Energy - Alternative

Biomass Research and Development

The Biomass Research and Development Initiative (BRDI) is a joint program between the U.S. Departments of Energy and Agriculture that provides grants to companies, universities and government research centers to research, develop and demonstrate new ways to refine various feedstocks into biofuels or biobased chemicals and products. The program, originally created in the Biomass Research […]

Biorefinery Assistance Program

This program, formerly the Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program, provides loan guarantees of up to $250 million for the construction of commercial-scale biorefineries, the retrofitting of existing facilities to produce biofuels, or construction of renewable chemical and biobased manufacturing. To be eligible, fuels or products must be derived from renewable biomass […]

Production Tax Credit for Open- and Closed-Loop Biomass

Renewable electricity production tax credits (PTC) provide a per-kilowatt-hour (kWh) tax credit for electricity generated from certain renewable sources for the first 10 years of a project under Section 45 of the tax code. Open-loop biomass refers to facilities that produce electricity by burning organic waste that is a byproduct of agriculture, construction or timber-related […]

Production Tax Credit for Municipal Solid Waste

Renewable electricity production tax credits (PTC) provide a per-kilowatt-hour (kWh) tax credit for electricity generated from certain renewable sources for the first 10 years of a project under Section 45 of the tax code. In the case of facilities that use municipal solid waste as a feedstock to produce electricity, the PTC is 1.3 cents […]

Rural Energy for America Program

The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP)—most recently reauthorized by the 2018 Farm Bill—provides loan guarantees and grants for rural small business and agricultural producers to purchase renewable energy systems, energy efficiency improvements, energy audits and feasibility studies. Renewable energy systems include wind, solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, biomass, hydrogen and ocean power. Even though REAP was […]

Incentives for Biodiesel and Renewable Biodiesel

The incentives for biodiesel and renewable biodiesel include: a $1 credit against income tax for every gallon of biodiesel or renewable biodiesel produced; a $1 credit against fuel excise taxes for every gallon of biodiesel or renewable diesel used in producing a biodiesel mixture; and, a 10-cent credit for every gallon produced by a small […]

Cellulosic (Second Generation Biofuel) Production Tax Credit

Established by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, the Cellulosic Production Tax Credit is a credit of up to $1.01/gallon for “liquid fuel produced from any lignocellulosic or hemicellulosic matter that is available on a renewable basis or any cultivated algae, cyanobacteria, or lemna.” Lignocellulose and hemicellulose are both components of the cell […]

Department of Energy Loan Guarantee Authority

The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Loan Guarantee Program was created for the purpose of lowering the financial risk of large private sector commercial energy projects that use advanced technologies. Amendments to the program have expanded the list of eligible technologies to include: nuclear, certain coal, carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies, hybrid gas or diesel […]