Iowa Admin. Code r. 199-15.18

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 5, September 4, 2024

Rule 199-15.18 - Certification of eligibility for wind energy tax credits under Iowa Code chapter 476B

Any person applying for certification of eligibility for state tax credits for wind energy pursuant to Iowa Code section 476B.5 as amended by 2005 Iowa Acts, chapter 179, section 166, is subject to this rule.

(1)Filing requirements. Any person applying for certification of eligibility for wind energy tax credits must file with the commission an application that contains substantially all of the following information:

a. Information regarding the applicant, including the legal name, address, telephone number, and (as applicable) facsimile transmission number and electronic mail address of the applicant.

b. Information regarding the ownership of the facility, including the legal name of each owner, information demonstrating the legal status of each owner, and the percentage of equity interest held by each owner, and a statement attesting that owners meeting the eligibility requirements of Iowa Code section 476B.5 are not owners of more than two eligible renewable energy facilities. In determining whether the two-facility limit is exceeded, the commission will consider not only the legal entity that owns the utility, if other than a natural person, but the equity owners of the legal entity. If the owner of the facility is other than a natural person, information regarding the equity owners must be provided.

c. A description of the facility, including at a minimum the following information:

(1) Type of facility (that is, a qualified facility as defined in Iowa Code section 476B.1);

(2) Total nameplate generating capacity rating. For applications filed on or after March 1, 2008, the facility must have a combined nameplate capacity of no less than 2 megawatts and no more than 30 megawatts. For applications filed on or after July 1, 2009, by a private college or university, community college, institution under the control of the state board of regents, public or accredited nonpublic elementary and secondary school, or public hospital as defined in Iowa Code section 249J.3, the facility must have a combined nameplate capacity of no less than 3/4 of a megawatt;

(3) A description of the location of the facility in Iowa, including an address or other geographic identifier;

(4) The date the facility is expected to be placed in service (that is, placed in service on or after July 1, 2005, but before July 1, 2012, for eligibility under Iowa Code chapter 476B as amended by 2005 Iowa Acts, chapter 179).

d. A signed statement from the owner attesting that the owner intends to either sell all the electricity generated by the facility, consume all the electricity on site, or a combination of both. For purposes of this rule, electricity consumed on site means any electricity produced by the facility and not sold.

e. If the owner intends to sell electricity generated by the facility, a copy of the executed power purchase agreement or other agreement to purchase electricity. If the power purchase agreement has not yet been finalized and executed, the commission will accept as an other agreement an executed agreement signed by at least two parties that includes both a commitment to purchase electricity from the facility upon completion of the project and most of the essential elements of a contract.

The commission will also accept a copy of an executed interconnection agreement service agreement, in lieu of a power purchase agreement, if the facility owner has instead agreed to sell electricity from the facility directly or indirectly to a wholesale power pool market.

f. A statement indicating the type of tax credit being sought; that is, indicating that the applicant is applying for tax credits pursuant to Iowa Code chapter 476B as amended by 2005 Iowa Acts, chapter 179 (1 cent per kWh, wind energy only tax credits).

(2)Review and notification. Upon receipt of a complete application, the commission will review it to make a preliminary determination regarding whether the facility is an eligible renewable energy facility. The commission will notify the applicant by letter of the approval or denial of the application within 30 days of the date the application was filed. If the commission fails to send the letter within 30 days, the application will be deemed denied. An applicant who receives a determination denying an application may file an appeal with the commission within 30 days of the date of the denial, pursuant to the provisions of Iowa Code chapter 17A and Iowa Code section 476B.5. In the absence of a timely appeal, the preliminary determination shall be final.

(3)Incomplete application and additional information. If an incomplete application is filed, the commission may, upon request and for good cause shown, grant an extension of time to allow the applicant to provide additional information. Also, the commission and its staff may request additional information at any time for purposes of determining initial or continuing eligibility for tax credits.

(4)Loss of eligibility status. Within 18 months following commission approval of eligibility, the applicant shall file information demonstrating that the eligible facility is operational and producing usable energy. If the commission determines that the eligible facility was not operational within 18 months of commission approval, the facility will lose eligibility status.

However, if the facility is not operational within 18 months due to the unavailability of necessary equipment, the applicant may apply for a 12-month extension of the filing requirement, attesting to the unavailability of necessary equipment. After granting a 12-month extension, if the commission determines that the facility was not operational within 30 months of commission approval, the facility will lose eligibility status. Otherwise, the facility may reapply to the commission for new eligibility.

(5)Allocation of capacity among eligible applicants. Iowa Code section 476B.5 establishes the maximum amount of nameplate generating capacity of facilities eligible for the tax credits. In the event the commission receives applications for tax credits that, in total, exceed the statutory limits, the commission will rule on the applications in the order they are received, based upon the date of receipt. Because the commission does not track the time of day that filings are made with the commission, if the commission receives more than one application on a particular date such that the combined capacity of the applications exceeds applicable statutory limits, the commission will allocate the final eligibility determinations proportionally among all applications received on that date. Alternatively, the commission may withhold this allocation unless a petition for allocation is filed with the commission by one of the applicants who filed its application on that particular date. If such a petition is submitted, the commission will notify all applicants who filed on that particular date, allowing each applicant to opt into the allocation within 45 days of the date of the filing of the petition. Applicants who opt in must comply with subrule 15.18(4) after receiving eligibility under the allocation or lose their eligibility status. Applicants who do not opt in will maintain their original application date.

(6)Waiting list for excess applications. The commission will maintain a waiting list of excess eligibility applications for facilities that might have received preliminary eligibility under subrule 15.18(2), but for the maximum capacity and capability restrictions under subrule 15.18(5). The priorities of the waiting list will be in the order the applications were received, based upon the dates of receipt. If additional capacity becomes available within the capacity restrictions under subrule 15.18(5), the commission will review the applications on the waiting list based on their priorities, before reviewing new applications. Applications will be removed from the waiting list after they are either approved or denied. Beginning August 31, 2007, each applicant on the waiting list shall annually provide the commission a statement of verification attesting that the information contained in the applicant's eligibility application remains true and correct, or stating that the information has changed and providing the new information.

This rule is intended to implement Iowa Code chapter 476B.

Iowa Admin. Code r. 199-15.18

ARC 8060B, lAB 8/26/09, effective 9/30/09

Editorial change: IAC Supplement 7/24/2024