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Due Diligence & Risk Management
Connie Chern, CPA

Connie Chern, CPA

April 25, 2024

45X Tax Credit Guide With Eligibility & How To Claim

Learn about the 45X tax credit, including eligibility requirements, how it works, benefits for stakeholders & risks. Claim your 45X credits.

Due Diligence & Risk Management

For Buyers

For Sellers

The IRA created a new clean energy tax credit, the §45X AMPC

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 introduced a new class of production tax credit — the §45X advanced manufacturing production credit (AMPC). The credit is for eligible components produced and sold after December 31, 2022 and is transferable under §6418.

The §45X tax credit is generated via the production and sale of:

  • Sustainable energy components: Five categories of eligible sustainable energy components including solar modules, battery cells, or wind blades, nacelles, or towers
  • Critical minerals: 50 applicable critical minerals that attain a specified purity level

A list of eligible components, critical minerals, and related tax credit amounts is included below.

§45X transfers have taken off since the IRS issued guidance in December 2023

In December 2023, the Department of the Treasury released proposed regulations on §45X tax credits, which opened the door for transactions to begin.

Notably, Fiserv (NYSE: FI) agreed to purchase $700M in §45X tax credits from First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR) at a price of $0.96 per dollar of credit, resulting in $28M of tax savings for the 2023 tax year. The public announcement of a large-scale transaction has led to significant interest from corporate buyers in §45X tax credits.

Key characteristics of §45X AMPCs

Generated over time

§45X AMCPs are generated on a rolling basis from the (i) production and sale of eligible components or the (ii) conversion of critical minerals to a specific purity level. As we'll discuss below, this opens the door for buyers to negotiate quarterly or monthly payment terms.

No recapture risk or prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirement

There is no recapture or prevailing wage and apprenticeship (PWA) provision, reducing risk associated with §45X tax credits.

Eligible for direct pay or transfer

As with §45Q and §45V credits, generators of §45X credits may elect to be treated as an “applicable entity” for the limited purpose of making an elective payment election, also known as direct pay.

Careful consideration should take place before electing in or out of direct pay for §45X credits. The election is rigid in that there are no partial elections:

  • The election applies to all eligible credits from the applicable facility, and
  • The election applies to the entire taxable year for which the election was made and all subsequent taxable years ending before January 1, 2033

Additionally, an electing taxpayer may file an irrevocable election to revoke the elective payment, but the revocation applies to the entire taxable year in which the election to revoke takes place and all subsequent taxable years remaining before January 1, 2033.

In short, AMPC generators may elect to take five years of direct pay with the IRS or transfer the credits to another taxpayer, and the ability to do both is significantly limited.

Commercial guidelines for buyers of transferred §45X tax credits

Sellers

Sellers of §45X tax credits range from large, multinational companies to smaller, domestic producers. Tax credit buyers may require sellers to procure tax credit insurance if there is uncertainty around their longevity and/or ability to cover indemnities relating to the sale of credits.

"Unaffiliated third party" buyers

In order to generate AMPCs from the production and sale of eligible components, buyers of manufactured components must be unaffiliated third parties unless a related party election has been made under §45X(a)(3)(B).

All sales must be for “productive purposes” and not solely to claim the §45X tax credit.

Pricing

In Q1 2024, median pricing to buyers ranged from $0.91 to $0.95 for single-year 45X credits. The relatively high pricing reflects the lower risk profile of AMPCs compared to investment tax credits (ITCs).

Drivers of larger price discounts include smaller transaction sizes, less established sellers, and forward contracts for credits that have not yet been generated.

Payment terms

AMPCs are sold in arrears of generation. Unless the AMPCs are sold in a single closing, most sellers will accept quarterly or monthly payment terms, allowing buyers to recognize the value of the credit before issuing payment to sellers.

Due diligence checklist for §45X tax credits

While §45X credits are not subject to PWA requirements and do not carry the same recapture or basis-related qualification risks as §48 ITCs, they do carry additional qualification risks that are absent from other, power generation-related tax credits such as the §45 production tax credit (PTC).

Buyers and their advisors should conduct due diligence on several core aspects of §45X tax credit qualification to avoid a situation where credits are improperly accounted for and subsequently disqualified — a risk that flows through to the buyer in a transferability transaction. To guide this process and mitigate potential risks, refer to the 45X Due Diligence Checklist.

