Louisiana

 

Regulatory Overview

See Louisiana state page.

Tax Exemption of Cogeneration Equipment for Industrial Manufacturing Plants

Louisiana allows exemption for tax for "electric power or energy and any materials or energy sources used to fuel the generation of electric power for resale or used by an industrial manufacturing plant for self-consumption or cogeneration." (RS 47:305 (D)(1)(d))

Energy Fund

The Energy Fund is an endeavor to provide publicly funded entities with the low-cost financing needed to implement energy conservation strategies. Funds are available through the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, in conjunction with the Louisiana Public Facilities Authority, under a performance-based energy efficient contract. These funds are to be used to lower the interest rates of third-party energy conservation loans. A performance-based contract requires the borrower to repay the funding from a part of the energy savings made as a result of the improvements.

 

Other resources:

• DSIRE database - Louisiana

Oklahoma

Regulatory Overview

See Oklahoma state page.

Zero-Emissions Facilities Production Tax Credit

Effective January 1, 2003, an income tax credit became available to producers of electric power using renewable energy resources from a zero emission facility located in Oklahoma. The zero-emission facility must have a rated production capacity of fifty megawatts (50 MW) or greater. Renewable energy resources include wind, moving water, sun, and geothermal energy. The construction and operation of the zero-emission facility must result in no pollution or emissions that are or may be harmful to the environment, as determined by the Department of Environmental Quality.

The amount of the credit varies depending on when the electricity is generated. For electricity generated prior to January 1, 2004, the amount of the credit was seventy-five one hundredths of one cent ($0.0075) for each kilowatt-hour of electricity generated by zero-emission facilities. For electricity generated after January 1, 2004, but prior to January 1, 2007, the amount of the credit is fifty one hundredths of one cent ($0.0050) per kilowatt-hour for electricity generated by zero-emission facilities. For electricity generated after January 1, 2007, but prior to January 1, 2012, the amount of the credit is twenty-five one hundredths of one cent ($0.0025) per kilowatt-hour of electricity generated by zero-emission facilities.

Community Energy Education Management Program

The Oklahoma Department of Commerce offers a revolving loan fund for local governments to make energy efficient improvements to government buildings. All eligible projects should increase energy efficiency, reduce energy consumption, project a positive return on investment and be paid back within six years of the loan award. Funds from this program can be used to pay for a technical assistance report/audit, energy conservation measures and operation and maintenance procedures that would contribute to overall reduced energy consumption.

Generally, the loans will not be more than $150,000, and the average loan amount is around $60,000. An eligible local government may have only one active loan open at any time.

Energy Loan Fund for Schools

The Oklahoma Department of Commerce has established a loan/lease fund for public and non-profit K-12 schools to improve energy efficiency. Two categories of funding are available for schools to reduce energy consumption: Category One funding will pay for technical and energy audits, the development of Energy Management Plans, and any professional services that contribute to the planning and design of energy reduction systems and measures. Category II funding covers the actual acquistion and installation of energy conservation measures.

All projects must be shown to reduce energy consumption, have a positive return on investment, and be able to be repaid within six years. An eligible school district may only have one active loan at a time.

Other resources:

• DSIRE database (Oklahoma)
• Oklahoma Department of Commerce - State Energy Office
• Oklahoma Department of Commerce - Grants & Funding

 

Texas

Regulatory Overview

See Texas state page.

Renewable Energy Systems Property Tax Exemption

The Texas property tax code allows an exemption of the amount of the appraised property value that arises from the installation or construction of a solar or wind-powered energy device that is primarily for the production and distribution of energy for on-site use. "Solar" is broadly defined to include a range of biomass technologies.

"Solar energy device" means an apparatus designed or adapted to convert the radiant energy from the sun, including energy imparted to plants through photosynthesis employing the bioconversion processes of anaerobic digestion, gasification, pyrolysis, or fermentation, but not including direct combustion, into thermal, mechanical, or electrical energy; to store the converted energy, either in the form to which originally converted or another form; or to distribute radiant solar energy or the energy to which the radiant solar energy is converted.

LoanSTAR Revolving Loan Program

Through the State Energy Conservation Office, the LoanSTAR Program offers low-interest loans to all public entities, including state, public school, colleges, university, and non-profit hospital facilities for Energy Cost Reduction Measures (ECRMs). Such measures include, but are not limited to: HVAC, lighting, and insulation. Funds can be used for retrofitting existing equipment or, in the case of new construction, to finance the difference between standard and high efficiency equipment. The LoanSTAR Program funds "Design, Bid, Built" or "Design, Built" projects. All projects are approved based on the Detailed Energy Assessment Report, which must be prepared according to LoanSTAR Technical Guidelines or the Performance Contracting Guidelines. SECO performs design specification review and on-site construction monitoring at the very minimum when the project is 100% complete.

 Other resources:

• DSIRE database (Texas)
• State Energy Conservation Office - Funding and Incentives