IN THIS ISSUE

PURPA projects become more difficult to finance

Independent cogeneration and small renewable energy projects known as “qualifying facilities” may lose key protections from merchant risks that they have relied on...

California moves forward

The amended plan of reorganization that PG&E Corporation and its subsidiary utility, the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, filed with the bankruptcy court in late September...

Scrutiny for inbound US investments

Acquisitions of non-controlling interests in certain power projects by foreign investors are now subject to review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States or CFIUS.

Bankability of Colombian projects

Colombia is in the process of awarding 1,500 megawatts of new power purchase agreements to buy renewable power.

Community solar: Current issues

A panel of community solar developers talked about new trends in community solar projects.

Financing distributed batteries and electric vehicle charging stations

A developer and two investors talked about opportunities and challenges with financing distributed batteries and electric vehicle charging stations at Infocast Storage Week Plus in San Francisco in late July.

Energy storage in ERCOT

Who ought to own standalone energy storage in ERCOT? The implications for generators, transmission and distribution utilities, developers and ratepayers are big.

ERCOT price spikes

The price to buy wholesale power in ERCOT — the grid that serves Texas — spiked to $9,000 a megawatt hour at certain intervals over the course of a few days in August 2019.

Depreciation bonus questions answered

New depreciation bonus regulations that the IRS issued in September answer a number of questions that have been coming up in M&A and tax equity transactions.

Greening the fertilizer sector

Fertilizer companies may become an important new market for renewable energy developers.

Environmental update

As the November 2020 election nears the start of its one-year countdown, a number of significant environmental regulatory reversals being pushed by the Trump administration look likely to depend on the outcome.

IN OTHER NEWS

Prepaid power contracts

Prepaid power contracts may have gotten a new lease on life in proposed regulations the IRS issued in September.

Production tax credits and "sales"

No sale occurs if the seller must pay the buyer to take a product, a US appeals court said.

Refined coal

A refined coal transaction landed in court. The taxpayers won.

Inherited sales tax liability

Unpaid sales taxes that should have been paid in the past on equipment sales follow the equipment and can become an obligation of a later owner.

Texas franchise taxes

Texas does not let companies providing services — as opposed to selling goods — deduct costs when calculating income subject to state franchise taxes.

Timing of income from purchase money note

A solar equipment manufacturer lost an attempt in court to spread its taxable income from equipment sales over time.

Related-party loans

Prepayment options in loans from affiliates could cause tax problems if not exercised once it becomes economically beneficial to do so.

Wind data

The national average price of wind power purchase agreements has dropped below 2¢ a kilowatt hour.

Other data points

A study in September said that 90% of the 68,000 megawatts of new gas-fired power plants currently proposed in the US will be uneconomic compared to new solar and wind projects equipped with storage by 2035.