For one reason or another, not every parcel of land originally targeted for a renewable energy project is able to be included in a final site plan. Typically, developers try to secure private easements from contiguous landowners, but landowners are not always willing to execute easements.
On April 30, 2024, the Department of the Treasury issued final regulations on tax credit transfers that allow hydrogen producers to sell tax credits earned under § 45V of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Section 6418 of the Internal Revenue Code and the final regulation issued thereunder allow credit purchasers to use purchased credits to offset their tax liability. Credit sellers will be able to sell credits that they would not otherwise be able to use due to insufficient tax liability. Given such powerful incentives, many energy producers are wondering how to add “green” hydrogen (discussed below) to their portfolios by powering hydrogen facilities with wind turbines and solar panels. Here, we discuss what wind and solar producers should keep in mind as they plan, negotiate, and begin developing hydrogen plants powered by renewable energy, with a particular focus on site control.
NERC recently filed rule changes with FERC that propose to significantly expand NERC registration and compliance requirements to inverter based resources, such as renewable energy and battery facilities, that historically were too small to be subject to such requirements. NERC’s proposed rule changes are one of the latest developments in NERC’s multi-year effort to address the “reliability gap” associated with these types of resources.
As the energy transition continues, battery energy storage has become an increasingly critical form of technology to support and maximize variable renewable energy resources such as wind and solar, and add a level of reliability and resilience to the grid. While the development process for a standalone battery energy storage project typically does not differ significantly from its wind or solar counterparts, there are a several considerations unique to the nature of battery storage to consider when negotiating the site control documents for the project.
On March 21, 2024, FERC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) to revise its reactive power compensation rules to limit compensation to interconnection customers to times when the transmission provider asks the interconnection customer to operate its facility outside the standard power factor range established in the interconnection agreement.
On March 21, 2024, FERC issued a follow up rehearing order to its landmark Order No. 2023 generator interconnection reform rule, providing several clarifications and tweaks in response to industry comments.
The future of the green hydrogen industry in the United States will become a bit clearer in the coming weeks. Comments on the proposed hydrogen tax credits in 26 USC 45V were due by February 26, 2024, and will be discussed at a public hearing scheduled for March 25, 2024. This hearing will provide the public a clearer prediction of 45V’s final form.
On December 22, 2023, the U.S. Department of the Treasury (DOT) released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) meant to address several issues associated with the Clean Hydrogen Production Tax Credit (PTC) established via Section 45V of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA). This article provides a brief overview of the proposed rules.
On Dec. 19, 2023, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) seeking comments on whether it should revise its policy on providing blanket authorizations under Section 203(a)(2) of the Federal Power Act (FPA) for holding companies and investment companies that seek to invest in public utilities. Blanket authorizations allow certain investment companies to buy and sell public utility securities without first obtaining FERC approvals. In the NOI proceeding, FERC is re-examining what factors it should consider when evaluating what it means to lack control over public utilities for companies who seek to invest in public utilities. While the NOI is directly aimed at “investment companies,” as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, FERC’s policy re-examination could have broader ramifications for other types of control analyses for FPA purposes.
The Texas Legislature, primarily responding to the unprecedented ERCOT system load shed event during 2021’s Winter Storm Uri, enacted far-reaching system and wholesale market reforms during its 2021 and 2023 legislative sessions. These reforms broadly seek to bolster electric system resilience and reliability while incentivizing, through wholesale market reforms and other out of market actions