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Leeward Energy

Leeward Energy

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Our Company

Leeward Renewable Energy is a growth-oriented renewable energy company that owns and operates a portfolio of 22 renewable energy facilities across nine states, totaling more than 2,000 MW of installed capacity. We are actively developing new wind, solar, and energy storage projects in energy markets across the U.S., with about 20 GW of projects under development spanning over 100 projects. With projects currently under construction and soon to commence construction, we expect to commercialize over 1,000 MW of renewable energy projects in the next two years.

Leeward is a portfolio company of OMERS Infrastructure, a preeminent global infrastructure investor and investment arm of OMERS, one of Canada’s largest defined benefit pension plans with C$121 billion in net assets (as at December 31, 2021).

As passionate renewable energy advocates, we take great pride in responsible development and the safe operation of our projects. We are focused on building sustainable solutions for clean, renewable energy, and we remain dedicated to empowering communities through energy independence, job creation, and lasting partnerships.

OUR Vision, MISSION & VALUES

As passionate renewable energy advocates, we take great pride in responsible development and the safe operation of our projects. We are focused on building sustainable solutions for clean, renewable energy, and we remain dedicated to empowering communities through energy independence, job creation, and lasting partnerships.

Responsible Development

Responsible development is an ethos that runs deep at Leeward. We develop, own, and operate renewable generation assets for the long-term, and we are committed to leaving a positive impact on the communities where we operate.

leeward condemns use of forced labor

Leeward Renewable Energy unequivocally condemns the use of forced labor and stands with the clean power industry in firm opposition to the use of forced labor within our supply chains. Our industry must work together to develop supply chain processes that ensure the protection of human rights and support fair labor practices while driving the clean energy transition.

Responsible development is one of Leeward’s core values, and we are committed to partnering with manufacturers and suppliers that demonstrate leadership in investigating and preventing the use of forced labor in the manufacture of clean energy products. Leeward’s values have driven our procurement decisions to date.

Looking forward, we support industry-driven implementation of supply chain due diligence and transparency. Our goal is to use our purchasing power as a force for good by partnering closely with other industry leaders, with our suppliers, and with our customers to transform the energy grid and eradicate forced labor practices that undermine human dignity.

Community partnership

We work hard to earn the trust and respect of the community, build lasting partnerships with local officials and property owners, and provide frequent and transparent communication through all phases of a project’s life. Besides direct economic investment and opportunity creation, we are also committed to genuine community engagement. This means being highly responsive to community feedback, hiring locally whenever possible, and always seeking opportunities to give back to local causes.

Sustainability

We believe in preserving the environment for the future by developing emissions-free electrical generation projects. Through technological innovation, operational optimization, and our collective passion for renewables, we strive to become a market leader in providing reliable access to clean energy – helping to reduce emissions and positively affecting our surroundings.

Our long-term approach to sustainability means we lead every aspect of a project’s life cycle: from identifying a location, planning the development, seeking government approval and studying the environmental impact, to managing its construction and overseeing the daily operation for 30+ years.

Safety

Safety is always a top priority at Leeward—it starts at our corporate office and extends to every project location. All of our employees and contractors are required to complete extensive training programs to ensure more than compliance, but to instill a culture of safety. We manage our facilities with operational excellence, long-term ownership, and continued growth in mind, renewing our commitment to safe work on a daily basis.

At Leeward, we value and track the safety performance of every person that steps foot on our sites, not just our employees. We do not view a day as successful unless every person leaves at the end of the day in the same or better condition that when he or she arrived. We routinely collect and analyze safety data and our employees prepare proactive safety reports that allow us to improve our work environment and address hazards before injuries occur.

Leeward Safety Honor Roll

We are proud to recognize the following sites and the teams that work there. Their relentless pursuit of safety performance has allowed us to achieve our #1 priority of a safe work environment for everyone.