Diligence point Required documentation Explanation
Correct credit amount Description of component type with technical specifications; copies of audited production and sales volumes. Section §45X provides a list of eligible components, their associated AMPC amount, and any design parameters / capacity limits that are required to qualify for credits. The production of eligible components must be completed in 2023 or later, and the tax year where credits may be claimed is driven by the year in which the sale is completed.
Ensure components were “produced by taxpayer” Third-party verification that the seller conducted “substantial transformation” of the related components. Copies of any contract manufacturing agreements. The credit is awarded only to the taxpayer who conducted the “substantial transformational” in a trade or business of the taxpayer. The regulations differentiate between “substantial transformation” versus “mere assembly” where the former is required to claim a credit. Parties to a contract manufacturing arrangement may choose who claims the credit by signed agreement prior to the completion of eligible components.
Domestic production Documentation of the physical location where the eligible component was produced. Only eligible components produced in the United States and its territories are eligible for a tax credit. Elements, sub-components, and materials used in the product of an eligible component are not subject to the domestic requirement.
No §48C investment tax credits Confirmation the facility is not claiming §48C investment tax credits anywhere in the assembly line for the §45X components. Facilities that claim §48C investment tax credits are only eligible for AMPCs if the assembly line for §45X eligible components operates independently from the §48C assembly line or factory.
Third-party sale for productive purposes Confirmation that components are sold, for a productive purpose, to third parties, or that a valid “related person election” is/will be filed with the IRS. Generally, §45X tax credits are only generated upon component sales to a third-party, so a sale to an affiliate would not generate a tax credit until subsequent resale by the affiliate to a third party. An annual election can be made with the IRS to treat an affiliate as a third party for purposes of determining §45X tax credits.

Eligible components and related §45X tax credit amounts

The table below shows the eligible components that qualify for §45X credits as well as the amount of tax credit.

Solar energy components
Eligible Component Value per Unit Unit
Thin film or crystalline photovoltaic cell $0.04 Capacity in Wdc
Photovoltaic wafer $12.00 Square meter
Solar-grade polysilicon $3.00 Kilogram
Polymeric backsheet $0.40 Square meter
Solar module $0.07 Capacity in Wdc

Wind energy components
Eligible Component Value per Unit Unit
Related offshore wind vessel 10% Sales price of vessel
Blade $0.02 Watt of completed turbine capacity
Nacelle $0.05 Watt of completed turbine capacity
Tower $0.03 Watt of completed turbine capacity
Offshore wind foundation using fixed platform $0.02 Watt of completed turbine capacity
Offshore wind foundation using floating platform $0.04 Watt of completed turbine capacity

Torque tube and structural fastener components
Eligible Component Value per Unit Unit
Torque tube $0.87 Kilogram
Structural fastener $2.28 Kilogram

Inverter components
Eligible Component Value per Unit Unit
Central inverter $0.0025 AC watt capacity
Utility inverter $0.015 AC watt capacity
Commercial inverter $0.02 AC watt capacity
Residential inverter $0.065 AC watt capacity
Microinverter or distributed wind inverter $0.11 AC watt capacity

Electrode active materials
Eligible Component Value per Unit Unit
Electrode active materials 10% Costs incurred by the taxpayer with respect to the production of electrode active materials

Battery components
Eligible Component Value per Unit Unit
Battery cell $35.00 Capacity in kWh (limitations apply - see instructions to IRS Form 7207)
Battery module which uses battery cells $10.00 Capacity in kWh (limitations apply - see instructions to IRS Form 7207)
Battery module which does not use battery cells $45.00 Capacity in kWh (limitations apply - see instructions to IRS Form 7207)

Critical minerals

For critical minerals, the tax credit value is 10% of the production cost. §1.45X-4 of the proposed regulations clarifies what costs are includable or excludable in the 10% calculation.

Aluminum Antimony Arsenic
Barite Beryllium Bismuth
Cerium Cesium Chromium
Cobalt Dysprosium Erbium
Europium Fluorspar Gadolinium
Gallium Germanium Graphite
Hafnium Holmium Indium
Iridium Lanthanum Lithium
Lutetium Magnesium Manganese
Neodymium Nickel Niobium
Palladium Platinum Praseodymium
Rhodium Rubidium Ruthenium
Samarium Scandium Tantalum
Tellurium Terbium Thulium
Tin Titanium Tungsten
Vanadium Ytterbium Yttrium
Zinc Zirconium

Subject to a four-year phase-out (except for critical minerals)

With the exception of critical minerals, the amount of credit begins phasing out for sales occurring after December 31, 2029. As a result, the amount of tax credit is 75% for components sold during calendar year 2030, 50% for components sold during calendar year 2031, 25% for components sold during calendar year 2032, and 0% thereafter.

