SAN ANTONIO, Texas — The North American Development Bank (NADBank) has unveiled a major new initiative aimed at expanding environmental infrastructure investments across the U.S.-Mexico border region, launching a program that will deploy up to $300 million through qualified financial intermediaries.
The new initiative, known as the Access to Financing Program (AFP), is designed to broaden funding access for both public and private sector environmental projects along the border.
By channeling capital through financial institutions, NADBank aims to reach smaller-scale projects that traditionally face hurdles when attempting to secure long-term capital. Under its mandate, the bank will prioritize investments in critical infrastructure sectors, including drinking water, wastewater treatment, water conservation, solid waste management, air quality, energy generation and storage, and energy efficiency.
John Beckham, Managing Director of NADBank, emphasized that the new mechanism allows the bank to expand its footprint and accelerate regional development.
“Approval of the AFP will allow us to reach more projects by mobilizing greater investment through financial intermediaries and expanding our impact in sectors that are critical to the development of the border region,” Beckham said. “In addition, it will support the efforts of the governments of the United States and Mexico to promote economic growth and competitiveness along the border. At the same time, it will help strengthen access to essential services such as water, sanitation and electricity that families rely on every day.”
Eligible project categories under the program range from water infrastructure and wastewater management facilities to low-emission technologies, energy storage systems, and high-performance buildings.
To accommodate various capital needs, financing under the AFP can be structured through several financial instruments, including senior secured and unsecured corporate loans, bond issuances, structured corporate financing via special-purpose vehicles (SPVs), and asset-backed securities (ABS).
Headquartered in San Antonio, NADBank is a binational financial institution capitalized equally by the United States and Mexico. The bank is tasked with financing environmentally sound and financially viable infrastructure projects that foster economic growth and cross-border cooperation throughout the U.S.-Mexico border region.
