§ 54. Credit to holders of clean renewable energy bonds

(a) Allowance of credit

If a taxpayer holds a clean renewable energy bond on one or more credit allowance dates of the bond occurring during any taxable year, there shall be allowed as a credit against the tax imposed by this chapter for the taxable year an amount equal to the sum of the credits determined under subsection (b) with respect to such dates.

(b) Amount of credit

(1) In general

The amount of the credit determined under this subsection with respect to any credit allowance date for a clean renewable energy bond is 25 percent of the annual credit determined with respect to such bond.

(2) Annual credit

The annual credit determined with respect to any clean renewable energy bond is the product of—

(A) the credit rate determined by the Secretary under paragraph (3) for the day on which such bond was sold, multiplied by

(B) the outstanding face amount of the bond.

(3) Determination

For purposes of paragraph (2), with respect to any clean renewable energy bond, the Secretary shall determine daily or cause to be determined daily a credit rate which shall apply to the first day on which there is a binding, written contract for the sale or exchange of the bond. The credit rate for any day is the credit rate which the Secretary or the Secretary’s designee estimates will permit the issuance of clean renewable energy bonds with a specified maturity or redemption date without discount and without interest cost to the qualified issuer.

(4) Credit allowance date

For purposes of this section, the term “credit allowance date” means—

(A) March 15,

(B) June 15,

(D) December 15.

Such term also includes the last day on which the bond is outstanding.

(5) Special rule for issuance and redemption

In the case of a bond which is issued during the 3-month period ending on a credit allowance date, the amount of the credit determined under this subsection with respect to such credit allowance date shall be a ratable portion of the credit otherwise determined based on the portion of the 3-month period during which the bond is outstanding. A similar rule shall apply when the bond is redeemed or matures.

The credit allowed under subsection (a) for any taxable year shall not exceed the excess of—

(1) the sum of the regular tax liability (as defined in section 26 (b)) plus the tax imposed by section 55, over

(2) the sum of the credits allowable under this part (other than subparts C, I, and J, section 1400N (l), and this section).

(d) Clean renewable energy bond

For purposes of this section—

(1) In general

The term “clean renewable energy bond” means any bond issued as part of an issue if—

(A) the bond is issued by a qualified issuer pursuant to an allocation by the Secretary to such issuer of a portion of the national clean renewable energy bond limitation under subsection (f)(2),

(B) 95 percent or more of the proceeds of such issue are to be used for capital expenditures incurred by qualified borrowers for one or more qualified projects,

(D) the issue meets the requirements of subsection (h).

(2) Qualified project; special use rules

(A) In general

The term “qualified project” means any qualified facility (as determined under section 45 (d) without regard to paragraph (10) and to any placed in service date) owned by a qualified borrower.

(B) Refinancing rules

For purposes of paragraph (1)(B), a qualified project may be refinanced with proceeds of a clean renewable energy bond only if the indebtedness being refinanced (including any obligation directly or indirectly refinanced by such indebtedness) was originally incurred by a qualified borrower after the date of the enactment of this section.

For purposes of paragraph (1)(B), a clean renewable energy bond may be issued to reimburse a qualified borrower for amounts paid after the date of the enactment of this section with respect to a qualified project, but only if—

(i) prior to the payment of the original expenditure, the qualified borrower declared its intent to reimburse such expenditure with the proceeds of a clean renewable energy bond,

(ii) not later than 60 days after payment of the original expenditure, the qualified issuer adopts an official intent to reimburse the original expenditure with such proceeds, and

(iii) the reimbursement is made not later than 18 months after the date the original expenditure is paid.

(D) Treatment of changes in use

For purposes of paragraph (1)(B), the proceeds of an issue shall not be treated as used for a qualified project to the extent that a qualified borrower or qualified issuer takes any action within its control which causes such proceeds not to be used for a qualified project. The Secretary shall prescribe regulations specifying remedial actions that may be taken (including conditions to taking such remedial actions) to prevent an action described in the preceding sentence from causing a bond to fail to be a clean renewable energy bond.

(e) Maturity limitations

(1) Duration of term

A bond shall not be treated as a clean renewable energy bond if the maturity of such bond exceeds the maximum term determined by the Secretary under paragraph (2) with respect to such bond.

(2) Maximum term

During each calendar month, the Secretary shall determine the maximum term permitted under this paragraph for bonds issued during the following calendar month. Such maximum term shall be the term which the Secretary estimates will result in the present value of the obligation to repay the principal on the bond being equal to 50 percent of the face amount of such bond. Such present value shall be determined without regard to the requirements of subsection (l)(6) and using as a discount rate the average annual interest rate of tax-exempt obligations having a term of 10 years or more which are issued during the month. If the term as so determined is not a multiple of a whole year, such term shall be rounded to the next highest whole year.

