Corporations have led the way in addressing environmental, social and governance issues, but the private equity community is catching up, says Lauren Koopman, a director in the sustainable business solutions team at the global accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.

The infrastructure investment arm of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. has acquired three solar photo-voltaic energy projects (SSM Solar) based in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. SSM Solar, which has a total capacity of 69MWdc and 60MWac, was sold to KKR for an undisclosed price by Starwood Energy Group Global LLC, an affiliate of Starwood Capital, a private equity firm based in Greenwich, Connecticut. During its period of ownership, Starwood Energy oversaw the construction and operation of the Ontario solar facilities. The final phase of development was concluded in 2012.

The giant Texas Teachers’ Retirement System committed more than $1.1 billion to private equity across seven investments in the fourth quarter, with some pledges going to long-time partners and some to new relationships…

This week there’s an opportunity to apply for an associate position with one of the global fund managing big boys, Blackstone.

CPPIB Credit Investments Inc., a subsidiary of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, has joined Stone Point Capital and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. as an investor in MerchCap Solutions LLC, the firms announced Thursday. Formed in August of 2012, MerchCap provides principal and agency-based capital markets services to sponsor-backed and corporate mid-market companies. In addition to the $300 million of capital previously committed by Stone Point and KKR, CPPIB Credit will commit an additional $50 million of equity to MCS.

So-called nontraded business development companies (BDCs) can raise money from retail investors without giving up many of the advantages and trappings of private limited partnerships. Continuous fundraising? Check. Lengthy lock-ups of capital? Check. Two-and-twenty fee structure? Check.

A number of institutional investors are both limited partners in the funds of publicly traded buyout shops Apollo Global Management and The Blackstone Group as well as shareholders in those companies.

Deal lawyer Chris Manderson offers some important tips PE firms should follow to avoid ending up in a situation like the one EIG Global Energy is dealing with at Chesapeake Energy Corp.

Steve LeBlanc, the innovative head of private investments at the $110 billion Texas Teachers’ Retirement System, the nation’s 6th largest pension, announced that he planned to step down in early June, confirmed a pension spokesman, Howard Goldman. In his four years as senior managing director, LeBlanc and his team invested $20 billion in 90 investments, according to a statement.

The $145 billion retirement system is actively considering making large separate account commitments through its private equity program, according to Buyouts magazine.