Learn more

Reunion is actively transferring §45X tax credits from a variety of clean energy manufacturers. To learn more about sourcing, diligencing, and purchasing §45X AMPCs, please contact Reunion's experienced transactions team.

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Due Diligence & Risk Management
Reunion

Reunion

May 17, 2024

Reunion's Process for Buying Transferable Clean Energy Tax Credits

Tax and treasury teams can purchase clean energy tax credits with confidence by working with Reunion on project selection, due diligence, and risk mitigation.

Due Diligence & Risk Management

For Buyers

The market for clean energy tax credit transfers has accelerated rapidly in 2024, as corporate tax and treasury leaders see a significant new opportunity to reduce tax liabilities and increase corporate cash availability.

A complete transferable clean energy tax credit transaction, from identifying the opportunity to closing the deal, can be summarized in seven key steps.

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Step 1: Build your company's internal business case

Duration

Varies by company.

Goals and activities
Goals Key activities
Develop key tax credit purchase criteria and success measures Confirm your company's interest in a tax credit transfer that meets specific criteria – for instance, credit pricing, type (48 ITC, 45 PTC, 45X APMC), technology (solar, wind, battery storage, critical minerals), payment terms, indemnification and insurance
Align internal stakeholders Get an understanding of the needs of your tax, treasury, accounting, legal, and ESG teams. At the same time, understand who is ultimately resposible for the investment decision

How Reunion helps

Through an introductory call, Reunion's transactions team can equip your company with insights on eligibility, appropriateness, market dynamics, and risk. We can also help your team prepare a business case/investment committee memo and provide supporting materials. For larger organizations, Reunion has organized tax credit "workshops," which we have found are particularly effective for aligning multiple functional teams.

Key resources

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Step 2: Identify and formally express interest in projects

Duration

One to three weeks.

Goals and activities
Goals Key activities
Identify project(s) Sign NDA to gain more information about tax credit opportunities available on the Reunion platform
Negotiate and sign term sheet(s) Formally express interest in a project through issuance and negotiation of term sheet, which defines key transaction terms and kicks off an exclusivity period

How Reunion helps

Reunion takes a "push" and "pull" approach when helping companies find projects that most align with their needs. On the "push" front, we curate a list of tax credit opportunities based on the criteria we identified in step one and share it with your team. For many companies, we do this on a rolling basis as new projects join our platform. On the "pull" front, we provide your team with access to our managed tax credit marketplace, where we have over $7B (and growing) in near-term tax credits available.

Once your team has the right project(s) in mind, Reunion will populate our form term sheet on your company's behalf. We'll levarage our market intelligence to ensure your proposal is competitive and assist you in negotiating key terms, like timing of payment, indemnification, and tax credit insurance.

Key resources

Green H4 Element

Step 3: Conduct Reunion-led preliminary due diligence

Duration

One to two weeks.

Goals and activities
Goals Key activities
Identify potential issues, if any, upfront before spending significant time and expense Review Reunion’s preliminary due diligence note to better understand potential risks and risk mitigation
Make a decision to proceed with the transaction Assess the risk / reward profile of the transaction

How Reunion helps

Reunion conducts a preliminary screen to identify any major issues up front ("fatal flaw" due diligence analysis). From that point, we consult with your team to assess risks and recommend appropriate mitigation strategies. Importantly, this step ensures alignment of incentives: we do not want to move a transaction forward unless there is a high probability of success.

We also provide validated market intelligence to compare your proposed transaction to the risk/reward profile of similar tax credit opportunities in the market.

Key resources

Green H4 Element

Step 4: Conduct comprehensive due diligence

Duration

Two to six weeks. The precise duration depends largely on the number and relatively complexity of projects in the transaction.

Goals and activities
Goals Key activities
Conduct comprehensive financial, legal and technical due diligence to gain comfort in moving forward with the transaction Ensure that proper due diligence has been performed on the project, covering the following topics: qualification, structure, recapture, prevailing wage and apprenticeship compliance, bonus credit adder qualification, and risk mitigants (indemnification and tax credit insurance)

How Reunion helps

Reunion spearheads the due diligence process by:

  • Reviewing documents provided by the Seller, and requesting any missing or incomplete information
  • Creating and organizing a data room, ensuring that due diligence documentation meets Reunion's checklist of required documentation
  • Reunion will produce a summary due diligence memorandum summarizing our findings and highlighting any areas of concern
  • If you are working with additional diligence advisors, Reunion will work closely with advisors to organize and accelerate their review process, reducing costs
Key resources
  • Due diligence checklist (by request)

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Step 5: Procure tax credit insurance (if needed)

Duration

This step is optional and runs in parallel to step 4.

