USA: IRS Clarifies Rules for Beginning of Construction for Renewable Energy Projects

IRS Issues New Guidance on the Beginning of Construction Safe Harbor For Renewable Energy Projects (JD Supra)

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently issued Notice 2017-4 (the “Notice”) which makes two important changes to its “beginning of construction” rules for taxpayers seeking to take advantage of the section 45 renewable electricity production tax credit (PTC) for wind and other renewable energy facilities including geothermal, biomass, landfill gas and certain hydropower and marine hydrokinetic energy projects.

Under prior IRS guidance, including Notice 2016-31 discussed in our blog post here, taxpayers have two ways to establish that they started construction. They can either show that they began physical construction of a significant nature (the “Physical Work Test”), or incurred at least 5% of the total cost of the eligible facility (the “5% Safe Harbor”). However, once construction has begun or cost have been paid or incurred, the IRS requires taxpayers to make continuous progress towards completion to satisfy both the Physical Work Test and the 5% Safe Harbor (“Continuous Construction Requirement”). 

Taxpayers are deemed to satisfy the Continuous Construction Test provided they began construction on the facility prior to January 1, 2015, and place it in service prior to January 1, 2017 (the “Continuity Safe Harbor”).

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