Goldman Sachs Exchanges

How AI, Tariffs, and the Energy Transition Are Reshaping Infrastructure Investing

Exploring megatrends driving opportunities and the outlook for the sector.

Navigating the New Landscape

AI, the energy transition, and geopolitical tensions are fundamentally reshaping the global economy and markets. This transformation extends significantly into the landscape of infrastructure investing.

We're joined by Tavis Kanell, Global Head of Infrastructure within Goldman Sachs Alternatives, to explore the megatrends driving opportunities and the outlook for the sector.

"In all of our client conversations today, obviously everyone's reading the newspaper and trying to digest some of the changes that are happening."
- Tavis Kanell

The Resilient Role of Infrastructure in Portfolios

Institutional investors have progressively increased their allocations to infrastructure over the last decade, recognizing its unique benefits.

Typical Institutional Allocation

6-7%

of total assets invested into infrastructure.

Portfolio Diversifier

Low correlation with public equities, fixed income, and other private asset classes.

Economic Resilience

Proven resilience during economic uncertainty and high inflation periods.

Attractive Absolute Returns

Many strategies target mid-teens plus returns, compounding attractively over time.

Performance Comparison (Since Early 2022)

Infrastructure

9%

Compounded Returns

Buyout Private Equity

5%

Compounded Returns

Real Estate

-2%

Compounded Returns

Infrastructure: Beyond Roads and Bridges

"It's not your mom or dad's infrastructure anymore." The asset class has significantly expanded, reflecting evolving societal needs.

Energy & Energy Transition

Focus on renewables, smart grids, and sustainable energy solutions. A dominant segment today.

Digital Infrastructure

Includes data centers, fiber optic networks, and communication towers, vital for the digital economy.

Transport & Logistics

Evolved from traditional roads/bridges to encompass broader supply chain ecosystems and modern logistics hubs.

Circular Economy

Investments in water, wastewater, waste management, and sustainable business models like modular buildings.

Shift in Investment Focus: 15 years ago, transport comprised ~2/3 of the infrastructure market. Today, investment volumes in transport are sub 20%, highlighting a significant evolution towards new, demand-driven segments.

AI's Insatiable Demand: The Data Center Boom

The skyrocketing demand for AI is fueling unprecedented growth in data centers, bringing unique opportunities and challenges for investors.

Exponential Growth & Power

"Huge ongoing investment in build out of the cloud...by no means done." AI training models require distinct infrastructure:

  • Proximity: Importance of location near population centers.
  • Scale: Enormous power consumption for GPUs, continuing a "Moore's law" expansion.

Investor Minds & Opportunities

Key considerations for investors in data center infrastructure:

  • Takeout Market: Stabilized data center assets still lack a fully developed capital market for sale.
  • Residual Value: Concerns about long-term value, especially for remote, power-proximate sites post-lease.
  • Credit Financing: Significant financing structures emerging to fund the massive AI build-out.
  • Power Investment: Huge opportunities in power generation/infrastructure due to growing demand (+3-4% annually).

Understanding Infrastructure Returns

Infrastructure investing offers diverse strategies across the risk-return spectrum.

Closed-Ended Funds (Value-Add)

This approach is akin to private equity in infrastructure, focusing on higher returns:

  • Acquisition: Managers acquire companies at attractive valuations.
  • Value Creation: Drive growth during a typical 5-7 year ownership period.
  • Exit: Generate capital gain upon sale, in addition to operational income.

"A big part of value creation is buying things well."

Evergreen Vehicles (Perpetual)

Perpetual vehicles offer a different investment proposition:

  • Target Audience: Primarily for institutional investors (pension funds, sovereign wealth) and increasingly private wealth.
  • Return Targets: Tend to have slightly lower return targets compared to closed-ended funds.
  • Benefit: Compelling due to compounding capital appreciation over time without a fixed exit horizon.

The Energy Transition: Opportunities Despite Policy Noise

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) significantly boosted clean energy, and while changes are expected, the fundamental case for investment remains strong.

