Heather Cooper
Subscribe to Heather Cooper's Posts
Heather Cooper works on federal income tax matters, with a focus on energy tax issues. She represents clients in restructurings, mergers and acquisitions, and other transactional energy related matters. Heather's national practice includes advising on all aspects of renewable energy transactions such as solar and wind projects. She provides advice on tax equity structures, refinancings, acquisitions and dispositions, restructurings and workouts. Read Heather Cooper's full bio.
The Energy Market in 2021: From Crisis to Opportunity | Tax Credit for Carbon Capture Products
By Philip Tingle and Heather Cooper on Apr 1, 2021
Posted In Environmental, Project Development and Finance, Tax
The energy market has undergone significant change in the past 12 months, with even more on the horizon. Our webinar series explores how these changes have shaped—and will continue to impact—the energy industry, including discussions of what’s to come. Our latest webinar featured FTI Consulting’s Ken Ditzel, Senior Managing Director and Fengrong Li, Managing Director,...
Continue Reading
US Senate Committee Introduces Clean Vehicle Charging Legislation
By Heather Cooper, Carl J. Fleming, Elle Hayes and Brian Ingram on Mar 29, 2021
Posted In Environmental, Power Markets, Project Development and Finance, Renewables, Tax, U.S. Congress
Earlier this week, a group of cross-party US senators introduced the Securing America’s Clean Fuels Infrastructure Act (the Act) to promote investments in clean vehicle infrastructure. The types of infrastructure supported by the legislation include electric vehicle charging stations and hydrogen refueling stations for fuel cell vehicles. The Act would enlarge the benefits of the...
Continue Reading
The Carbon Tax Checklist
By Jacob Hollinger, Heather Cooper and Carl J. Fleming on Feb 12, 2021
Posted In Environmental, Natural Gas, Renewables, Tax, U.S. Congress
Many stakeholders have called for the United States to adopt a carbon tax. Such a tax could raise billions of dollars in annual revenue while simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Several carbon tax proposals were introduced in the last Congress (2019-2020 term), and it is likely that several more will be introduced in the new...
Continue Reading
IRS Provides Relief for Offshore Wind and Federal Land Projects
By Heather Cooper and Philip Tingle on Jan 7, 2021
Posted In Power Markets, Project Development and Finance, Renewables, Tax, U.S. Congress
New guidance from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) extends the Continuity Safe Harbor to 10 years for both offshore wind projects and projects on federal land. The relatively quick release of this guidance following enactment of the offshore wind investment tax credit (ITC) last week suggests strong support for these projects by Congress, the US...
Continue Reading
COVID-19 Stimulus Bill Includes Key Renewable Energy Tax Credits
By Heather Cooper and Philip Tingle on Dec 28, 2020
Posted In Power Markets, Project Development and Finance, Renewables, Tax, U.S. Congress
The US stimulus bill passed into law yesterday includes several key extensions and additions to the tax credits available for renewable energy. The bill had been agreed to by Congress early last week and was signed into law by the president last night. Access the full article here.
Continue Reading
Five Takeaways: Utility Acquisition of Renewable Projects – A Discussion of the Legal and Tax Issues Regarding Utilities, Developers and Tax Equity
By Heather Cooper, Carl J. Fleming, Christopher Gladbach, Debra A. Harrison, Joel A. Hugenberger, Philip Tingle and Edward Zaelke on Dec 4, 2020
Posted In Power Markets, Project Development and Finance, Renewables, Tax
Increasingly, utilities are replacing older generation fleets with more cost-effective generation technologies. Renewables are cost-competitive alternatives in this effort for a number of reasons, including the current tax incentives. A utility’s acquisition of a renewable asset presents many issues not otherwise present in a non-utility acquisition, particularly if the utility intends to include its investment...
Continue Reading
Six Takeaways: Utilization and Structuring for Section 45Q Carbon Capture Credits
By Philip Tingle, Heather Cooper, Jacob Hollinger and Brian Moore on Jun 12, 2020
Posted In Environmental, Natural Gas, Project Development and Finance, Renewables, Tax
On Thursday, June 11, McDermott partners Phil Tingle, Heather Cooper and Jacob Hollinger were joined by Ken Ditzel, managing director at FTI Consulting, to discuss their insights into the proposed Section 45Q carbon capture and sequestration credit regulations. The Treasury Department and IRS recently published proposed regulations implementing the Section 45Q carbon capture and sequestration...
Continue Reading
IRS Extends Deadline for ITC and PTC Projects
By Heather Cooper and Philip Tingle on May 28, 2020
Posted In Renewables, Tax
The IRS yesterday released anticipated guidance extending the placed-in-service deadline for the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) and Production Tax Credit (PTC). Under Notice 2020-41, the “Continuity Safe Harbor” was extended to five years for any project that otherwise began construction in 2016 or 2017. As background, the applicable credit rate for the ITC and PTC turns...
Continue Reading
Five Takeaways: Navigating President Trump’s Executive Order on US Bulk Power System Electric Equipment
By Neil Levy, Joel A. Hugenberger, Heather Cooper, Carl J. Fleming and Seth B. Doughty on May 22, 2020
Posted In Power Markets, Project Development and Finance, Renewables, Tax
President Trump’s May 1, 2020 Executive Order prohibiting certain transactions involving bulk-power system electric equipment developed, manufactured or supplied by a foreign adversary could have far-reaching implications for both the renewable and conventional power industries. It has also raised a high level of uncertainty and risk while the industry awaits the actual implementation of the...
Continue Reading
IRS Releases Initial Section 45Q Carbon Sequestration Credit Guidance
By Brian Moore, Heather Cooper, Martha Groves Pugh and Philip Tingle on Feb 21, 2020
Posted In Environmental, Natural Gas, Project Development and Finance, Renewables, Tax
Treasury and the IRS released initial guidance on the amended Section 45Q carbon oxide sequestration credit on February 19, 2020. Notice 2020-12 and Revenue Procedure 2020-12 provide guidance relating to the beginning of construction and tax equity partnership allocations. This is the first Section 45Q guidance since Treasury issued a request for comments in Notice...
Continue Reading
