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Key Takeaways | Hospitals and Renewable Energy: New Financial Incentives and Opportunities in the Inflation Reduction Act

by Heather Cooper, Debra Curtis and Carl J. Fleming | Nov 9, 2022 | Project Development and Finance, Renewables, Tax, U.S. Congress

During this webinar, Heather Cooper and Carl Fleming, partners in the McDermott’s energy & project finance group, teamed up with McDermott+Consulting’s Debra Curtis to break down the key opportunities and actionable steps that your in-house team stakeholders need to know about to take advantage of what the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) has to offer. Discussion topics included a highlight of important provisions in the IRA and the incentives they hold for hospitals, an update on how the Biden administration is approaching climate change and healthcare, how to track funding sources and apply for tax credits and deductions and more.

Below are key takeaways from the discussion:

1. Hospitals, Healthcare and Climate Change. Hospitals and the healthcare sector both have a role to play in climate change mitigation. The healthcare sector accounts for about 8.5% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the United States and about 4.5% of emissions worldwide. These emissions are generated mostly from running energy-draining facilities 24/7. Hospitals have an opportunity to not only track and report emissions, but also to reduce them.

2. Hospitals and Healthcare Systems Now Face Climate Change Operational Risk. While there may have been a lack of oversight and accountability on hospitals and the healthcare sector in regard to climate change, there are now several forces pushing hospitals—and the healthcare system more broadly—to undertake efforts to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels.

3. Health Sector Climate Pledge. On June 30, 2022, US President Joe Biden announced the “Health Sector Climate Pledge.” As a result, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in partnership with the White House, is mobilizing the healthcare sector to reduce emissions. Under the Pledge, 61 of the largest US hospital and health sector companies (which account for about 650 hospitals) committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030. Additionally, in response to the Biden administration’s directive to federal agencies on climate change, the HHS has taken several other steps to address the issue. Internally, it has created small offices to examine climate change, health equity and environmental justice.

4. The IRA Is Historic. Perhaps the biggest incentive for hospitals to take action comes from the IRA, which President Biden signed into law back in August. The IRA is the largest climate change legislation ever enacted globally and provides for $369 billion in climate change programs and incentives with a 10-year timeframe (versus the prior one-to-three-year increments). It also greatly expands tax credits for US companies that adopt energy-saving renewable technologies and, for the first time, makes these credits available to nonprofits—a category that includes just over half of the nation’s hospitals.

5. The IRA Unlocks Opportunities for Hospitals. Under the IRA, hospitals now (1) have access to a new significant financial incentive for energy efficiency, (2) gain access to the previously restricted tax equity market via [...]

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Key Takeaways | Clean Hydrogen Producers Get a Big Boost from the Inflation Reduction Act

by Heather Cooper, Christopher Gladbach and Allison Perlman | Oct 21, 2022 | Project Development and Finance, Renewables, Tax

Green hydrogen is a developing industry in the United States. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA), which includes $369 billion in energy and climate spending, even introduces a clean hydrogen production tax credit (PTC) and broadens the existing investment tax credit (ITC) to apply to hydrogen projects.

During the latest webinar in our Navigating the New Energy Landscape series, Partners Heather Cooper and Christopher Gladbach were joined by Ivana Jemelkova from FTI Consulting, Ulrich Reinhard from Air Liquide and Tommy Gerrity from Ørsted for a discussion on the future of green hydrogen development following the passage of the IRA.

Below are key takeaways from the discussion:

1. The IRA introduces a new PTC for hydrogen produced after 2022 for a 10-year period from the date the project in question is placed in service. The credit is calculated as a percentage of $0.60/kg based on the resulting lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions rate and may be multiplied by five for the satisfaction of the wage and apprenticeship rules (as slightly modified compared to the standard tax credit-related wage and apprenticeship rules). To qualify for this PTC, hydrogen must be produced in the United States in the ordinary course of a trade or business for sale or use, and the production must be verified by an unrelated person.

2. The IRA also introduces a new ITC equal to the energy percentage of the cost basis of each specified clean hydrogen production facility placed in service during a taxable year based on the resulting lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions rate. The credit may also be multiplied by five for the satisfaction of the wage and apprenticeship rules and is eligible to credit adders for the domestic content and energy communities’ bonuses. To be eligible for this ITC, construction of the specified clean hydrogen production facility in question must begin before 2025.

