The US Department of Energy sent letters on May 10 to project developers whose renewable energy projects are in the loan guarantee queue notifying them whether they made the cut of a couple dozen projects that DOE feels are all it can accommodate by the September 30 deadline to close on financing.

The law also requires the projects be under construction by September 30. Estimates are that between 30 and 50 projects failed to make the shortlist.

The Solar Energy Industries Association sent a letter to Congressional leaders on May 11 asking for more money and more time to fund projects that failed to make the cut. Industry lobbyists say privately that it is a “heavy lift” to get more money for the program given the current focus in Washington on cutting spending.

Keith Martin