identified a logical and scalable approach to solving the power generation bottleneck in digital infrastructure deployment,” said Claude Estes, Senior Managing Director at HMC. “We are excited to partner with a team whose deep and transferable experience positions them to meet this critical market need.”
“This partnership with HMC represents a transformative step forward in addressing one of the most critical challenges facing digital infrastructure today,” said Thunderhead Co-founder Brennan Zaunbrecher. “Our ability to deliver reliable power in 18-24 months compared to the five plus year timeline for traditional grid connections creates tremendous value for data center operators and developers facing severe power constraints.”
Thunderhead specializes in developing and operating utility-scale power generation systems designed with ultra-high reliability and zero single points of failure, enabling mission-critical data center deployment in otherwise power-constrained markets. Its customized solutions incorporate natural gas generation while maintaining the flexibility to integrate renewable energy resources.
“The data center industry is at an inflection point where traditional power infrastructure simply cannot keep pace with demand,” said Chuck Marvin, Co-founder of Thunderhead. “This partnership allows us to rapidly scale the deployment of behind-the-meter solutions, addressing both the immediate need for reliable power and the long-term sustainability goals of our customers.”
As the first developer purpose-built to address energy challenges faced by data centers, Thunderhead’s approach combines expertise in power generation, fuel procurement, risk management, energy infrastructure, and commercial structuring. The company’s leadership brings decades of experience in developing and implementing alternative power solutions for large industrial customers.
About Thunderhead Energy Solutions LLC
Thunderhead Energy Solutions (Thunderhead) funds, develops, owns and operates ultra-reliable behind-the-meter baseload energy solutions for data centers. Thunderhead is the first energy provider purpose-built to address the unique energy and sustainability challenges faced by data centers, which require secure, ultra-reliable power delivered on accelerated timelines. Based in Austin, Texas, Thunderhead’s solutions can function as either permanent installations or as “bridge” solutions that can be relocated after the primary contract term, providing customers with flexibility in their long-term energy planning. For more information, visit www.thunderheaddg.com.
About Harbert Management Corporation
About Harbert Management Corporation (“HMC”)
HMC is an investment management firm headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama focusing on alternative assets with approximately $8.1 billion of Regulatory Assets Under Management as of March 31, 2025. HMC’s investment strategies include Infrastructure, European and U.S. real estate, seniors housing, growth capital, credit solutions, and absolute return funds. HMC’s infrastructure team focuses on the development, construction, ownership, and operation of energy infrastructure in North America. HMC’s infrastructure team is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, with offices in Charlotte and New York, and is comprised of 22 professionals who have approximately $4.0 billion of Regulatory Assets Under Management as of March 31, 2025. For more information, visit www.harbert.net.
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Media Contact:
Sarah Marshall
On behalf of Thunderhead
512-699-8208
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