On May 9, 2013, the California Public Utilities Commission adopted Resolution E-4582, scheduling the fourth Renewable Auction Mechanism (RAM) auction to close on June 28, 2013 and setting a fifth RAM auction for no later than June 27, 2014. The RAM program allows renewable energy developers to bid their 3 MW to 20 MW projects to
Renewable
Update: Minnesota Senate Passes Energy Omnibus Bill
By Thomas Braun on
Posted in Solar
Today the Minnesota Senate passed its omnibus energy bill by a vote of 37-26. This follows the Minnesota House of Representatives’ passage of its version of the bill on Tuesday. The bills now move to a conference committee for consolidation. After the conference committee completes its work, the consolidated bill will then return to each…
Update: Minnesota House Passes Aggressive Solar Standard
By Thomas Braun on
Posted in Renewable
On May 7th, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed its omnibus energy bill by a vote of 70-63. The bill includes a provision that requires investor-owned utilities to obtain 4 percent of their power from solar by 2025, with a goal of reaching 10 percent by 2030. In contrast to the aggressive House bill, the…
RIN Futures Become a Reality
By Graham Noyes on
In a development that will increase liquidity and transparency in the RIN market, two major providers are making RIN future contracts available to be traded. Both CME Group and the IntercontinentalExchange (ICE) will have RIN products available to be traded by mid May.
Continue Reading RIN Futures Become a Reality
Minnesota Set to Boost In-State Solar Industry
By Thomas Braun on
The Minnesota State Legislature is considering a bold move to assist Minnesota’s fledgling solar industry. A new provision in the House transportation omnibus bill requires that any solar array installed on a building, highway, road, bridge, or land owned or controlled by the Minnesota Department of Transportation, must consist entirely of panels manufactured in Minnesota. …
Obama Administration Releases National Ocean Policy Implementation Plan
By Chad Marriott on
Posted in Ocean/Wave Energy
Almost three years ago, I reported that the White House Council on Environmental Quality had issued the Final Recommendations of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force. Since that time, the Nation Ocean Council, formed by President Obama in Executive Order 13547, has been working diligently to prepare an agency roadmap to put the new National Ocean Policy into action.…
IRS Issues Clarification Regarding “Binding Written Contract” in its “Start of Construction” Guidance for PTC or ITC Energy Credits
By Greg Jenner on
As we originally noted, the IRS guidance issued April 15 regarding the "start of construction" requirement for energy projects to qualify for PTC or ITC contained a "big surprise" regarding its definition of a binding contract. Unlike previous incentive programs, the guidance provided that contracts that limit damages to a specified amount, such as…
Draft California PUC Resolution Would Set Fourth RAM Auction for June 28, 2013, Authorize Fifth RAM Auction in 2014
By Allison Smith on
Posted in Renewable
The California Public Utilities Commission has issued a Draft Resolution to schedule the fourth Renewable Auction Mechanism (RAM) solicitation and authorize a fifth RAM auction to take place in 2014. Draft Resolution E-4582, issued April 9, 2013, would close bidding for the fourth RAM auction on June 28, 2013. The fifth RAM auction authorized by the Resolution…
President Obama Proposes $7.9 billion for Clean Energy Technology and a Permanent PTC
By Thomas Braun on
Posted in Renewable
On April 10, President Obama fired the starting gun when he submitted to Congress his budget request for the 2014 fiscal year. The budget contains numerous proposals that are intended to make the U.S. "the leader in the clean energy sector and bring about a clean energy economy with new companies and jobs."
According to…
IRS Increases PTC Incentive
By Thomas Braun on
Posted in Renewable
The IRS recently announced that the production tax credit (“PTC”) will be more valuable in 2013. In the April 3, 2013 edition of the Federal Register, the IRS issued an important piece of guidance for those in the renewable energy field, stating that the PTC incentive would increase for the 2013 calendar year, from 2.2…