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AERO ENERGY
Gary C. Evans runs AERO ENERGY, an energy-infrastructure firm financing behind-the-meter solar and storage for commercial users across the US.
AERO ENERGY
AERO ENERGY operates as a specialized energy-infrastructure platform, funding and developing behind-the-meter systems that supply commercial and industrial users with onsite power. The firm's model targets a structural gap in traditional utility service — the high cost and low resilience of grid-only power for large energy consumers. By financing, building, and operating solar arrays, battery storage and microgrids, AERO provides fixed-rate, long-term electricity without requiring upfront capital from the customer. The firm's investment footprint spans distributed generation assets across the United States, with a particular concentration in deregulated energy markets where the spread between retail and wholesale electricity prices creates strong unit economics. Typical deployments pair rooftop or ground-mounted solar generation with lithium-ion battery storage, sized to offset a meaningful percentage of a client's peak demand. Confirmed project types include facilities for logistics warehouses, refrigerated cold-storage operations, and manufacturing plants where energy continuity is critical to operations. Gary C. Evans, a long-tenured energy executive who previously chaired upstream oil and gas operator Magnum Hunter Resources, pivoted the firm's focus toward renewable distributed infrastructure as investor demand shifted away from hydrocarbon exploration. The firm does not disclose total assets or deployment figures. No adjacent philanthropic or club vehicles are publicly identified. The firm's structural distinction lies in its hold-and-operate posture — AERO is neither a build-and-flip developer nor a third-party equipment lessor. It owns and manages the energy assets placed on customer sites, functioning as a private, unregulated electric utility for the commercial segment. That balance-sheet approach embeds the capital cycle directly into site-level operations and long-term customer contracts, which typically run 15 to 20 years.
General information
Firm type
Asset Manager
Year founded
—
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
New York
Corporate office
New York, NY, United States
Principals
Gary C. Evans
Chairman and CEO
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who leads investment and operational decisions at AERO ENERGY?
Chairman and CEO Gary C. Evans is the primary executive shaping strategy and capital allocation. Evans has decades of energy-sector operating and capital-raising experience, having previously founded and led Magnum Hunter Resources, a publicly traded exploration and production company. His transition from upstream oil and gas to distributed renewable infrastructure reflects a broader shift in investor appetite toward contracted, yield-generating energy assets.
How does AERO ENERGY structure its project investments?
AERO typically acquires or develops energy assets on commercial and industrial sites, paying for the equipment and installation in exchange for a long-term power purchase agreement with the host customer. This model — known as Energy-as-a-Service — allows customers to avoid upfront capital costs while locking in electricity rates for a decade or more. The firm holds the assets on its own balance sheet or within dedicated investment vehicles, retaining all operational and ownership responsibilities.
What types of energy assets does AERO ENERGY fund?
The firm's portfolio focuses on behind-the-meter distributed generation, primarily rooftop and ground-mounted solar photovoltaic systems paired with lithium-ion battery energy storage. Some installations include microgrid controls that allow a customer's facility to island from the main grid during outages. All assets are sited on customer property and designed to reduce the host's reliance on local utility-delivered electricity.
Which customer segments does AERO ENERGY serve?
AERO targets commercial and industrial energy users with large, predictable load profiles — logistics warehouses, cold-storage facilities, and manufacturing plants are representative customers. These segments value both the cost savings AERO's fixed-price contracts provide and the operational resilience that on-site generation and storage offer against grid interruptions.
How does AERO ENERGY differ from a utility-scale renewable developer?
Unlike utility-scale developers that sell power into wholesale markets, AERO builds and operates assets connected directly to individual customer sites behind the utility meter. This 'distributed' approach means the firm competes against retail electricity rates rather than wholesale generation prices. It also owns the long-term customer relationship, operating more like a private, unregulated electric utility for the commercial sector than a typical project developer.
What is Gary C. Evans' prior track record in energy?
Before leading AERO ENERGY, Evans founded and served as Chairman and CEO of Magnum Hunter Resources, an independent oil and gas exploration and production company active in US shale basins. He also previously held executive roles at several other energy firms and has extensive public- and private-market capital-raising experience across multiple energy cycles.
Does AERO ENERGY disclose its total capital deployed or assets under management?
AERO ENERGY does not publicly report assets under management or aggregate deployment figures. The firm operates without SEC-registered public investment vehicles, which limits required financial disclosures. Without a publicly-sourced number, any AUM estimate would be speculative.
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