The Climate Policy, Renewable Energy, & Sustainability Blog
Thousands of solar industry participants gathered in Chicago for the Solar Power International expo in Chicago, Illinois on October 21-24 to discuss the state of the solar industry. Participatnts included banks, investors, developers and equipment suppliers, and also several Stoel Rives attorneys.
Many themes emerged during the week-long event, and a common thread running through these…
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…
The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) today affirmed its preliminary ruling that Chinese trade practices were harming the U.S. solar technology industry. The ruling stems from the submission of trade cases by domestic solar-industry companies on October 19, 2011, that argued the Chinese government was using improper subsidies to underwrite its solar industry export campaign…
As we approach the beginning of a new year, financing options for energy projects (both conventional and renewable) under the current economic conditions continue to be a challenge and a focal point for the energy industry. In order to gear up for financing opportunities in 2011, I, along with my colleagues Marcus Wood, Graham Noyes…
Federal tax benefits, such as the Section 1603 Grant, investment tax credits and production tax credits, continue to be an important driver in financing renewable energy projects. Several of my colleagues will be discussing these tax benefits and other incentives related to project financing in a webinar hosted by Infocast on Wednesday, March 31, 2010 at 1:00…
Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced the first awards of cash grants in lieu of the investment tax credit (ITC) today. The total award value was over $502 million. Recipients include projects in Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Texas. Click here for a detailed list of the awards…
In recent days, there have been rumors circulating that Treasury would issue "pre-approvals" for ITC grants in cases where construction begins in 2009 or 2010 but the project is not placed in service before 2011. You will recall that projects may still qualify for the ITC grant in those cases if they meet the placed…
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), which was enacted in February, permits an applicant to receive a grant from Treasury in lieu of claiming investment tax credits (ITCs) or production tax credits (PTCs).
Today the U.S. Treasury Department issued much-anticipated guidance concerning applications to receive cash grants in lieu of claiming…
On Friday, January 23, the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee released his version of the economic stimulus bill. Like its House counterpart (H.R. 598), the proposal by Chairman Max Baucus ("Chairman’s Mark") is called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009. The Chairman’s Mark is scheduled to be considered in the Finance Committee on Tuesday…
