CEI

Competitive Energy Insight, Inc.

Phone: (858) 566 - 0221

Fax: (858) 566 - 0287

info@ceinsight.com

NEW IRS TREASURY GRANT ADVICE
New IRS Release Examines "Excessive" Treasury Cash Grants for Renewable Energy Projects line         The IRS recently released legal advice addressing the tax treatment of Treasury cash grants that are in excess of the amount that the grant applicant was entitled to receive under Section 1603 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2...

CALIFORNIA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION APPROVES RENEWABLE AUCTION MECHANISM
Source:   Stoel Rives Publication and Email Seth Hilton , Morten Lund and Brian Nese of Stoel Rives   12/21/2010   (Updated and revised to include deadlines for filing comments) On Friday, December 16, 2010, the California Public Utilities Commission unanimously approved a decision ("Final Decision") ordering a new tariff for a procurement protocol called the Renewable Auction Mechanism, or RAM. RAM applies to California's three largest investor-owne...

CALIFORNIA ADOPTS ITS CAP-AND-TRADE PROGRAM FOR GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

Article Published by Stoel Rives   12/20/2010 Authors  Lee N. Smith  and Allison C. Smith  12/20/2010   After a full day of testimony and deliberation on December 16, 2010, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) adopted the state's Cap-and-Trade Program on a 9-to-1 vote. The Program is promulgated under the California Global Warming Solutions Act (A.B. 32) as a market-based compliance mechanism to help achieve reduction of the state's greenhouse gas (...

EXTENSION TO CASH GRANT APPROVED
Reference:  Email issued by Troutman Sanders LLPPartner Posted   12/21/2010   Treasury Renewable Energy Cash Grant Extended December 20, 2010 On December 17, President Obama signed into law H.R. 4583, The Tax Relief Act of 2010 (the “Act”) extending for two years the Bush-era individual income tax rate cuts.  The Act also extends a number of energy related incentives that were set to expire at the end of this year.  The most significant is...

SUMMARY OF LEASE TRANSACTION OPTIONS
Credits to Keith Martin, Eli Katz, Ken Hansen and I, at Chadbourne & Parke, analyzed the stimulus bill that President Obama signed today. They released the following short discussion on its implications to the renewable power world.           Overveiw of Alternative Lease Structures for Renewables Choosing an investment credit will open the door to two forms of lease transactions that cannot be used in projects on which production tax credits...

UPDATE ON CASH GRANT ALLOWANCE
The following summary was provided by Lance T. Brasher of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP  on July 7, 2010 The Treasury Department recently posted on its website frequently asked questions and answers regarding the rules for determining when construction of property is considered to begin for purposes of the grant program for specified energy property (the "FAQ").  The grant program, which was instituted pursuant to Section 1603 of the American Recovery and R...