The Forest Road Company announced the launch of CenterNode Group, its dedicated alternative energy investment platform, backed by up to $750 million in capital commitments from institutional investors, including Liberty Mutual Investments. The new platform is designed to address a growing financing gap in the U.S. renewable energy sector, particularly in solar and infrastructure development.
CenterNode will focus on deploying flexible capital across the energy ecosystem, targeting developers, projects, and assets with investment sizes ranging from $5 million to $50 million. The platform will initially prioritize U.S. solar and energy storage, with plans to expand into additional infrastructure subsectors over time.
The initiative is led by Seth Zeleznik, a veteran investor with two decades of experience across private credit, private equity, and sustainable infrastructure. As CEO and Founder, Zeleznik will oversee the platform’s strategy and day-to-day operations.
The launch comes at a time when demand for energy infrastructure is accelerating while traditional financing sources have become more constrained. CenterNode aims to fill this gap by offering structured, flexible capital solutions tailored to developers’ and project owners’ needs.
Liberty Mutual Investments, which manages more than $124 billion in global assets, is a key partner in the effort. Through its alternative credit platform, the firm provides customized financing solutions across public and private markets and is positioning itself to serve as a long-term capital partner to infrastructure platforms like CenterNode.
Forest Road, an opportunistic investment firm active across media, renewable energy, and digital assets, will support CenterNode through its broader asset management and advisory capabilities.
The leadership team also includes Zachary Tarica, CEO of Forest Road and Chairman of CenterNode, who brings prior experience in large-scale renewable investments, including major transactions in the sector.
KEY QUOTES:
“The U.S. energy transition is entering its most capital-intensive phase at precisely the moment when traditional lenders have stepped back. We built CenterNode to be the flexible, institutional-grade capital partner that developers and project owners need right now, one that can move quickly, structure creatively, and execute with certainty.”
Seth Zeleznik, CEO And Founder Of CenterNode
“The energy market is at a pivotal moment, with power demand accelerating while available financing has failed to keep pace. Meeting that demand will require significant capital to accelerate development across the energy landscape, creating opportunities where LMI can be a constructive capital partner to infrastructure platforms like CenterNode. We believe CenterNode is well-positioned against this current backdrop to deliver flexible, solutions-oriented capital to solar developers navigating an increasingly complex financing landscape. We’re excited to partner with CenterNode and leverage our long-term capital and integrated investment platform to help scale the business.”
Charley Poole, Head Of Energy & Infrastructure, And John Kim, Head Of Alternative Credit, Liberty Mutual Investments
“The energy transition is the most consequential infrastructure build-out this country has undertaken in decades. Getting the financing right, especially at the small and mid-market level, is not just a business opportunity. It is essential to keeping the U.S. competitive.”
Zachary Tarica, Chairman Of CenterNode And CEO Of Forest Road