Goals and activities
Goals Key activities
Procure tax credit insurance to mitigate risk of tax credit disallowance or recapture Work with Reunion to ensure that tax credit insurance adequately covers desired risks. Ensure that insurance coverage levels are adequate in scope and amount

How Reunion helps

Reunion can help companies decide if insurance is an appropriate risk mitigation tool for their transaction. If we collectively determine that tax credit insurance makes sense, we can advise on insurance offerings, including the scope of coverage – e.g., structure, qualification, recapture, PWA, bonus credit adders – and where gaps might exist.

We can also help you validate that the insurance policy is appropriately sized and includes penalties and tax gross-up and contest costs.

Key resources

Green H4 Element

Step 6: Sign tax credit transfer agreement

Duration

This step runs in parallel to step 4.

Goals and activities
Goals Key activities
Negotiate and sign a tax credit transfer agreement Review the legal contract to ensure that Buyer and Buyer counsel are satisfied with the terms

How Reunion helps

Reunion streamlines the negotiation process for buyers and sellers by providing a template legal document and helping parties focus on the most pertinent deal topics.

Key resources

Green H4 Element

Step 7: Post-transaction support

Duration

Ongoing duration depending on credit type.

Goals and activities
Goals Key activities
Navigate various IRS filing deadlines in the months following the transaction File IRS paperwork and stay compliant with the follow up requirements. Stay up to date on the latest market trends

How Reunion helps

Our transactions team will issue both parties reminders about filing requirements and deadlines, including tax forms and compliance. In subsequent tax years/quarters, Reunion will provide early acccess to new deals.

Key resources

Green H4 Element

Get started

Reunion’s team of clean energy and tax credit experts are here to support you through the entire process of buying and conducting due diligence on  IRA tax credits. We draw on our deep expertise to help you navigate tax credit transactions, and our marketplace features the widest pool of tax credit opportunities available in the industry.

Our key differentiators include:

  • Widest pool of high quality tax credits: We curate opportunities from our $10B+ marketplace, featuring technologies and projects ranging from under $3M to $300m+
  • Extensive educational materials: We offer an extensive resource library featuring content on financial, legal, and market-related topics pertaining to IRA tax credits
  • Hands-on due diligence: We support buyers throughout the transaction process, ensuring that the due diligence is performed at high quality and that risks are minimized upfront, saving you time and expense
  • Industry-leading transaction team: Reunion has facilitated more than $2 billion in tax credit transfers in 2024. Our transaction team consists of industry veterans, with experience raising $5+ billion in clean energy project financing `with partners such as US Bank, JP Morgan, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Key Bank, PNC, Nord/LB, D.E. Shaw, First Reserve, and over a dozen Fortune 500 companies
  • Market intelligence tools: Available upon request, we offer proprietary insights on tax credit pricing and data on key trends
Market Intel & Insights
Billy Lee

Billy Lee

April 16, 2024

Reunion's Quarterly Seller "Office Hours" for Clean Energy Developers and Manufacturers

Reunion is excited to host quarterly webinars for clean energy developers who would like to learn more about our marketplace and get a pulse on the overall transferability market.

Market Intel & Insights

For Sellers

Reunion is excited to host quarterly “office hours” for clean energy developers who would like to learn more about our marketplace and get a pulse on the overall transferability market.

Hosted on a quarterly basis

We will generally hold office hours on a quarterly basis and open registration one or two months in advance.

Quarter Date Time Registration Recording
Q2 2024 Thursday, May 2 2:00pm - 3:00pm ET Zoom YouTube
Q3 2024 Tuesday, August 20 2:00pm - 3:00pm ET Zoom
Q4 2024 TBD 2:00pm - 3:00pm ET
Q1 2025 TBD 2:00pm - 3:00pm ET

Designed for clean energy developers and manufacturers

Our office hours are designed for clean energy developers and manufacturers who have transferred, or are planning to transfer, IRA tax credits over the next 12 months. Developers need not have projects in Reunion's marketplace to participate.

Co-hosted by Reunion's founders

Reunion's founders, Billy Lee and Andy Moon, will co-host the hour-long sessions.

Billy and Andy pioneered solar financing structures with tax equity and private equity investors, leading some of the first solar transactions with institutions such as US Bank, JP Morgan, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Key Bank, PNC, Nord/LB, D.E. Shaw, and First Reserve.