3. Although the tax incentives related to hydrogen are new, the hydrogen industry has been around for over a century. Yet, it is not until recently that hydrogen production technologies have been seen as a clean energy solution. As such, there has been a visible uptick in the delivery of hydrogen through (1) renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar (referred to as green hydrogen), and (2) other energy sources, such as natural gas, supported by carbon capture and storage technology (referred to as blue hydrogen). This trend will be even further bolstered by the IRA, which strives to minimize the carbon impact over the production lifecycle of hydrogen from various energy sources and technologies.

4. With the United States being the second largest consumer in the world, industry experts believe there will be no shortage of demand for hydrogen and hydrogen-related technologies in the near future, especially in light of the enactment of the IRA. Yet, despite the growing opportunities related to hydrogen (g., its use to [...]

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Key Takeaways | A Deep Dive into Wage and Apprentice, Domestic Content, Transfer and Direct Pay

by Heather Cooper and Philip Tingle | Sep 2, 2022 | Renewables, Tax, U.S. Congress

On August 31, McDermott Partners Heather Cooper and Philip Tingle provided a detailed review of the wage and apprentice, domestic content, transferability and direct provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. They discussed the technical requirements for each of the new sections and offered insight into how these new rules will impact the deal pipeline, planning and negotiations.

Below are key takeaways from the discussion:

The extension and expansion of the existing ITC and PTC by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) come with additional requirements, a critical component of which is the all-new wage and apprenticeship requirement (W+A) for 1MW or greater energy projects. Because of both the newness of the rules and the need for additional IRS guidance, the beginning construction rules are going to have continued relevance while taxpayers wait for the market to sort out how it will address W+A compliance.
For projects beginning construction after the W+A guidance, taxpayers must consider how they will monitor W+A compliance, in particular with respect to wages paid to and labor provided by employees of contractors and subcontractors. Taxpayers should consider what types of covenants and representations they will require of contractors, how to draft indemnities to allocate the risk of default, costs to cure failures to meet W+A, and in the worst case the loss of 80% of the ITC or PTC.
There is limited direct pay available to tax-exempts, government entities, Indian tribes, and the like, except for the credits for clean hydrogen, carbon capture and advanced manufacturing credits—which are available to non-exempt taxpayers.
As an alternative to direct pay, taxpayers may elect to transfer their credits for cash. Those proceeds are tax-free, generally with no cap, phase-out, limitation or exception. For partnerships, the election is made at the partnership level, which creates planning complexities on who will control elections and make indemnities, and how remaining partnership items will be taxed and allocated. Taxpayers will need to plan around such situations, and transferability likely won’t simplify the financing of renewable projects.

To access past webinars in the Navigating the New Energy Landscape series and to begin receiving Energy updates, including invitations to the webinar series, please click here.

Key Takeaways | In the Room Where It Happened

by Carl J. Fleming and Edward Zaelke | Aug 29, 2022 | Renewables, Tax, U.S. Congress

On August 25, McDermott Will & Emery kicked off its latest 10-part weekly webinar series focused on navigating the new energy landscape following the enactment of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (the Act)—the largest and most important climate action in US history.

During the first webinar, McDermott Partners Carl Fleming and Edward Zaelke hosted Greg Wetstone, president and CEO of the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), for a discussion on the conversations leading up to this historic legislation and its future impact on the renewable energy industry.

Below are key takeaways from the discussion:

1. The Act represents a major win for the renewable energy industry, particularly its extension of tax credits up to a 10-year (or potentially longer) period, allowing businesses in the energy sector to plan on stable tax platforms for longer than a couple of years—something that is truly unprecedented for the renewables industry. Other major highlights include the introduction of tax credits for energy storage and new technologies, such as hydrogen, programs to encourage domestic manufacturing and the monetization of tax credits. The McDermott Energy & Project Finance team has already seen a spike in standalone energy storage mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity and a heightened interest in financing structures.