Policy Landscape & Outlook

  • Most clean energy technologies are cost competitive even without subsidies (e.g., solar + battery storage).
  • IRA enhanced existing tax credits, not created them entirely.
  • Expected tweaks: Offshore wind, EV charging incentives, Dept. of Energy loans are areas likely to be modified.
  • A full repeal of the IRA is considered unlikely, but market clarity is crucial for long-term investments.
"You need the certainty in order to make these long term, very significant capital investments."
- Tavis Kanell

Key Investment Opportunities

Despite policy uncertainties, the fundamental basis for investment is strong:

  • Utility Scale Solar: Large-scale projects remain attractive in the US and internationally.
  • Distributed Generation: Smaller-scale projects that directly link generation to usage, bypassing grid interconnection constraints for faster delivery and cost advantages.
  • Energy Efficiency: Significant opportunities in helping corporate users adopt modern, efficient power technologies.

Projected Annual Power Demand Growth:

Global Power Demand 3-4%

After 20 years of flat demand, driven partly by data centers.

Global Infrastructure: Shifting Landscapes

While traditionally smaller, Europe holds unique significance in infrastructure investing, with growing global interest in emerging markets.

Market Size: US vs. Europe

In most asset classes (equities, PE, real estate), the U.S. market is 2-5 times larger than Europe. However:

US Market

European Market

For infrastructure, the two markets are almost exactly the same size, making Europe a highly relevant investing market.

Europe: Renewed Focus

Sentiment has shifted towards Europe, driven by several factors:

  • Germany's €500 Billion plan for infrastructure investment.
  • Renewed focus on permitting reform to accelerate building.
  • Recognition that infrastructure investment can significantly accelerate growth.
  • Governments and corporates increasingly need private capital to deliver investment goals.

Beyond Developed Markets: Emerging Opportunities

While Goldman Sachs' strategy typically focuses on developed markets, significant needs exist globally:

India

High activity & focus

Middle East

Increasingly a destination for capital

Note: Emerging markets present a different risk profile (political risk, foreign currencies).

Leading the Way: The Circular Economy

Europe, particularly Northern Europe, is at the forefront of the circular economy, driving value creation in infrastructure.

Core Pillars & Investment Needs

The circular economy encompasses:

  • Circular business models (e.g., resource efficiency).
  • Waste management systems.
  • Water and wastewater infrastructure.

Much of the existing infrastructure in this space was built 30-50 Years Ago, indicating significant investment requirements for modernization.

Innovative Solutions: Modular Buildings

An example of a circular model in action:

  • Adaptability: Flexible solutions for evolving governmental needs (healthcare, education).
  • Long-Term Contracts: Typically 30-year lives with long-term contracts, often with governments.
  • Efficiency: Great energy efficiency dynamics and flexibility, offering a strong investment proposition.

Navigating Geopolitical & Market Volatility

Uncertainty around tariffs and market volatility present both challenges and compelling opportunities for infrastructure investors.

Key Challenges

  • Supply Chain Risks: Tariffs directly impact capital expenditure and necessitate supply chain reorientation. Pre-ordering equipment helps mitigate short-term risks.
  • Regulatory Predictability: Increased political and economic pressures (cost of living, inflation) can lead to unexpected adverse regulatory outcomes for directly regulated assets, impacting pricing.

"We all have a bit of muscle memory from COVID in dealing with the whiplash in supply chains..."

Unlocking Opportunities

  • Dislocation & Pricing: Volatile environments mean assets are often not "priced to perfection," creating attractive acquisition opportunities.
  • Public-to-Privates: Long-term infrastructure businesses are often undervalued by public markets, leading to more delisting opportunities.
  • Corporate Carve-outs: Corporates and governments reassess asset ownership, leading to spin-outs where private capital can invest expertise and funds.

"It's confusing. There's a lot of noise, but I think it's also a pretty interesting environment in which to be investing."

A Propitious Time for Infrastructure Investing

"I think it is. And some of that is cyclical where we are in the market right now. But I think the most exciting thing about infrastructure is that it's a way to really invest behind these big megatrends."

Decarbonization

Digitalization

Deglobalization Shifts

This episode of Goldman Sachs Exchanges was recorded on Wednesday, May 7th.