Empowering the Grid: Graziadio Alumnus Nobel Chang’s Palladium Energy Secures $66M to Expand Utility-Scale Solar

Pepperdine Graziadio Business School alumnus Nobel Chang (BSM ’14, MBA ’15) is helping to power the future of clean energy. His company, Palladium Energy, recently closed a monumental $66 million development loan facility provided by Voya Investment Management, marking a major milestone in Palladium’s mission to expand renewable infrastructure across the United States.

The $66 million facility will accelerate the development of a massive portfolio of advanced-stage solar projects in South Carolina. Backed by executed long-term contracts totaling more than 300 megawatts (MW), these utility-scale projects represent a major leap forward in delivering reliable, sustainable power to communities throughout the Carolinas.

Since its founding in 2019, Jacksonville-based Palladium Energy has rapidly emerged as a key player in acquiring, developing, and financing utility-scale power and digital infrastructure. This latest eight-figure transaction highlights the exceptional strength of Palladium’s growing multi-state pipeline and the execution prowess of its leadership team.

For Chang, the achievement validates both the company's vision and the foundational business values he learned at Graziadio. “This financing marks a major milestone for Palladium and a validation of the platform we have built,” Chang noted. “The strategic thinking and purpose-driven leadership skills I honed at Pepperdine have been instrumental in driving our team's execution capabilities and progressing these high-value, advanced-stage solar projects.”

By driving the transition toward a greener, more resilient energy grid, Chang and his team are translating the principles of ethical, forward-thinking business into tangible environmental impact. The Pepperdine Graziadio community celebrates this outstanding achievement and looks forward to Palladium Energy’s continued growth and innovation in the renewable sector. See more here.