Questions welcome!

We want our office hours to be interactive, so please bring any questions you have, whether related to current market conditions, pricing, or commercial terms.

You're welcome to ask questions beforehand.

Terms, Mechanics & Best Practices
Denis Cook

Denis Cook

April 11, 2024

Guide For Energy Community Tax Credit Bonus & Eligibility

Explore the latest IRS guidance, eligibility criteria & categories for energy community tax credit bonus. Maximize your clean energy project tax credits.

Terms, Mechanics & Best Practices

For Sellers

For Buyers

The latest energy community guidance, which meaningfully expanded the number of qualifying areas, placed the 10% adder back in the spotlight for the transferable tax credit marketplace. At the same time, Reunion has observed a marked increase in the number of projects in our marketplace claiming the energy community bonus.

While our transferable tax credit handbook goes deep on energy communities, we wanted to share a comprehensive (and refreshed) look at the adder.

Our guide begins with the basics, so we invite you to jump ahead.

Green H4 Element

Background and scope

The Inflation Reduction Act created three bonus credits, or "adders"

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) created three "bonus" credits that can increase the value of a clean energy project's transferable tax credits:

  • Domestic content: 10% bonus
  • Energy community: 10% bonus
  • Low-income community: 10% or 20% bonus
The energy community adder provides a 10% bonus credit

The energy community bonus provides a 10% increase to a project's credit value if the underlying project is located in an energy community (and meets prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements).

A utility-scale solar project, for instance, that meets PWA requirements would receive tax credits worth 30% of its eligible cost basis. If the same project is located in an energy community, it would receive tax credits worth 40% of its eligible basis.

The IRA defines three types of energy communities

To qualify for the energy community bonus, a project must be located in at least one of three energy community "categories."

Category 1: Brownfield

A brownfield site is defined in 42 U.S.C. § 9601(39)(A) as "real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant" (as defined under 42 U.S.C. § 9601), and includes certain "mine-scarred land" (as defined in 42 U.S.C. § 9601(39)(D)(ii)(III)). A Brownfield site does not include the categories of property described in 42 U.S.C. § 9601(39)(B).

Three types of sites qualify as a brownfield under a safe harbor:

  • Existing brownfield: Brownfields that are already tracked by a federal, state, territorial, or federally-recognized Indian tribal brownfields program. Many states, like Idaho and New York, have their own brownfields programs with supporting maps. A valid brownfield site could be tracked by a state program but not a federal program, and vice versa
  • Phase II assessment: A Phase II Assessment has been completed with respect to the site and such Phase II Assessment confirms the presence on the site of a hazardous substance as defined under 42 U.S.C. § 9601(14), or a pollutant or contaminant as defined under 42 U.S.C. § 9601(33)
  • Phase 1 assessment (for projects with a nameplate capacity of not greater than 5MWac): A Phase I Assessment has been completed with respect to the site and such Phase I Assessment identifies the presence or potential presence on the site of a hazardous substance, or a pollutant or contaminant.
Category 2: Coal closure

A census tract (or directly adjoining census tract): 

  • in which a coal mine has closed after 1999; or
  • in which a coal-fired electric generating unit has been retired after 2009
Category 3: Statistical area

A "metropolitan statistical area" (MSA) or "non-metropolitan statistical area" (non-MSA) that has (or had at any time after 2009):

  • 0.17% or greater direct employment or 25% or greater local tax revenues related to the extraction, processing, transport, or storage of coal, oil, or natural gas; and
  • has an unemployment rate or above the national average unemployment rate for the previous year

The scope of "direct employment" is determined by ten NAICS codes.

No double bonus for multiple energy communities

If a clean energy project is located in two energy communities – a brownfield site within a coal community, for instance – the bonus remains 10%. Developers cannot double up.

Bonus credits cannot be sold in stand-alone tranches

Bonus credits are not treated differently from base credits for the purpose of transferability. Treasury guidance released in June 2023 specified that all transferable credits must be sold as “vertical slices” and be pari passu to one another, as opposed to “horizontally” bifurcating bonus credits from base credits.

Green H4 Element

Credit and project eligibility

Four IRA credits are eligible for the energy community bonus

The IRA created 11 transferable tax credits, four of which are eligible for the energy community bonus:

  • §45 PTC: Electricity produced from certain renewable resources
  • §45Y PTC: Clean electricity production credit
  • §48 ITC: Energy credit
  • §48E ITC: Clean electricity investment credit
§48 and §48E ITC eligibility determined on placed-in-service date

For projects that claim an investment tax credit under §48 or §48E, eligibility for the energy community bonus credit is determined on the date that the project is placed in service (PIS) and is not tested again.