Sites currently achieving more than one year with no recordable injuries:

Jersey Atlantic: 14+ safe work years
Buena Vista: 12+ safe work years
Crescent Ridge: 9+ safe work years
Bear Creek: 8+ safe work years
Sweetwater 123: 7+ safe work years
GSG: 4+ safe work years
Cedar Creek: 2+ safe work years
Mendota Hills: 2+ safe work years
Allegheny Ridge: 1+ safe work years

Leeward Green Bond Framework

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Access to financial reports

Leeward Renewable Energy Operations, LLC is required under the terms of its Green Bonds to provide to certain investors, broker-dealers, and securities analysts access to financial reports and quarterly conference calls.  Please click below to request access.

Request Access

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Leeward Renewable Energy Investor Relations at bond.holders@leewardenergy.com.  Investors who have already been validated can click this link to access the financial statements.

Our Corporate Heritage

2003 – 2009

The Wind Rush

Our history dates to the early 2000s, when the utility scale wind power business was at a nascent stage in the U.S. From 2003 to 2009, a unit of Babcock & Brown LP, an Australian investment firm, developed many of the projects that are now part of the Leeward fleet, including the five-phase 583 MW Sweetwater Wind complex—at the time of its final commercialization in 2007, it was among the largest wind farms in the world.

2009 – 2015

Global Renewables Offshoot

In 2009, the global wind power assets of Babcock & Brown, including the U.S. asset base, were spun off and the newly independent business was named Infigen Energy. Likewise based in Australia, Infigen held renewable energy assets in Australia, Europe and North America. During these years, in addition to operating the established U.S. wind fleet, the company commenced its initial solar development and construction efforts, which culminated in a successful sale of the 1,400 MW solar business in 2015.

2016 – 2018

Rebranding the Fleet

In 2016, Infigen sold the U.S. business, then comprised of 18 wind farms and other renewable energy development assets, to ArcLight Capital Partners. In 2016, Power Finance & Risk recognized the transaction as the North America Renewables Project Finance Deal of the Year. Following the transaction, our company was rebranded as Leeward Renewable Energy. During this period, we expanded our fleet by acquiring additional interests in wind farms, commencing work on repowering our existing assets, and developing new renewable energy assets.

2018 – Present

Onward with OMERS

In 2018, Leeward was acquired by OMERS Infrastructure Management, Inc., the infrastructure investment arm of OMERS, one of Canada’s largest defined benefit pension plans. Under OMERS’s ownership, we have continued our expansion by successfully repowering legacy assets, developing and constructing projects from our development portfolio, and embarking on our current growth program that includes over 5,000 MW of wind, solar, and energy storage.

Acquisition of First Solar’s U.S. Development Platform

In 2021, Leeward acquired a utility-scale solar project platform of approximately 10 GW from First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR). The project development platform included 773 MWAC of projects that are expected to commence construction in the next two years, as well as the 30-MWAC Barilla Solar Project, which is operational. The acquisition cemented our position as a leading renewable energy company and significantly expanded our solar development portfolio and geographic footprint across the U.S.

Leadership

More information

Jason Allen

Chief Executive Officer; Board Member

Jason Allen

Chief Executive Officer; Board Member

Jason Allen serves as Chief Executive Officer at Leeward Renewable Energy (LRE) and joined the LRE Board in July 2017. Mr. Allen brings over 30 years of leadership experience overseeing natural gas, hydro, coal, wind, solar and battery storage power generation fleets to the LRE team. He is responsible for managing LRE’s strategic direction, growth initiatives, and overseeing business operations for an operating portfolio of nearly 2,000 MW of installed capacity of renewable energy assets.

Before joining LRE, Mr. Allen served as Vice President of Operations – Power at AltaGas, where he had operational and P&L responsibility for the North American generation fleet. He also enjoyed more than 20 years at Duke Energy Corporation in various executive roles including Vice President, Fossil Hydro Operations Carolinas West, Senior Vice President Environmental Health and Safety for Duke Energy Corp. and Vice President of Operations for Duke Energy Renewables.

Mr. Allen holds a Master of Business Administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management as well as a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from University of Cincinnati.

