SunEdison

The company began in 1959 as the Monsanto Electronic Materials Company, producing silicon wafers for the semiconductor industry. It rebranded to SunEdison in 1989 after changing ownership and gradually shifted its focus toward renewable energy infrastructure. By 2014, the firm had acquired First Wind and become the largest developer of clean energy projects globally, offering a wide range of services from polysilicon production to full-scale solar farm construction.

Financial troubles mounted when the company sold its semiconductor division in 2015 to concentrate solely on utilities. An attempted acquisition of Vivint Solar failed that same year, causing investor confidence to collapse. Stock prices dropped by 99% within nine months, leaving the entity with more than $11 billion in debt before it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on April 21, 2016.

Brookfield Asset Management acquired TerraForm Global, a major subsidiary, in January 2018, allowing the brand to emerge from bankruptcy as a private company. Shareholders received nothing during the final exit approval in July 2017. Recent reports indicate that legacy assets, including wind and solar projects formerly held by the firm, continue to be sold to other energy companies like NRG Energy. [edit]