Because eligibility is determined on a PIS date that is subject to potential delays, developers should think carefully about how to incorporate the statistical area category into their financial assumptions.

The statistical area category is determined annually, based on the prior year's unemployment rate. As the IRS FAQs state, "Because an MSA's or non-MSA's status as an energy community depends on its unemployment rate for the previous year, an MSA or non-MSA that qualifies as an energy community in one period might not qualify as an energy community in a later period if its unemployment rate for the previous year falls below the national average."

§45 and §45Y PTC eligibility determined annually with a beginning-of-construction safe harbor

For projects that claim a production tax credit under §45 or §45Y, eligibility for the energy community bonus credit must be determined every year during the ten-year PTC period. Theoretically, a wind project could qualify one year under the statistical area category but not qualify the following year because of a change in employment rates.

However, the IRS created a safe harbor for PTC projects with beginning-of-construction dates on or after January 1, 2023. If the project owner determines that the project is eligible for the energy community bonus credit on the date construction is considered to have started for tax purposes, then the project will qualify for the bonus credit for the entire ten-year PTC period and is not tested again.

For insights on how the Energy Community Bonus Credit impacts a real-world transaction, refer to our Section 45 PTC transfer case study, which examines implications and lessons learned.

"Legacy" §45 PTCs are not eligible for energy community bonus

Projects that generate §45 PTCs that were placed in service before December 31, 2022 are not eligible for the energy community bonus, even if the project happens to be located in an energy community and is within its ten-year period of credit generation.

The December 31, 2022 date is set in the IRA itself (H.R.5376).

50% of a project's nameplate capacity (or square footage) must be in an energy community

A project qualifies for the energy community bonus if at least half (50%) of its nameplate capacity is in an energy community. According to the IRS, nameplate capacity is the DC capacity that a project is capable of producing on a steady-state basis during continuous operation under standard conditions.

For battery storage projects, at least half (50%) of the storage capacity, as measured in megawatt hours, should be in an energy community.

Lastly, for projects that do not generate nor store energy, like biogas, the 50% threshold is measured on a square footage basis.

Green H4 Element

Diligence

When performing due diligence on the energy community bonus, it's helpful to approach the process based on the credit type and energy community category.

Credit type
ITCs

Tax credit buyers should request documentation that demonstrates when and where the project was placed in service. Then, buyers and their advisors should crosswalk that location to an appropriate energy community siting resource, like one of the IRS's appendices. (We provide links to these appendices in the guidance section of this post.)

When validating a project's location, it's important to keep the "50%" rule in mind.

PTCs

Due diligencing the energy community bonus for PTCs is effectively the same as ITCs, although buyers will want to validate when and where the project began construction (versus when and where the project was placed in service). Once again, it's important to keep the "50%" rule in mind.

Energy community category

As far as each category is concerned, the statistical area and coal closure categories are relatively straightforward from a due diligence standpoint: the IRS has published lists of areas that qualify for each. The brownfield category, however, may present a slightly more nuanced due diligence process.

Statistical area

It's important to recall that the statistical area category changes every year, based on the prior year's unemployment rate. As we'll discuss below, the IRS is obligated to publish updates to this category every year, generally in May.

Coal closure

Unlike the statistical area category, the coal closure category cannot shrink – that is, once an area qualifies as a coal closure, it remains as such for the duration of the energy community bonus.

However, the coal closure category can expand, and we fully expect it to do so. According to a 2022 analysis by the Energy Information Agency (EIA), nearly a quarter of the operating U.S. coal-fired fleet is scheduled to retire by 2029. Every closure will add more census tracts to the list of areas eligible for the energy community bonus.

Brownfield

The IRS has not published – and, as far as we know, has no plans to publish – a consolidated list of areas that qualify as brownfields for purposes of the energy community bonus. In fact, the DOE energy community map doesn't even include federally-recognized brownfield sites. (The EPA, however, maintains a list of federally-recognized brownfields in its cleanups in my community map.)

We doubt the IRS or any federal agency will publish a definitive list of brownfields. There are simply too many moving parts across federal, state, local, and tribal brownfields programs.

So, an opinion from an environmental attorney may be warranted, and the scope of the opinion will vary based on which of the three brownfields safe harbors a project is claiming.

