Silicon Valley Bank Collapse Threatens Climate Start-Ups

Source: David Gelles | · THE NEW YORK TIMES· | March 12, 2023

The bank had relationships with more than 1,500 companies working on technologies aimed at curbing global warming.

Source: Silicon Valley Bank in Santa Clara, Calif., on Friday.Credit...Jim Wilson/The New York Times

As the fallout of the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank continued to spread over the weekend, it became clear that some of the worst casualties were companies developing solutions for the climate crisis.

The bank, the largest to fail since 2008, worked with more than 1,550 technology firms that are creating solar, hydrogen and battery storage projects. According to its website, the bank issued them billions in loans.

“Silicon Valley Bank was in many ways a climate bank,” said Kiran Bhatraju, chief executive of Arcadia, the largest community solar manager in the country. “When you have the majority of the market banking through one institution, there’s going to be a lot of collateral damage.”

Community solar projects appear to be especially hard hit. Silicon Valley Bank said that it led or participated in 62 percent of financing deals for community solar projects, which are smaller-scale solar projects that often serve lower-income residential areas.