T he renewable electricity production tax credit (PTC) expired on January 1, 2018, for nonwind facilities. Under current law, wind facilities that begin construction before the end of 2019 may qualify for the PTC. However, the PTC for wind started phasing down in 2017. Whether the PTC should be extended, modified, or remain expired is an issue that may be considered in the 116 th Congress. Description

The renewable electricity PTC is a per-kilowatt-hour tax (kWh) credit for electricity generated using qualified energy resources. The maximum credit amount for 2017 and 2018 is 2.4 cents per kWh. Wind (before applying the 2017-2019 phaseout rates), closed-loop biomass, and geothermal energy technologies qualify for the maximum credit amount (see Table 1 ). Other technologies, including open-loop biomass, small irrigation power, municipal solid waste, qualified hydropower, and marine and hydrokinetic energy facilities, qualify for a reduced credit amount, where the amount of the credit is reduced by one-half (see Table 1 ). Before 2018, the PTC was available for taxpayers subject to the AMT for the first four years of the credit. There are also production tax credits for Indian coal and refined coal. Since 1999, the PTC has been extended 11 times (see Table 2 ). Hydropower was added as a half-credit qualifying resource. The PTC for wind and refined coal was extended for one year, through 2009, while the PTC for closed-loop biomass, open-loop biomass, geothermal energy, small irrigation power, municipal solid waste, and qualified hydropower was extended for two years, through 2010. The PTC for wind, which was scheduled to expire at the end of 2012, was extended for one year, through 2013, as part of the American Taxpayer Relief Act (ATRA; P.L. As part of Division P of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 ( P.L. For wind facilities beginning construction in 2017, the credit is reduced by 20%. The PTCs for nonwind technologies and the PTC for Indian coal expired at the end of 2016, but were retroactively extended for tax year 2017 in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (BBA18; P.L. 115-123 ). PTC Revenue Cost Estimates and Claims

Estimates of the cost, or foregone revenue, associated with tax expenditure provisions can be found in the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) annual tax expenditure tables. Between 2018 and 2022, estimated revenue losses associated with the PTC are $25.8 billion (see Table 3 ). When the PTC was extended as part of a "tax extenders" package in 1999, Congress noted that the PTC had been important to the development of environmentally friendly renewable power, and extended the credit to promote further development of wind (and other) resources. The use of tax equity investors, often major financial institutions, reduces the amount of federal financial support for renewable energy that is delivered directly to the renewable energy sector. Policy Options and Proposals

Without legislative action, the PTC is not available to nonwind projects that began construction after December 31, 2017, or wind projects that begin construction after December 31, 2019. One option is to allow the PTC to expire as scheduled. Another option would be to provide a temporary extension of the PTC. 114-113 , the expiration date for the PTC for wind is different than the expiration date for the PTC for other technologies. The extension could be made retroactive for 2018. If the PTC for nonwind technologies were extended, the phaseout that currently applies to wind could be applied to other technologies. Another alternative would be to extend the PTC for nonwind technologies, and remove the phaseout for wind, such that all PTC-eligible technologies qualified for the PTC at the same rate. Under this proposal, the PTC inflation adjustment factor would have been eliminated. This would reduce the value of the PTC for renewable electricity to 1.5 cents per kWh, for all PTC-eligible properties still within the 10-year eligibility window.
The renewable electricity production tax credit (PTC) is a per-kilowatt-hour (kWh) tax credit for electricity generated using qualified energy resources. For nonwind technologies, the credit expired at the end of 2017, so that only projects that began construction before the end of 2017 qualify for tax credits. After 2016, the PTC for wind remains available, at reduced rates, for wind facilities that begin construction before the end of 2019. Since the PTC is available for the first 10 years of production at a qualified facility, PTCs will continue to be claimed after the PTC's stated expiration date. Whether the PTC should be extended, modified, or allowed to expire as scheduled is an issue Congress may choose to consider.
Most recently, the PTC for nonwind technologies was retroactively extended for tax year 2017 as part of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (BBA18; P.L. 115-123). The PTC for wind was last extended in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (P.L. 114-113). This legislation had extended the PTC for two years, through 2016, for all eligible technologies. Additionally, the PTC for wind was extended an additional three years, through 2019, but at reduced credit rates for wind facilities beginning construction in 2017, 2018, or 2019.
The PTC for wind and closed-loop biomass was first enacted in 1992. When first enacted, the PTC was scheduled to expire on July 1, 1999. Since 1999, the PTC has been extended 11 times. On several occasions, the PTC was allowed to lapse before being retroactively extended. In addition to being extended, the PTC has also been expanded over time to include additional qualifying resources. In 2017, closed-loop biomass, and geothermal technologies qualified for the full credit amount of 2.4 cents per kWh. Other technologies (open-loop biomass, small irrigation power, municipal solid waste, qualified hydropower, marine, and hydrokinetic) qualified for a half-credit amount, or 1.2 cents per kWh in 2017. Wind facilities starting construction in 2017 qualified for 80% of the full credit amount. Credit amounts are adjusted annually for inflation.
The Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) estimates that in 2018, foregone revenues (or "tax expenditures") for the PTC were $4.8 billion. Between 2018 and 2022, under current law, tax expenditures for the renewable electricity PTC are estimated to be $25.8 billion. Extensions or modification of the PTC could increase or decrease the estimated tax expenditures associated with this provision.
The PTC has been important to the growth and development of renewable electricity resources, particularly wind. Tax incentives for renewables, however, may not be the most economically efficient way to correct for distortions in energy markets or to deliver federal financial support to the renewable energy sector. Tax subsidies reduce the average cost of electricity, increasing demand for electricity overall, countering energy-efficiency and emissions-reduction objectives. Subsidies delivered as nonrefundable tax incentives often require those wishing to use the credit find "tax-equity" partners to provide equity investments in exchange for tax credits. The use of tax equity reduced the amount of the incentive that flows directly to the renewable energy sector.
There are a number of policy options that might be considered related to the PTC. For example, the PTC could be allowed to expire as scheduled. Alternatively, the PTC could be temporarily extended. The extension could apply only to nonwind technologies. If the PTC is retroactively extended for nonwind technologies, the phaseout that currently applies to wind could be applied to nonwind PTC-eligible technologies. Another option would be to remove the phaseout that applies to wind starting in 2017. Other forms of PTC phaseout have been proposed in recent years, including elimination of the inflation adjustment factor. Another option would be to make the PTC a permanent feature of the tax code.