2. Of further noteworthy importance is the Act’s introduction of the ability to transfer tax credits. Although the direct pay provisions of the Act were not as broad as hoped for by many, Greg believes that the transferability provisions will have a significant impact on the renewable energy market. In his view, the constraints on transferability are minimal and allow for the monetization of credits without partnership flips or sale-leasebacks, although there may still be a role for these types of transactions. According to Greg, the market will likely see a mix of tax equity structures and other kinds of financing as there is now more latitude as to how to monetize these credits. The Energy & Project Finance team is currently advising on a number of innovative structures to allow clients to capitalize on this new game changer for tax credits.

3. Another notable feature of the Act is the ability to stack credits related to domestic content, energy communities and wage and apprenticeship requirements. Although further regulations and guidance are needed in these areas, it is agreed amongst industry specialists that appropriately stacking these incentives could make renewable energy projects much more lucrative while creating beneficial societal impacts, such as building a domestic workforce and supply chain and transitioning away from fossil fuel-driven economies. The Energy & Project Finance team is working with various clients to narrow down such requirements and to help properly “stack” these credits.

4. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions was a true driving force behind the Act and is a meaningful step toward addressing climate issues. However, the devil will be in the details regarding how [...]

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Key Takeaways | Update on the Solar Circumvention Proceeding and Discussion of Possible Comments in Response to Commerce’s Recent Memo

by Carl J. Fleming, Lynn G. Kamarck and Tyler Kimberly | May 18, 2022 | Featured, Project Development and Finance, Renewables

On May 17, 2022, Carl Fleming, Lynn Kamarck and Tyler Kimberly from McDermott’s Energy and Project Finance and International Trade teams hosted Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA) General Counsel and Vice President of Market Strategy John Smirnow for a roundtable discussion that provided substantive arguments, best practices and other advocacy strategies for US solar developers who are preparing to submit collective and individual responses to the US Department of Commerce (Commerce) this week following Auxin Solar Inc.’s petition and Commerce’s subsequent memorandum.

Below are key takeaways from the discussion:

1. To reach an affirmative circumvention determination, Commerce must confirm that the processing occurring in the target countries (i.e., Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam) is “minor or insignificant.” While Commerce’s precedent establishes that the processing required to make a wafer into a module (including cell production) is not “minor or insignificant,” it has suggested the opposite during this circumvention inquiry.

2. Commerce could terminate the circumvention proceeding on the basis that including cells or modules completed in the target countries within the scope of the existing Chinese orders would not be “appropriate.” However, there is no clear indication as to what “appropriate” means.

3. What developers need the most right now is certainty. Because of the uncertainty surrounding the amounts of cash deposits and the final assessment of import duties, some developers are unable to make key business decisions. While Commerce tried to provide some of this certainty in its May 2 proposal, it did not accomplish that goal.

4. Developers can share their views regarding the investigation by submitting comments to Commerce by 5:00 pm EDT on May 19, 2022. Comments can include discussion of any difficulties complying with Commerce’s proposed certifications and whether such certificates would be useful to the company, the treatment of cells or modules manufactured in non-targeted countries and inconsistencies between prior Commerce decisions and the investigation at hand.

5. SEIA is calling for a Public Interest Requirement in anti-circumvention investigations to prevent similar petitions from being filed and moving forward in the future.

McDermott is currently preparing comments for a number of US solar developers and also providing additional feedback on comments prepared by other US solar developers to ensure that they are putting their best foot forward during this critical period.

For more insight on this topic, please watch our recent webinar recording where our executive leadership panel discussed the commercial, legal and policy responses to Commerce’s anti-circumvention investigation.

Key Takeaways | African Markets and Opportunities for Cross-Border Investments in Renewable Energy

by Carl J. Fleming | Apr 1, 2022 | Power Markets, Project Development and Finance, Renewables

On March 30, 2022, Carl Fleming and Emeka Chinwuba, partners in McDermott’s Energy and Project Finance Practice Group, hosted Dr. Abdelilah Chami, head of sustainability Northern & Central Africa at Enel Green Power, and Jay Katatumba, investment director at Africa50 Infrastructure Fund, for a lively discussion on the renewable energy space in Africa and cross-border investments.