“I have always enjoyed the challenges associated with the power industry, but I most enjoy the opportunity to work with some of the most talented professionals in the industry. The LRE team exemplifies this expertise and focuses every day on providing safe, clean, reliable, low-cost energy to our customers.”

More information

Willem van der Ven

Chief Operating Officer

Willem van der Ven

Chief Operating Officer

Willem van der Ven brings more than 25 years in the energy business, with 18 years of experience in renewables. His responsibilities at Leeward Renewable Energy (LRE) include leading field and energy services, asset management, EHS, fleet procurement, operational engineering, control center and data analytics.

Prior to LRE, Mr. Van der Ven served as VP, Power Operations for Enbridge and also held senior leadership roles at Atlantic Power Corporation, KR Wind Inc. and Suzlon Energy Corp. He has extensive experience in developing and implementing corporate growth strategies within the renewable energy sector and has played integral roles in establishing new departments, teams and markets for corporations that place high value in company cultures of safety, reliability and performance.

Mr. Van der Ven holds an international executive master’s in business administration from the University of Twente, a master’s degree in electrical energy systems from the Technical University of Eindhoven, a bachelor’s degree in control systems from the Technical Academy in ‘s-Hertogenbosch and an associate degree in electronics from the Technical Academy in Nijmegen.

More information

Chris Loehr

Chief Financial Officer

Chris Loehr

Chief Financial Officer

With more than 20 years of total experience in the energy industry, Chris Loehr has spent the last 15 years focused on renewables and joined the company in 2012. His responsibilities at Leeward Renewable Energy include finance, accounting, financial reporting, treasury, and risk management.  He has closed more than $1B of project and corporate finance transactions with our company.

Previously, as Director of Finance for Invenergy, he oversaw more than $700M of natural gas financings and over $2B of wind financings—totaling more than 2,400 MW of installed capacity of energy assets.

He also held various finance roles at Edison International, Enron Corp, and investment banking at Jefferies & Co.

Mr. Loehr holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Rice University and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

More information

Rebecca Fisher

Chief Human Resources Officer

Rebecca Fisher

Chief Human Resources Officer

Becky Fisher brings more than 25 years of strategic leadership in Human Resources, with progressive experience directing all aspects of HR for small-, mid- and large-cap organizations. Ms. Fisher is responsible for leading the company’s human resources strategy and systems, talent acquisition, talent management, total rewards, diversity & inclusion, and cultural development.

Prior to Leeward Renewable Energy, Ms. Fisher spent the majority of her career with PepsiCo, Inc., where she led large-scale organizational and culture transformation and talent management. During her 14 years at PepsiCo, Ms. Fisher’s roles included Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Talent Management; Vice President of Human Resources, PepsiCo Customer Teams & PepsiCo America Foods; Vice President of Human Resources, Frito-Lay; and Senior Director of Human Resources, Frito-Lay. Ms. Fisher has spent the last two years providing strategic HR consulting to private and public companies as HR and Business Consultant at Fisher Consulting Partners, LLC. She also currently serves on the board of directors of SunOpta where she chairs the compensation committee.

Ms. Fisher holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and minor in Business Administration from Texas Christian University.

More information

Andrew Flanagan

Chief Development Officer

Andrew Flanagan

Chief Development Officer

Andrew Flanagan leads our development team, overseeing the strategic growth of our 20 GW portfolio of wind, solar, and energy storage development projects. He has more than 20 years of experience in the energy industry, including development, power marketing, project finance, operations, and asset management of wind, solar, and natural gas power generation projects across North America and Europe.

Mr. Flanagan joined our team in 2011 and previously led asset management and development for the company including the origination of the initial solar development business that was sold in July 2015.

Prior to joining the company, Mr. Flanagan was Vice President of Development at Invenergy and held various development and asset management roles at Calpine Corporation.

Mr. Flanagan earned a Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering Systems from the United States Merchant Marine Academy and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

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Theodore D. Matula

Senior Vice President, Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer

Theodore D. Matula

Senior Vice President, Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer

Tedd Matula has more than 25 years of legal, transactional, and renewable energy experience. He currently manages all aspects of our legal department and leads corporate development efforts to meet our strategic growth plan.

