WASHINGTON, March 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Cypress Creek Renewables (“Cypress Creek” or the “Company”) today announced the departure of Sarah Slusser as Chief Executive Officer and the appointment of Kevin Smith as the new CEO.
As CEO for the last seven years, Ms. Slusser transformed the Company from a development-focused business into a leading independent power producer with more than 3.4 GW of solar and storage assets operating or under construction. Under her leadership, the Company expanded from its Southeastern roots into 24 states across the country, doubled its development pipeline, and built a strong in-house energy storage platform, highlighted by the commercialization of Cypress Creek’s first standalone storage asset in 2023.
Ms. Slusser oversaw the Company’s acquisition by EQT in 2021, positioning Cypress Creek for long term growth with the backing of a leading global infrastructure partner. She also guided the Company through two major federal tax policy shifts, advanced its focus on large utility-scale projects, strategically evolved its community solar platform into a scalable development and asset-rotation business, and assembled a talented management team that has positioned Cypress Creek for continued growth to serve the burgeoning demand, including large load.
Kevin Smith joins Cypress Creek at a pivotal moment in the Company’s evolution, bringing more than three decades of leadership experience developing, financing, constructing, and operating energy infrastructure across five continents. Over his career, Kevin has led energy development efforts across the U.S. and internationally, building projects in 26 states and more than a dozen countries, with power contracts exceeding $75 billion in revenues.
Most recently, Kevin served as CEO of Arevon Energy, where he led the development and construction of more than $5.6 billion in solar and battery storage projects over the past two and a half years while nearly doubling the company’s operating revenues. Prior to that, he was CEO, Americas for Lightsource bp in the United States, overseeing the company’s rapid expansion in the U.S. market and completing more than $3.5 billion in solar projects. Kevin holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from Purdue University and an MBA from the University of Chicago.
“It has been an honor to lead Cypress Creek through a period of extraordinary growth and transformation,” said Sarah Slusser. “I’m incredibly proud of the team we’ve built and the impact we’ve made in bringing more clean energy online across the country. Cypress Creek is stronger than ever, and I look forward to seeing it continue to thrive under Kevin’s leadership.”
“Sarah’s tenure at Cypress Creek has been defined by growth, innovation, and a clear focus on scaling energy solutions to meet the demands of the future,” said Matt Kestenbaum, Managing Director for EQT’s Infrastructure Advisory Team Americas. “Sarah has built a strong platform for the next phase of the Company’s journey, and we are thankful for her dedication, leadership, and partnership over the past five years. Kevin’s proven track record of scaling renewable platforms and driving disciplined growth makes him uniquely suited to lead Cypress Creek through its next phase of expansion.”
“On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Sarah for her exceptional leadership and dedication to Cypress Creek,” said Kevin Howell, Chairman of the Cypress Creek Board of Directors. “Her vision and strategic execution have strengthened our Company’s foundation and expanded its role as a leader in the energy transition. We are grateful for her contributions and wish her all the best. As we look to the future, the Board would like to welcome Kevin Smith to Cypress Creek.”
“Cypress Creek has built a strong, differentiated platform with significant growth potential,” said Kevin Smith. “I look forward to working alongside the team and our partners at EQT to scale the business, enhance enterprise value, and strengthen the Company’s position as a leading renewable energy platform in the U.S.”
About Cypress Creek Renewables
Cypress Creek Renewables is an independent power producer and leading provider of fast, firm, reliable and sustainable energy solutions. It develops, finances, owns, and operates utility-scale and distributed energy infrastructure – including solar, storage, and firm capacity solutions – to serve utilities, communities, and large-load customers. Since inception, Cypress Creek has commercialized 15 GW of projects and maintains a portfolio of more than 3 GW of operating and under-construction assets. Cypress Creek’s leading O&M platform, Cypress Creek Solutions, operates and maintains more than 4 GW of energy assets across 24 states.
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SOURCE Cypress Creek Renewables