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Guidance

Latest guidance expands the number of areas that are eligible for the energy community bonus

The most recent IRS guidance, Notice 2024-30, broadened eligibility for the energy community bonus through two key changes:

  • Expansion of the "nameplate capacity attribution rule"
  • Inclusion of two additional NAICS codes – which are in our list above – for determining the fossil fuel employment rate for a statistical area category
Expansion of the nameplate capacity attribution rule

The "nameplate capacity attribution rule" pertains to projects with offshore generation – namely, offshore wind – that have a nameplate capacity but are not located within a census tract, an MSA, or a non-MSA. The rule, essentially, allows developers to allocate their offshore nameplate capacity onshore for purposes of qualifying for the energy community bonus.

Prior to Notice 2024-30, the attribution rule generally allowed offshore wind projects to qualify for the energy community bonus if their power-conditioning equipment closest to the point of interconnection was in an energy community.

Notice 2024-30 expanded the nameplate capacity attribution rule to include not only power-conditioning equipment, but also supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) equipment.

SCADA equipment must be owned by the developer and located in an "energy community project port." To qualify as an energy community project port, a port must: 

  • Be used "either full or part-time to facilitate maritime operations necessary for the installation or operation and maintenance" of the project
  • Have a "significant long-term relationship" with the project, meaning the developer owns or leases all or part of the port for a minimum term of ten years
  • Be the location at which staff employed by, or working as independent contractors for, the project are based and perform functions essential to the project's operations. Essential functions include "management of marine operations, inventory and handling of spare parts and consumables, and berthing and dispatch of operation and maintenance vessels and associated crews and technicians"
Inclusion of two additional NAICS codes

Notice 2024-30 added two additional NAICS codes for determining the fossil fuel employment rate for a statistical area category:

  • 2212: Natural gas distribution
  • 23712: Oil and gas and pipeline and related structures construction

These NAICS codes cover workers in local gas distribution companies and construction workers on oil and gas pipelines.

According to Norton Rose Fulbright, "The biggest additions to the list of potentially eligible counties are in six Midwestern states: Minnesota (57), Missouri (57), Illinois (28), North Dakota (23), Wisconsin (23) and Indiana (20)."

The IRS has released five pieces of energy community guidance, with regulations to come soon
Energy community regulations should arrive by June 30, 2024

As Notice 2024-30 notes, proposed regulations are forthcoming. Until then, "taxpayers may rely on the rules described in sections 3 through 6 of Notice 2023-29, as previously clarified by Notice 2023-45 and modified by section 3 [of] this notice, for taxable years ending after April 4, 2023."

Based on the Q2 update to the IRS 2023-2024 Priority Guidance Plan, energy community regulations should arrive before the end of the current "plan year," which concludes on June 30, 2024.

Where to find the latest guidance

The IRS and Treasury maintain lists of IRA-related guidance, including guidance specific to the energy community adder. Although the lists generally overlap, there may be differences based on when each website was last updated.

Below is a close look at all the guidance that's been released through March 2024.

Notice 2022-51: Request for Comments on Prevailing Wage, Apprenticeship, Domestic Content, and Energy Communities Requirements under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022

  • Date: October 5, 2022
  • News release: IRS 
  • Companion documents: N/A

Notice 2023-29: Energy Community Bonus Credit Amounts under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022

Notice 2023-45: Energy Community Bonus Credit Amounts under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022

  • Date: June 15, 2023
  • News release: IRS 
  • Companion documents: N/A

Notice 2023-47: Energy Community Bonus Credit Amounts or Rates (Annual Statistical Area Category Update and Coal Closure Category Update)

Notice 2024-30: Energy Community Bonus Credit Amounts under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022

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Annual updates to areas qualifying as energy communities

Expect energy community eligibility updates every May, beginning in 2024

According to Notice 2023-29, "The Treasury Department and the IRS intend to update the listing of the Statistical Area Category based on Fossil Fuel Employment annually. These updates generally will be issued annually in May."

The first update should arrive in May 2024 – that is, next month.

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Resources from administering federal agencies

DOE, EPA, and IRS have provided energy community eligibility and project siting resources

U.S. federal agencies who are responsible for administering or managing parts of the energy community bonus credit have published several key resources that are valuable to buyers, sellers, and their advisors:

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Learn more

To learn more, you can download our 100-page transferable tax credit handbook or start a conversation with our transactions team.

