SEPA and Chadbourne Partner on 2016 Update of Utility Solar Tax Manual | SEPA Skip to content
Join SEPA

SEPA and Chadbourne Partner on 2016 Update of Utility Solar Tax Manual

The Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA), in partnership with the international law firm Chadbourne & Parke LLP, announce the release of the 2016 re-issue of SEPA’s Utility Solar Tax Manual.

Last updated in 2012, the manual is written for utilities, utility-scale solar developers and owners, and other industry stakeholders who need to understand recent changes to federal tax law affecting these projects. Understanding opportunities to apply these laws and other tax regulations is an essential part of evaluating any project.

  • Key updates in the 2016 manual include:
  • Issues surrounding the extension of the 30-percent federal investment tax credit for solar
  • New IRS provisions on energy storage investments
  • Recent IRS private letter rulings addressing eligibility for solar tax credits on a range of equipment used in commercial solar projects
  • Evolution of solar tax equity and other deal structures

“Since the federal government may pay as much as 57.5 percent of the capital cost of new solar energy equipment through tax benefits, tax issues are central to all solar transactions,” said Keith Martin, a lawyer at Chadbourne, who is the author of the updated manual. “A lot has happened since the last edition of the manual, and SEPA has done an excellent job redesigning the publication to make everything easier to find.”

“The complexities of solar project tax law detailed in this manual reflect the ongoing evolution of the utility solar industry as it matures and integrates other distributed technologies, such as storage,” said Julia Hamm, SEPA President and CEO. “Clear guidance on these issues will help utilities and other industry stakeholders as they continue to add distributed resources to their energy portfolios.”

“Utility Solar Tax Manual: A Comprehensive Guide to Federal Tax Incentives” is available here.

Media review copies are available from K Kaufmann, [email protected] or 202.379.1637.

About SEPA
The Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) is an educational nonprofit working to facilitate the utility industry’s transition to a clean energy future through education, research and collaboration. SEPA offers a range of research initiatives and resources, as well as conferences, educational events and professional networking opportunities. SEPA is co-founder and co-sponsor of Solar Power International and winner of the Keystone Policy Center’s 2016 Leadership in Energy Award. For more information, visit www.sepapower.org.

About Chadbourne & Parke LLP
Chadbourne & Parke LLP is a large law firm headquartered at 1301 Avenue of the Americas in New York with other offices in Washington, Los Angeles, Mexico City, São Paulo, Johannesburg, Istanbul, Dubai, London and Moscow. The firm was one of the first modern “Wall Street” firms formed at the turn of the last century. It represents many prominent corporations in the United States and abroad.

Share