Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11092 – BLACKSTONE / CDPQ / INVENERGY / AEP RENEWABLES / AEP WIND HOLDINGS / TRENT WIND FARM / DESERT SKY WIND FARM) Candidate case for simplified procedure (Text with EEA relevance) 2023/C 133/04
Date: 2023-04-17
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: Canada, United States, economic concentration, energy production, energy storage, investment company, merger control, renewable energy








C_2023133EN.01000901.xml










17.4.2023   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 133/9






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.11092 – BLACKSTONE / CDPQ / INVENERGY / AEP RENEWABLES / AEP WIND HOLDINGS / TRENT WIND FARM / DESERT SKY WIND FARM)
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
(2023/C 133/04)

1.   
On 5 April 2023, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1).
This notification concerns the following undertakings:






—


Blackstone Inc. (‘Blackstone’) (United States of America),










—


Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (‘CDPQ’) (Canada),










—


Invenergy IRH Holdings LLC (‘Invenergy’) controlled by Invenergy Investment Company LLC (‘Invenergy Group’) (both United States of America),










—


AEP Renewables LLC, AEP Wind Holdings LLC, Trent Wind Farm LLC, Desert Sky Windfarm LLC (all of United States of America), controlled by American Electricity Power Company Inc.




Blackstone, CDPQ and Invenergy will acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation joint control of the whole of AEP Renewables, AEP Wind Holdings, Trent Wind Farm and Desert Sky Wind Farm, together ‘Target Companies’.
The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares.


2.   
The business activities of the undertakings concerned are the following:






—


Blackstone is a global asset manager,










—


CDPQ is a long-term institutional investor that manages the funds of its depositors, primarily public pension and insurance plans from Québec,










—


Invenergy operates Invenergy Group’s renewable energy business. Invenergy Group develops, owns and operates large-scale renewable and other clean energy generation and storage facilities in North America, Latin America, Asia and Europe,










—


the Target Companies own renewable energy generation facilities and related assets in the United States of America.






3.   
On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of the Merger Regulation. However, the final decision on this point is reserved.
Pursuant to the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (2) it should be noted that this case is a candidate for treatment under the procedure set out in the Notice.


4.   
The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed operation to the Commission.
Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication. The following reference should always be specified:
M.11092 – BLACKSTONE / CDPQ / INVENERGY / AEP RENEWABLES / AEP WIND HOLDINGS / TRENT WIND FARM / DESERT SKY WIND FARM
Observations can be sent to the Commission by email or by post. Please use the contact details below:
Email: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu
Postal address:





European Commission




Directorate-General for Competition




Merger Registry




1049 Bruxelles/Brussel




BELGIQUE/BELGIË







(1)  OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the ‘Merger Regulation’).

(2)  OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.