The transition to renewable energy in Africa has progressed impressively over the last decade, with many countries working to increase renewable energy capacity in recent years. Forecasts by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) indicate that with the right policies, regulation, governance and access to financial markets, sub-Saharan Africa could meet up to 67% of its energy needs by 2030. This is reflected by the fact that average annual investments in renewable energy grew ten-fold from less than half a billion dollars during the 2000 – 2009 period to $5 billion during 2010 – 2020.

Below are key takeaways from the webinar:

1. Development Financial Institution (DFI) participation in Africa’s power market is primarily driven by its mandate to make the cost of electricity more affordable, increasing access to electricity and improving the reliability of its power supply.

2. Energy access and consumption in Africa has global ramifications as we look to trade, commerce and development, future demographic trends and geopolitics with respect to energy costs and access.

3. From a power sector policy standpoint, each African country should be taking a holistic view when looking at the specific in-country and regional needs for energy, the entire value chain, related and existing infrastructure, local capabilities and local regulatory and governance frameworks.

4. In accessing various African jurisdictions for investment opportunities, private sponsors are focused on predictability, highest risk weighted returns, existing infrastructure and the whole value chain proposition for a specific asset.

5. Private sponsors are also looking for opportunities where projects are bankable and structured with very limited reliance on subsidies or other credit support from the host governments.

To access past webinars in this series and to begin receiving Energy updates, including invitations to the webinar series, please click here.

Key Takeaways | Post-Uri Hedge Products for Storage and Renewables

by Robert Lamkin and Jacob Hollinger | Mar 9, 2022 | Project Development and Finance, Renewables

During the latest webinar in our Energy Transition series, Partners Robert Lamkin and Jacob Hollinger hosted Louis Martinsen, vice president, origination at Boston Energy Trading and Marketing, for a 30-minute discussion concerning hedge product opportunities for renewables and storage projects one year after Winter Storm Uri impacted Texas’s power grid.

Below are key takeaways from the webinar:

1. A year after Winter Storm Uri, hedging products for renewables are moving toward “as generated” hedges, meaning the hedge settles based on how much power the renewable project actually generates rather than based on other possible metrics (such as proxy generation).

2. A potential alternative for renewable and storage developers are hedging projects that provide a revenue “floor,” which can be thought of as a minimum level of revenue scaled to ensure that the project will receive a minimum amount of revenue sufficient to meet its operating and maintenance costs, debt service and capital expenditures regardless of market prices for the products it sells or intends to sell.

3. The providers of these hedge products are also changing to include entities serving (directly or indirectly) retail load rather than purely wholesale trading entities.

To access past webinars in this series and to begin receiving Energy updates, including invitations to the webinar series, please click here.

Key Takeaways | The Growth of Early Stage Technology Company Investment and Development in Energy and Oil and Gas

by Parker A. Lee and Shawn Helms | Dec 16, 2021 | Natural Gas, Power Markets, Project Development and Finance, Renewables

How is technology affecting the energy industry? In the latest webinar in the Energy Transition series, McDermott Will & Emery Partner Parker A. Lee hosted Shawn Helms, co-head of McDermott’s Technology and Outsourcing Practice Group, Nadine Herrwerth, managing director at TWTG, and BJ Walker, managing director at Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co for a 30-minute discussion where they opined on the current and future impact technology plays on conventional and renewable energy companies.

Below are key takeaways from the webinar:

1. Industrial Internet of Things (I-IOT). I-IOT products and services can be used to improve site safety and efficiency. I-IOT products have the capability to monitor equipment, such as valves and temperature sensors on machinery, and record data on external dashboards for analysis and alerting. Through the use of data analysis, data gathered by I-IOT products can identify trends, build models and detect future equipment failure. As a result, I-IOT products and services can increase the efficiency, reliability and safety of equipment.

Though the application of I-IOT devices is relatively new to the industry, these products are capable of being retrofitted to established and already operational sites.

2. Technology Companies and Energy. While technology companies are large consumers of energy output, they can also provide significant insights and intelligence in regard to energy use and production. Synergies between technology and energy industries are continuously evolving and providing improvements in energy investments, efficiencies and reliability. For example, drones are capable of leveraging artificial intelligence to increase efficiency and consistency of equipment monitoring and inspections, particularly equipment that is located in remote areas (such as offshore).

