Overlay Capital Provides Interconnection Deposit Funding to Sunrise Mountain Partners to Support Development of 27 MW Illinois Community Solar Portfolio

March 16, 2026

Dublin, Ohio and Stamford, Conn.  –  Overlay Capital, a leading provider of interconnection capital for grid-connected energy assets, today announced the closing of an interconnection deposit financing facility supporting a portfolio of distributed projects in the Illinois market.

Overlay’s loan commitment will fund interconnection deposit needs for at least three project sites Sunrise Mountain Partners is developing in Illinois. The projects support Illinois clean energy goals and reliability in the market by supporting the distribution-level grid. Overlay’s financing is designed to help preserve the targeted commercial operation timeline while removing pressure to finance the assets on a truncated timeline.

The projects add to Overlay’s portfolio of more than 50 MW distributed generation assets financed in Illinois. Overlay continues to support developers by easing cash flow constraints, increasing project throughput, and enabling teams to remain focused on value creation throughout the development process.

As access to the grid increasingly becomes the critical pathway to project success across both generation and load, Overlay’s non-dilutive financing structures enable developers to compete more effectively with large, vertically integrated market participants. In markets where speed and access to capital often determine outcomes, Overlay helps developers secure valuable queue positions, advance projects through interconnection, and bring more assets to fruition than would otherwise be possible using their own balance sheets.

“We were impressed throughout the process with Sunrise Mountain Partners’ commitment to methodical, ground-up development,” said Eric Rubinstein, Managing Partner, Energy at Overlay Capital. “Overlay is thrilled to partner with Sunrise Mountain Partners for the funding of interconnection capital that will help these projects reach fruition.”

“These projects directly contribute to our nation’s energy independence and improve national security by generating homegrown electricity right here in Illinois,” emphasized Morgan Wiese, Project Developer at Sunrise Mountain Partners. “Our projects support landowners and communities with dependable income and provide reliable access to affordable clean energy.”

“We enjoyed working with Eric Rubinstein, Ashton Kille, Chadd Evans and the entire Overlay Capital team,” said Nicholas Minekime, Founder & CEO at Sunrise Mountain Partners. “We continue to expand our Illinois and Maryland portfolio with plans to develop projects totaling more than $1 billion in investment over the next five years.”

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About Overlay Capital
‍Overlay Capital is an Atlanta-based asset manager investing across the spectrum from innovation to infrastructure, with a focus on financing overlooked and hard-to-access opportunities. Overlay invests in secular tailwinds and opportunities that shape the future of essential infrastructure in the built environment, with a commitment to superior risk-adjusted returns. For more information, please visit us at www.overlaycapital.com.

About Sunrise Mountain Partners
‍Sunrise Mountain Partners develops and acquires renewable energy projects that provide clean electricity and economic benefits to local communities.  The firm’s professionals have developed over 80 solar projects totaling more than 1,100 megawatts representing more than $1.2 billion. The firm operates from its offices in Dublin, Ohio and Stamford, Connecticut.  For more information, see SunriseMountainPartners.com.