(f) Limitation on amount of bonds designated

(1) National limitation

There is a national clean renewable energy bond limitation of $1,200,000,000.

(2) Allocation by Secretary

The Secretary shall allocate the amount described in paragraph (1) among qualified projects in such manner as the Secretary determines appropriate, except that the Secretary may not allocate more than $750,000,000 of the national clean renewable energy bond limitation to finance qualified projects of qualified borrowers which are governmental bodies.

(g) Credit included in gross income

Gross income includes the amount of the credit allowed to the taxpayer under this section (determined without regard to subsection (c)) and the amount so included shall be treated as interest income.

(h) Special rules relating to expenditures

(1) In general

An issue shall be treated as meeting the requirements of this subsection if, as of the date of issuance, the qualified issuer reasonably expects—

(A) at least 95 percent of the proceeds of such issue are to be spent for one or more qualified projects within the 5-year period beginning on the date of issuance of the clean energy bond,

(B) a binding commitment with a third party to spend at least 10 percent of the proceeds of such issue will be incurred within the 6-month period beginning on the date of issuance of the clean energy bond or, in the case of a clean energy bond the proceeds of which are to be loaned to two or more qualified borrowers, such binding commitment will be incurred within the 6-month period beginning on the date of the loan of such proceeds to a qualified borrower, and

(2) Extension of period

Upon submission of a request prior to the expiration of the period described in paragraph (1)(A), the Secretary may extend such period if the qualified issuer establishes that the failure to satisfy the 5-year requirement is due to reasonable cause and the related projects will continue to proceed with due diligence.

(3) Failure to spend required amount of bond proceeds within 5 years

To the extent that less than 95 percent of the proceeds of such issue are expended by the close of the 5-year period beginning on the date of issuance (or if an extension has been obtained under paragraph (2), by the close of the extended period), the qualified issuer shall redeem all of the nonqualified bonds within 90 days after the end of such period. For purposes of this paragraph, the amount of the nonqualified bonds required to be redeemed shall be determined in the same manner as under section 142.

(i) Special rules relating to arbitrage

A bond which is part of an issue shall not be treated as a clean renewable energy bond unless, with respect to the issue of which the bond is a part, the qualified issuer satisfies the arbitrage requirements of section 148 with respect to proceeds of the issue.

(j) Cooperative electric company; qualified energy tax credit bond lender; governmental body; qualified borrower

For purposes of this section—

(1) Cooperative electric company

The term “cooperative electric company” means a mutual or cooperative electric company described in section 501 (c)(12) or section 1381 (a)(2)(C), or a not-for-profit electric utility which has received a loan or loan guarantee under the Rural Electrification Act.

(2) Clean renewable energy bond lender

The term “clean renewable energy bond lender” means a lender which is a cooperative which is owned by, or has outstanding loans to, 100 or more cooperative electric companies and is in existence on February 1, 2002, and shall include any affiliated entity which is controlled by such lender.

(3) Governmental body

The term “governmental body” means any State, territory, possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, Indian tribal government, and any political subdivision thereof.

(4) Qualified issuer

The term “qualified issuer” means—

(A) a clean renewable energy bond lender,

(B) a cooperative electric company, or

(5) Qualified borrower

The term “qualified borrower” means—

(A) a mutual or cooperative electric company described in section 501 (c)(12) or 1381 (a)(2)(C), or

(B) a governmental body.

(k) Special rules relating to pool bonds

No portion of a pooled financing bond may be allocable to any loan unless the borrower has entered into a written loan commitment for such portion prior to the issue date of such issue.

(l) Other definitions and special rules

For purposes of this section—

(1) Bond

The term “bond” includes any obligation.

(2) Pooled financing bond

The term “pooled financing bond” shall have the meaning given such term by section 149 (f)(6)(A).

(3) Partnership; S corporation; and other pass-thru entities

(A) In general

Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary, in the case of a partnership, trust, S corporation, or other pass-thru entity, rules similar to the rules of section 41 (g) shall apply with respect to the credit allowable under subsection (a).

(B) No basis adjustment

In the case of a bond held by a partnership or an S corporation, rules similar to the rules under section 1397E (l) shall apply.

(4) Ratable principal amortization required

A bond shall not be treated as a clean renewable energy bond unless it is part of an issue which provides for an equal amount of principal to be paid by the qualified issuer during each calendar year that the issue is outstanding.

(5) Reporting

Issuers of clean renewable energy bonds shall submit reports similar to the reports required under section 149 (e).

(m) Termination

This section shall not apply with respect to any bond issued after December 31, 2009.

U.S. Code

§ 54. Credit to holders of clean renewable energy bonds