3. Investor Focus on the Energy Space. An important theme in the oil and gas industry is the recent focus on transforming the industry to a generator of cashflow. In attracting new investors to the energy industry, particularly as new technologies are introduced, investors should know there is typically a longer wait period to receive a return on investment than what a general investor would commonly expect. In addition to general investors, technology companies are investing in renewable energy sources for purposes of environmental responsibility and in order to power their own enterprise. It is expected that this trend will continue to grow in energy intensive areas, such as the cryptocurrency space.

4. Technology in Traditional Oil and Gas. Although not widely appreciated, the oil and gas industry has always been heavily reliant on technology and an area where revolutionary technologies are developed—and that is certainly the case today. Because oil and gas professionals are proficient with, and conversant in, the application of new technologies, look to those professionals to be industry leaders in the energy transition as new businesses and products are developed.

To access past webinars in this series and to begin receiving Energy updates, including invitations to the webinar series, please click here.

Key Takeaways | Legislative Update on Renewable Energy Tax Incentives

by Heather Cooper and Philip Tingle | Nov 18, 2021 | Project Development and Finance, Renewables, Tax, U.S. Congress

On November 17, McDermott Partners Philip Tingle and Heather Cooper were joined by Bill Parsons, COO of the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), for a discussion on recent legislative activity regarding renewable energy tax incentives and how it will affect current tax credits as well as those in the center of the renewables space.

Below are key takeaways from the webinar:

1. Negotiations surrounding the Build Back Better Act and progress regarding the substance of the bill have been moving at a rapid pace. Despite some uncertainties, the hope is that something will be passed before year-end—and the tax credits component is likely to look very similar to the current proposal.

2. A shift in thinking has taken place in US Congress, specifically, the clean energy tax regime is now seen as a credible driver in achieving the Biden administration’s decarbonization and climate goals.

3. Industry participants are assessing whether the direct pay component of the Build Back Better Act will dramatically change the tax equity market. Several factors will determine how direct pay will affect said market, including the timing of payments, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) scrutiny, availability of depreciation and tax basis step-ups, permissiveness of waivers, congressional oversight and the proposed minimum book tax.

To access past webinars in this series and to begin receiving Energy updates, including invitations to the webinar series, please click here.

Key Takeaways | Conventional Energy Companies Pivot to Renewables

by Jack Langlois and Philip Tingle | Oct 20, 2021 | Project Development and Finance, Renewables

How will traditional energy companies compete as the world transitions to renewable energy? In the latest webinar in our Energy Transition series, McDermott Will & Emery Partner Jack Langlois hosted Philip Tingle, global co-head of McDermott’s Energy and Project Finance Practice Group, and Michael Hanson, managing director of energy transition at Truist Securities, to answer exactly that. During the 30-minute discussion, they assessed the future for conventional energy companies, including key issues surrounding decarbonization and current tax credit frameworks.

Below are key takeaways from the webinar:

1. Timeline and Decision-Making. There is a broad divergence of views in how quickly the transition to renewable energy will happen, but changes in law and policy could accelerate that timeline. Conventional energy companies are taking small steps to get acclimated to new renewable opportunities because there are multiple factors they need to consider before deciding whether to enter into the renewable energy space: Strategic fit, materiality, profitability and risk. Many conventional energy companies that have successfully pivoted to renewable opportunities have done so by reutilizing their existing assets.

2. Carbon Capture. Carbon capture is often a strategic fit for oil and gas companies. However, companies, investors and banks are still struggling with the profitability of carbon capture because without government incentive, carbon capture is not profitable. The current incentive structures do not compel a sufficient amount of activity because they only compensate capture equipment owners, leaving out all the necessary downstream affiliates. Until this business model is corrected, banks especially will struggle with how to finance carbon capture.

3. Reconciliation Bill. Carbon capture incentives may be around for a while longer. In the reconciliation bill, there is a provision that would extend the Section 45Q carbon capture tax credit through the year 2032. However, the bill would also modify the tax credit to provide for wage and apprenticeship requirements. Companies will need to find ways to assure financing parties that they have met these additional requirements. If they can accomplish this, the extension period will allow greater opportunities for conventional energy companies to enter the space.

To access past webinars in this series and to begin receiving Energy updates, including invitations to the webinar series, please click here.