IN THIS ISSUE

Negotiating a corporate PPA

As it becomes harder to find utilities willing to enter into long-term contracts to buy electricity, renewable energy developers have been signing power purchase agreements to sell electricity dir...

Huge potential new demand for power

Community choice aggregators (CCAs) could displace as much as 20% to 40% of electricity load in California. They are a new kind of offtaker of renewable power...

New product: Solar revenue puts

By Richard Matsui, Jason Kaminsky and Jared Blanton, with kWh Analytics in San Francisco The solar market needs a revenue put like what is now used to finance merchant gas-fired power plants, exce...

Jordan turbocharges distributed solar

Conditions in Jordan are perfect for rapid growth in commercial and industrial solar...

How to grow: Raising capital

Many small developers lack capital to take their projects through construction. They end up seeding projects for larger developers...

Batteries and tax credits

The Internal Revenue Service has issued three private letter rulings confirming that a 30% investment tax credit can be claimed on batteries that are installed as part of renewable energy projects...

Britain targets enablers of aggressive tax plays

Britain is proposing stiff penalties for tax advisers who help with aggressive tax schemes...

Community solar and securities regulations

As the community or shared solar model becomes more popular, people are asking whether the customer agreements under which customers subscribe to a share of the electricity or buy into a community...

Net metering: Opportunities on the road to reform

Although the year began with the end of retail net metering in Hawaii and Nevada, there have been positive developments for net metering in other key solar states...

South Africa readies for bids for LNG-to-power projects

The South African Department of Energy released a preliminary information memorandum in early October that explains how the department plans to procure LNG-to-power projects...

Practical advice about optimizing generating portfolios

By Jeff Bodington, with Bodington & Company in San Francisco Optimizing a portfolio of generating assets by weeding out some assets in the portfolio or adding others is about enhancing synergy...

Environmental update

The global climate deal reached in Paris last year is on the verge of entering into force.

IN OTHER NEWS

Tax equity and DROs

Tax equity transactions in which the investor agrees to a deficit restoration obligation may need a fresh look.

Tax triggered when partnership formed?

Project developers are more likely to have to pay taxes on any appreciation in project value when forming a partnership or joint venture with a money partner under new IRS regulations issued in early October.

Mexico awards more PPAs

Mexico awarded long-term power contracts to 23 companies in its second power auction.

Chinese acquisitions of US companies

Inbound US acquisitions are generating more heat.

Partner guarantees

Partners sometimes use guarantees to try to shift the ratio in which debt at the project or partnership level is put in the “outside bases” of partners.

Indian tribes and tax credits

Indian tribes lost a round with the IRS.

Solar REITs

REITs remain hard to use for solar projects.

Management contracts for public facilities

Municipalities have greater flexibility to negotiate terms with private companies to operate and maintain municipal facilities after new guidelines the IRS issued in late August.

Minor memos

Utilities are starting to fight back as renewable power companies enter into power contracts directly with large industrial customers.

South Africa: PIM for LNG-to-power IPP procurement programme

The recent release of a preliminary information memorandum (“PIM”) by the South African Department of Energy (“DoE”) provides some helpful guidance on the proposed parameters and policy framework ...