Our story
Nuveen Green Capital began as Greenworks Lending in 2015 with the mission to make clean energy a smart business decision, leveraging Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) financing. Founders Alexandra Cooley and Jessica Bailey met in 2012 while developing and launching the Connecticut Green Bank’s C-PACE program. As the CT program became the standard for C-PACE programs spreading across the country, it reinforced their conviction that innovative financing structures could scale energy efficiency in commercial buildings, driving benefits for local businesses, energy security, and the environment.
From the start, the company was a pioneer in establishing C-PACE as an institutional asset class. In 2017, Greenworks Lending completed the industry's first rated securitization of C-PACE assets, followed quickly by a second rated securitization in December 2018. These initial transactions proved C-PACE notes were as attractive to institutional investors as C-PACE lending was to CRE borrowers, making long-term investments in reducing energy and maintenance costs smart business decisions.
To build on the significant growth trajectory the company was experiencing, in early 2021, Greenworks Lending was acquired by Nuveen, becoming Nuveen Green Capital. Nuveen's strong brand, diversified investment expertise, global reach, and 50-year heritage of responsible investing provided a strong foundation for accelerated growth.
Today, with over $4 billion in capital deployed, Nuveen Green Capital is building on its history as the leading C-PACE investor to continue serving the built environment with innovative financing products that unlock flexible, efficient, and reliable capital for borrowers while delivering attractive, consistent returns for investors. NGC’s vertically integrated platform ensures seamless execution and maintains the entrepreneurial experience that defined its founding, now backed by the scale and resources of a $1 trillion+ asset manager.
In 2025, NGC became part of Nuveen's newly formed $36 billion Infrastructure vertical, with an expanded vision to continue to pioneer asset classes that achieve public benefit through private investments, building a global platform that reshapes how capital drives progress in commercial real estate and beyond.