Over his career, Mr. Matula has been responsible for legal aspects of the development, construction, acquisition, and related financing of over 3,500 MW of installed capacity of renewable and conventional energy assets.

Prior to joining Leeward Renewable Energy, he co-founded and served as Managing Director of High Road Clean Energy in Austin, Texas, a solar development company. He was also Vice President and General Counsel of Tierra Energy before its acquisition by Duke Energy, where he continued as Deputy General Counsel overseeing legal support to its renewables business. Prior to his in-house positions, Mr. Matula practiced corporate finance and securities law at Hogan & Hartson, in Denver, Colorado, and Vinson & Elkins, in Dallas, Texas.

Mr. Matula holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Philosophy and a Juris Doctor from Southern Methodist University.

More information

Eran Mahrer

Chief Strategy Officer

Eran Mahrer

Chief Strategy Officer

Eran Mahrer brings more than 20 years’ experience, including over 15 years in the renewable energy industry. He is responsible for leading Leeward Renewable Energy’s (LRE) corporate and technology strategy, government affairs, public affairs, ESG and communications functions.

Prior to joining LRE, Mr. Mahrer worked at First Solar for more than six years where he served as Vice President of Market Origination and Government Affairs. During this time, he was responsible for First Solar’s U.S. origination team positioning the company’s modules, development assets and power marketing with focus on asset owners and electric utilities.  He also led the company’s Government Affairs organization, engaging nationally working to ensure that solar energy resources were appropriately considered and leveraged as part of the nation’s sustainable energy transition.  Mr. Mahrer and his team worked across all stakeholder groups to ensure that solar technologies were well understood, appropriately valued, and thoughtfully integrated.

Mr. Mahrer also served as the Executive Vice President of Strategy and Programs for the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA). He joined SEPA in 2012 and led the organization’s efforts in driving utility and solar industry strategies and practices in support of solar energy. His experience also includes serving as Arizona Public Service Company’s (APS) Director of Renewable Energy and Resource Portfolio Planning. In his 11 years with APS, he led the company’s renewable energy strategy, renewable and customer program resource planning, regulatory interface on many renewable matters and implementation of all renewable programs.

Mr. Mahrer received his MBA from the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, a Master of Science from Washington State University and his Bachelor of Science from the University of California, San Diego.

More information

Sam Mangrum

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT PROJECT EXECUTION & CONSTRUCTION

Sam Mangrum

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT PROJECT EXECUTION & CONSTRUCTION

Sam Mangrum brings over 27 years of construction leadership experience ranging from commercial, heavy civil, environmental remediation, wind, solar and battery storage power construction projects to the Leeward Renewable Energy (LRE) team. Mr. Mangrum is responsible for managing LRE’s active construction projects, handing over reliable projects to asset management and supporting the various groups within LRE for the growth of the development pipeline.

Before joining LRE, Mr. Mangrum served in multiple roles from project field positions to Director of Operations for multiple construction firms whose core business was Renewable EPC projects centered on self-perform services. This direct management involved approximately 4.5 GW of wind EPC construction and 2.4GW of solar EPC construction across 36 countries. Apart from Renewables, Mr. Mangrum has managed approximately 750 billion in environmental remediation projects across the U.S., Caribbean and South Africa.

Directors

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Alvaro Aguirre

Board Chair; Chair, Compensation Committee

Alvaro Aguirre

Board Chair; Chair, Compensation Committee

Alvaro Aguirre joined the Board of Leeward Renewable Energy Board in July 2021 and was appointed Chair in August 2021. Mr. Aguirre has extensive experience as a board chair with a strong focus on strategy, talent, and governance for public and private companies. He currently serves as a director and chair of the compensation committee at J. Crew Group and is the chairman of the board of Halo Technology Limited.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Aguirre held senior management roles at multiple media and technology companies where he implemented corporate strategy and secured critical financing for growth. Mr. Aguirre began his career as a securities attorney at Sullivan & Cromwell, an investment banker at Morgan Stanley, and a Managing Director at Warburg Pincus.

