Stay in Tier 2 Strategy or Internal M&A Group (Power)

Hi guys,

I am approaching the end of my 3rd year as a consultant at the strategy arm of a large Tier 2 (think Big 4/Booz/ACN/etc.).To note I cover the power & renewables industry.

I would like to eventually break into the buy-side (or similar role) and work in a corp dev/strategy and/or investment manager like role at a mid-sized company within my space or PE firm in the space (LS Power, DE Shaw Renewables, Dynergy, Brookfield Renewables, ECP, etc.). I recently got an offer for an internal M&A role at a mid-size player that's the US Renewables arm of a major European company. 

The pay for both roles is similar. If I stay in consulting I'll likely make more than if I was to stay at the energy company. I would be promoted to manager at the end of this year or next. But the consulting firm has brought in barely any transaction or financial advisory related projects, so I feel like i'll slowly be pigeonholing myself and would make leaving into a buy-side role harder and harder for myself.  

The question is as follows: What would you guys choose? If took the new role and did it for 1-2 years and got promoted once, do you think it would be easier to move from the internal M&A group to a PE shop or more reputable player, or would the "name & prestige" of the consulting firm along some extra effort of getting more M&A work and doing some relevant trainings & getting some credentials -  be better for my overall career goals?

Again I know the promotion and pay trajectory will be slower with the internal M&A role - but there's also the work/life balance to consider, since it would continue to be terrible at the Consulting firm as long as I stay (I don't hate long hours, I just hate long hours for projects that don't teach you much).

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciates