Cost of Capital: 2013 Outlook
A group of industry veterans talked in early January about the current cost of capital in the tax equity, commercial bank, term loan B and mezzanine debt and project bond markets and what they for...
Electric Aggregation: The Next Boost for Renewables?
Chicago and San Francisco have become leaders of an emerging movement, called “electric aggregation,” where cities buy cheap bulk electricity for the benefit of their citizens...
The Next Generation of Solar Project Finance
A group of solar industry veterans talked at an Infocast distributed solar conference in San Diego in November about the need for solar rooftop companies to move over time to a new business model,...
Opportunity to Buy Operating Wind Farms?
A significant number of US wind farms will have been in operation for at least 10 years by the end of 2013...
Investing in Negawatts
Many financial institutions are trying to figure out ways to invest significant amounts of capital in energy efficiency as government incentives expire for renewable energy...
Additional Withholding on US Cross-Border Payments
US companies will have to withhold 30% of payments to foreign companies from US sources under agreements signed after 2013, even in cases where there would not otherwise be any withholding tax...
The US Army Goes in Search of Electricity
Renewable energy developers are angling to supply up to $7 billion in electricity to the US Army under long-term power purchase agreements. The Army released a request for proposals last August...
Non-Appropriation Risk in Government Contracts
A company with a contract to sell electricity, lease equipment or provide energy savings to a government entity should think carefully about the financeability of the contract...
Wind, Geothermal, Biomass
Wind, geothermal, biomass, landfill gas, incremental hydroelectric and ocean energy projects in the United States will qualify for tax credits if they are under construction by year end under a bi...
Sequestration
Sequestration will take a bite out of Treasury cash grants paid on renewable energy projects on or after March 1, 2013, unless Congress delays the start further...
A CFIUS Report
A CFIUS report to Congress in December suggests that all proposed foreign investments in US energy projects or companies should be submitted to the government for review before the transactions cl...
Iran Trade Sanctions
Iran trade sanctions are getting tougher. Non-US companies that thought they understood US trade sanctions for engaging in energy-related transactions with Iran must now revisit them...
A New US Tax on Investment Income
A new US tax on investment income should be factored into the economics of some transactions. US individuals are subject to a new 3.8% tax on “net investment income” as of January 1...
Fixed-price purchase options
FIXED-PRICE PURCHASE OPTIONS could spell trouble in some equipment leases.
California
CALIFORNIA said a property tax exemption for new solar facilities applies not only to solar panels mounted on rooftops, but also to large-scale solar projects.
Treasury Cash Grants
Treasury cash grants are at issue in two more lawsuits.
Prepaid Power Contracts or Leases
Prepaid power contracts or leases may create complications when assets are sold...
China
CHINA, which plans to install 10,000 megawatts of additional solar capacity this year and is on track to reach its current goal of 21,000 megawatts of solar generating capacity by 2015 ...
Section 48A: Hydrogen Energy California
Hydrogen energy California was awarded the right to claim an investment tax credit of up to $103,564,000 by the IRS in January...
Condemnation Payments
Condemnation payments that an electric utility received from a highway authority to reimburse the utility for the cost of moving power lines and other utility equipment out of the path of a new tu...
Minor Memo
Minor Memo: The median price for a rooftop solar system installed in the United States in 2011 was $6.13 a watt for residential and small commercial systems of 10 kilowatts or less, and $4...