Mr. Aguirre holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Chemistry from the University of Miami and earned his Juris Doctor from American University’s Washington College of Law. Mr. Aguirre is fluent in English and Spanish.

More information

Jean-Paul Marmoreo

Board Member; OMERS Infrastructure – Director

Jean-Paul Marmoreo

Board Member; OMERS Infrastructure – Director

Jean-Paul Marmoreo joined that Board of Leeward Renewable Energy in July 2021 and is currently a Director at OMERS Infrastructure. At OMERS, Mr. Marmoreo is responsible for conducting due diligence for asset acquisitions as well as for ongoing asset management at portfolio companies.

Mr. Marmoreo previously worked at RBC, where he provided analysis and recommendations related to corporate borrowings for Canadian and multinational energy companies.

Mr. Marmoreo earned an Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree and a Master of Arts in Economics from the University of Toronto. He also holds an MBA from the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary. He is a CFA charterholder.

More information

Steve Trenholm

Independent Director

Steve Trenholm

Independent Director

Steve Trenholm joined the Board of Leeward Renewable Energy in August 2019. Mr. Trenholm has extensive experience in the energy industry with a focus on renewables—including board positions with American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA), and the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE).

Mr. Trenholm most recently served as President, Solar PV and Storage at E.ON Climate & Renewables, overseeing the German utility’s wind and solar business holdings in North America. His long history as a renewable energy executive also features serving as Chairman, North America and CEO of Wind North America for E.ON.

Mr. Trenholm holds a Bachelor of Science degree in General Sciences and Master of Science degree in Radiation Biology from Oregon State University, as well as an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

More information

Mary Doswell

Independent Director; Chair, Audit Committee

Mary Doswell

Independent Director; Chair, Audit Committee

Mary Doswell joined the Board of Leeward Renewable Energy in December 2019. Ms. Doswell currently serves as Founder and CEO of Doswell Strategic Consulting Services, LLC, an energy sector consultancy providing regulatory, legislative, marketing, technology, and business planning services to energy technology start-ups, governmental agencies, and international energy companies.

Most recently, she was senior Vice President, Dominion Resources, Inc. where she enjoyed a 30-year career and was responsible for Alternative Energy Solutions and Dominion’s support of Offshore Wind Development. She has also served as Chair of the 7th Power Grid Resilience Conference 2018, senior advisor to a large European energy company, and board member with Mutual Assurance Society of Virginia and Performance Food Group, Inc.

Ms. Doswell holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Physics from Mount Holyoke College and an MBA from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

More information

Tom Frazier

Board Member; Chair, Commercial Committee; OMERS Infrastructure –Managing Director

Tom Frazier

Board Member; Chair, Commercial Committee; OMERS Infrastructure –Managing Director

Tom Frazier joined the Board of Leeward Renewable Energy in June 2019. As Managing Director of OMERS Infrastructure in New York, Mr. Frazier is responsible for the origination, execution, and management of infrastructure investments, as well as co-leading the power and utilities practice in North America.

Prior to joining OMERS in 2019, Mr. Frazier spent 12 years at Global Infrastructure Partners, where he led investing across the energy value chain and rose to the role of Principal. He began his career as an auditor with Deloitte & Touche and Arthur Andersen, and later spent two years at Lehman Brothers in investment banking before transitioning to the energy sector.

Mr. Frazier holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern Nazarene University in Oklahoma and an MBA from Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

More information

Jason Allen

Chief Executive Officer; Board Member

Jason Allen

Chief Executive Officer; Board Member

Jason Allen serves as Chief Executive Officer at Leeward Renewable Energy (LRE) and joined the LRE Board in July 2017. Mr. Allen brings over 30 years of leadership experience overseeing natural gas, hydro, coal, wind, solar and battery storage power generation fleets to the LRE team. He is responsible for managing LRE’s strategic direction, growth initiatives, and overseeing business operations for an operating portfolio of nearly 2,000 MW of installed capacity of renewable energy assets.

