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 ...