The Climate Policy, Renewable Energy, & Sustainability Blog
Xcel Energy, the nation’s leading wind power utility, announced yesterday that it will add three large wind farms to its wind energy portfolio. The 600 megawatt increase is the utility’s single largest increase in its Upper Midwest service area.
The 33 percent increase will augment Xcel’s existing 1,800 megawatts of wind capacity and allow it…
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…
In the wake of the extension of the production tax credit, my colleague Ed Einowski has analyzed a key challenge – the relative scarcity of available utility-scale power purchase agreement RFPs. Having a PUC-approved PPA in place is generally a prerequisite for securing financing for utility-scale wind projects. Here’s what he has to say:
The…
Against the backdrop of election year politics and consideration of extension or elimination of the Production Tax Credits (PTCs), the Congressional Research Service (CRS) issued a report last week entitled, “U.S. Renewable Electricity: How Does the Production Tax Credit (PTC) Impact Wind Markets?” This report examines the possibility of an extension of the PTC, and the potential impacts such an extension (either long- or short-term) would have on the U.S. wind market. Not surprisingly, the conclusions are mixed and layered with uncertainty.
The report trumpets that 2012 will be a record year for the wind industry. Due in large part due to the pending expiration of the PTC, the U.S. wind sector deployed 10-12 GW of wind power this year—an unprecedented amount. However, all indications are that the expiration of the PTC will cause a severe market downturn in 2013 and beyond. No wonder the wind industry has been pushing Congress so hard for an extension. But does an extension make good economic sense?…
My colleague Ed Einowski didn’t mince words in a recent article published by The Sindal Report. If the federal production tax credit (PTC) is allowed to expire at the end of this year, there will be a dramatic drop-off in wind installation starting in 2013. And these diminished opportunities will add up to significant…
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…
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…