Before joining LRE, Mr. Allen served as Vice President of Operations – Power at AltaGas, where he had operational and P&L responsibility for the North American generation fleet. He also enjoyed more than 20 years at Duke Energy Corporation in various executive roles including Vice President, Fossil Hydro Operations Carolinas West, Senior Vice President Environmental Health and Safety for Duke Energy Corp. and Vice President of Operations for Duke Energy Renewables.

Mr. Allen holds a Master of Business Administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management as well as a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from University of Cincinnati.

“I have always enjoyed the challenges associated with the power industry, but I most enjoy the opportunity to work with some of the most talented professionals in the industry. The LRE team exemplifies this expertise and focuses every day on providing safe, clean, reliable, low-cost energy to our customers.”

What Our People Say About Leeward

I like being on a team that is developing ideas and technology to diversify the way we use our planet’s energy and resources.

Carol K

Involvement in new projects, new challenges, and team work.

Bent K

The energy transition represents a rare and exciting moment to reimagine something fundamental to the way we live.

Robert K

Opportunities to make an impact and see the results of your work.

Ronald G

The focus on safety and making field work safer.

C.J. H

Coming from the military, camaraderie was important and there is plenty of that here.

Chase G

Leeward strives to meet the goals of renewable needs throughout the US and is continuously seeking opportunities to expand its portfolio.

Kory F

Leeward has a great group of people focused on getting the job done.

Greg F

I want to work for a company that will have a positive effect on the world.

Corey D

I choose to work in renewable energy because it is a growing industry and good for the environment.

Leena C

I am interested in making our planet a better and less polluted environment for ourselves and for future generations.

Lindy B

I want my work to have a positive impact on the world.

Joseph B

I love working at Leeward because everyday is a new opportunity to make a positive impact on the world.

Jason A

I enjoy working in Human Resources for a renewable energy company that is helping to sustain a better future for the next generation.

Chelsea L

To do my part in providing the next generation with environmentally friendly sustainable energy.

Sam M

I have the support from managers and leaders to develop and implement new ideas.

Brandi M

It is exciting to be a part of an emerging industry that we have already seen changing the world.

Kelly P

An environment that creates the perfect work/life balance while maintaining excellent business ethics and professional growth for employees.

Alexandria P

I joined Leeward because it was committed to growing and the opportunity set for my career was large and well defined.

Massimo P

An opportunity to learn and grow professionally across legal, financial, engineering, construction, O&M, and other areas of expertise.

Paul P

Leeward has a tight knit strong team culture, allowing for access to everything needed for personal and professional growth.  

Kyle R

I wanted to be in a growing industry where the future holds a wide variety of opportunities and helps the environment.

Kazi R

I chose the renewable energy field because I’ve always wanted to be part of a shift from fossil fuels to clean energy.

Jonathan S

I decided the best way for me to make an impact on reducing the effects of climate change was for me to work in renewable energy.

Candace W

I chose the field of renewable energy 36 years ago due to my interest in cleaning up the environment, particularly the air quality.

Duane Y

I am passionate about the outdoors and the environment. And I love that I can tell my kids that Leeward is part of the solution.

Tedd M

I am proud to work at Leeward because I truly believe we make a positive impact on the climate and communities we live in.

Karla B

I’ve always been passionate about protecting the planet and everyone in it which is what makes working for Leeward so rewarding.

Evelyn Z

Knowing that I am helping build projects that will contribute to the world’s need for renewable energy motivates me every day.

Joe G

What motivates me are the great people Leeward has across all disciplines and aspects of projects leading growth in the renewable energy industry.

Kelly I

I am proud to work at Leeward and be part of an established team with a proven track record of operational excellence.

Mark D

I’m a believer in renewable energy and am proud to work for a company that strives to make a positive impact in our communities and world.

Mark H

The work I do directly impacts the company and its ability to provide renewable clean energy to the country.

Olay M

I am motivated by working with a great team and delivering renewable energy while reducing environmental and community impacts.

Chris M

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