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Terms, Mechanics & Best Practices
Andy Moon

Andy Moon

May 7, 2024

Webinar Recording: Navigating the Tax Credit Transfer Process for Corporate Taxpayers

Please join Reunion's CEO, Andy Moon, and President, Billy Lee, for an interactive webinar for corporate taxpayers who are considering purchasing IRA tax credits in 2024. The 60-minute session will prepare tax and treasury teams to efficiently pursue a transferable tax credit transaction.

Terms, Mechanics & Best Practices

For Buyers

Recording

Overview

For corporate taxpayers who are considering purchasing tax credits in 2024, please join Reunion's transactions team – with 50+ years of combined experience in tax credits – for a 60-minute workshop to walk through a sample tax credit transfer.

The webinar will equip tax and treasury teams with the information and resources they need to efficiently pursue a tax credit transaction.

Topics

The interactive workshop will include three 15-minute modules and five minutes of Q&A per module.

Speakers

Reunion's CEO, Andy Moon, and President, Billy Lee, will co-host the webinar. Over the course of their careers in clean energy financing, Andy and Billy have executed over $2B in transactions across a range of technologies.

Market Intel & Insights
Denis Cook

Denis Cook

October 8, 2024

IRA Transferable Tax Credit Tracker

Since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, clean energy tax credit transfers have accelerated across a variety of technologies, credits, and deal sizes. To track the evolution of the market, Reunion is maintaining a list of publicly announced transfers.

Market Intel & Insights

For Sellers

For Buyers

Our data

  • Quarter:  The quarter in which the deal closed. Occassionally, deals are announced in the quarter after which they closed.
  • Credit: The type of credit(s) involved in the transaction. Although most transactions involve a single credit type, like a §48 ITC, some deals involve multiple credits.
  • Technology: The clean energy technology, like commerical and industrial solar or battery storage, behind the transaction. Emerging technologies, like hydrogen, can meaningfully impact pricing.
  • Amount: A deal's amount represents the total, lifetime value of the transaction. When a range is provided – for instance, Broadwind's estimate of $12M to $14M per year – we use the lower bound.
  • Source: The primary source from which we collected transactions data. In some instances, we rely on multiple sources for the data we've presented.

We generally post announcements from tax credit sellers to prevent duplication of transactions.

Publicly announced IRA clean energy tax credit transfer deals

Sortable Table
Quarter Credit Technology Amount ($M) Source
23 Q4 §48 ITC Solar Undisclosed Advanced Power
23 Q4 §45 PTC Utility solar $300 Ashtrom
23 Q3 §45 PTC Wind, utility solar $580 Invenergy
23 Q3 §45 PTC Wind $100 Avangrid
23 Q4 §48 ITC Rooftop solar $1 Davis Hill
23 Q4 §48 ITC Battery storage $60 Energy Vault
23 Q4 §48 ITC, §45 PTC Solar, battery storage $191 Arevon
24 Q1 §45 PTC Solar $500 Vesper Energy
23 Q4 §45X AMPC Advanced manufacturing $24 Broadwind
23 Q3 §48 ITC Biogas $53 Aemetis
24 Q1 §45 PTC Utility solar Undisclosed Matrix Renewables
24 Q1 §45Q PTC Carbon capture $9 (est.) Capture Point
23 Q1 §45Q PTC Carbon capture $40 CVR Partners
24 Q1 §48 ITC Battery storage Undisclosed Arevon
24 Q1 §48 ITC Battery storage Undisclosed KCE
24 Q1 §48 ITC Battery storage Undisclosed GridStor
24 Q1 §48 ITC Biogas $39 Virentis
23 Q4 §48 ITC Biogas $15 Anaergia
24 Q1 §45 PTC Wind $430 TransAlta
23 Q4 §45 PTC Wind $24 PGE
23 Q4 §48 ITC Fuel cell $7 Fuel Cell Energy
23 Q3 §48 ITC Solar $145 Sunnova
24 Q2 §45X AMPC Advanced manufacturing Undisclosed Silfab Solar
24 Q3 §45X AMPC Advanced manufacturing $50 Heliene
24 Q3 §48 ITC C&I solar Undisclosed Black Bear Energy
24 Q4 §48 ITC C&I solar $0.3 Navajo Power Home
24 Q4 §45X AMPC Advanced manufacturing $40 Navajo Power Home

Submit a transaction

If you know of a tax credit transfer that is not on our list, please contact us. We want to keep our list up-to-date.

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Reunion Accelerates Investment Into Clean Energy

Reunion’s team has been at the forefront of clean energy financing for the last twenty years. We help CFOs and corporate tax teams purchase clean energy tax credits through a detailed and comprehensive transaction process.

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