Exclusive Interview with M&T Bank's Eric Heintz

Eric Heintz has carved out the renewable energy niche for M&T Bank. He has turned his passion for energy into an emerging area of business for the bank.

Learn more about how he could help your business take advantage of the ongoing and anticipated growth in the important sector of our economy.


Tell us about your career journey and how you arrived at M&T Bank?

After earning my Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Economics and Management from Cornell University, I started my career working for a consulting firm. In that role, I provided complex dispute resolution and case strategy services in support of litigation concerning the disposal of nuclear waste. I then went back to school at Cornell to gain my master’s degree in Business Administration.

In June 2011, M&T Bank welcomed me as an Executive Associate and Relationship Manager for M&T’s Greater Washington region. Two years later, I was promoted to Vice President. Throughout these roles, I remained passionate about energy, so I started calling on social developers in the Washington, D.C., area. That effort launched me into working in structured tax investments in renewable energy as Director and then Managing Director of Renewable Energy Finance in March 2018 and February 2021, respectively. Twice, I led M&T’s Solar Tax Equity Initiative, which ultimately culminated in the deployment of a new M&T product.

Tell us about your role at the bank dealing with renewable energy?  

In my role as Managing Director, I am responsible for all the bank’s renewable energy investments. My team and I are primarily invested in large utility-scale solar projects. We also expect to invest in other forms of solar and are hoping to expand into battery energy storage soon.

Although much of my work is focused on scalability for certain clients within the tax space, I also dedicate a significant portion of time to product ideation and developing ways to help the bank address demand in renewable energy requests, particularly from small to midsize businesses. I will be increasingly active in discovering new products to help clients that are currently underserved and in need of capital.

Within the bank, I have also been involved with other initiatives including participating in the bank’s Think Green Resource Group. The group promotes renewable energy sources and recycling programs and takes an active role in improving M&T’s carbon footprint. I also played a large role in the bank’s first ever ESG report released earlier this year.

Who are your prospective customers and what characteristics are you looking for to do business with them?

We are looking for quality, long-term relationships with customers that will help us build strong partnerships that allow us to maximize the long-term value of their assets. We prefer to keep our portfolio smaller in volume to maintain stable, high-quality clients.

What’s your take on the growth of renewable energy from the perspective of a commercial banker?

We are in store for tremendous growth and change. This likely will be the first time in a significant period where there will be a need for more electricity. This will largely be driven by fleets of electric cars and so the demand for all forms of electricity, particularly renewable, will need to be met.

As the world rapidly speeds toward decarbonizing efforts and the supply is not able to meet the demand, there will need to be a shift that represents opportunity. These changes will also place stress on the current infrastructure, which is antiquated at best. So it will also need to rapidly update to accommodate more electric cars and other cleaner energy updates as they become mainstream.

What makes M&T Bank the undisputed commercial banking leader in the DMV?

What makes us the leader in our region is our dedication to execution. When a term sheet goes out, we are signaling our assurance that we can deliver as promised. Our clients trust us, and we work diligently to fulfill and exceed their expectations.

Contact Information:

Eric Heintz
Managing Director of Renewable Energy Finance

M&T Bank
eheintz@mtb.com