MNRE Extends ALMM Cell Exemption for Net Metering, Open Access Solar Projects

US Lawmakers Urge Crackdown on Foreign-Made Blue Wafers Imports

China to Impose 2% Consumption Tax on Batteries and Solar Cells

Delhi Regulator Simplifies Net Metering Rules for Rooftop Solar Projects

Coal India Announces Winner of 750 MWh Energy Storage Consultancy Auction

Rajasthan Tenders 172 MW/688 MWh Battery Energy Storage Projects

SECI Seeks Bulk Power Buyers for Long-Term Renewable Energy Procurement

Ather Energy Approves ₹12 Billion Preferential Fundraise

Malaysia Launches 2.65 GW Solar Tender with 1.25 GW Battery Storage

Primo Chemicals to Procure Solar Power from TPCS’ 50 MW Project


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					</table><p>Four U.S. lawmakers have urged the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (<a href="https://www.cbp.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBP</a>) and the Internal Revenue Service (<a href="https://www.irs.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IRS</a>) to take immediate action against imports of partially processed solar cells, commonly referred to as &#8220;blue wafers,&#8221; alleging that some companies are evading trade duties and improperly claiming federal manufacturing tax credits intended to support domestic solar manufacturing.</p>
<p>In a letter addressed to CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott and IRS Commissioner Frank Bisignano, Representatives Ro Khanna, Mike Bost, Pat Harrigan, and Marcy Kaptur said imported blue wafers should be treated as solar cells under existing U.S. trade rules because they already contain a formed positive and negative (P/N) junction, the semiconductor structure that enables electricity generation.</p>
<p>The lawmakers argued that manufacturers are importing nearly complete solar cells from countries subject to U.S. antidumping and countervailing duty (AD/CVD) orders by declaring them as wafers rather than cells.</p>
<p>After importing the products into the U.S., companies allegedly complete only the final processing steps, such as metallization printing and firing, before marketing them as domestically produced solar cells and claiming federal manufacturing incentives.</p>
<p>According to the letter, the diffusion process that forms the P/N junction represents approximately 80% of the capital equipment investment required to manufacture a solar cell. Once diffusion is complete, only downstream finishing processes remain.</p>
<p>The lawmakers cited existing Department of Commerce interpretations stating that the country where the P/N junction forms determines a solar cell&#8217;s origin for trade purposes.</p>
<p>They also argued that products imported with an already formed P/N junction fall within the scope of existing AD/CVD orders covering solar cells from China, Taiwan, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, India, Laos, and Indonesia. As a result, they argue that CBP should classify such imports as solar cells and assess applicable duties, they said.</p>
<p>The U.S. Department of Commerce recently <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/us-sets-preliminary-antidumping-duties-on-solar-cells-from-india?" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> preliminary antidumping duties on crystalline silicon solar cells imported from India, Indonesia, and Laos.</p>
<p>The lawmakers also asked the IRS to closely examine claims under Section 45X of the Inflation Reduction Act, which provides advanced manufacturing production tax credits for eligible U.S.-manufactured clean energy components.</p>
<p>They argued that imported blue wafers already perform the essential semiconductor function defined in federal law for a solar cell. Consequently, completing only the final processing steps domestically should not qualify manufacturers for the full Section 45X production tax credit intended for U.S. cell manufacturing.</p>
<p>The letter also requests that both agencies issue public guidance clarifying that blue wafers containing a P/N junction will be treated as solar cells for customs purposes and that tax credit claims involving such products will require evidence of domestic cell manufacturing. The lawmakers said clear guidance would help prevent duty evasion and improper tax credit claims from becoming entrenched across solar supply chains.</p>
<p>The request follows growing concerns among U.S. solar manufacturers over imports of partially processed components as domestic cell manufacturing capacity expands under incentives introduced through the Inflation Reduction Act.</p>
<p>The U.S. has also <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/us-slaps-countervailable-duties-on-select-chinese-solar-cell-companies?" target="_blank" rel="noopener">imposed</a> countervailable duties on select Chinese solar cell companies as trade authorities increase scrutiny of subsidized imports.</p>



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					</table><p>The U.S. Department of the Treasury (<a href="https://home.treasury.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Treasury</a>) and the Internal Revenue Service (<a href="https://www.irs.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IRS</a>) have released final rules for the clean electricity investment and production tax credits (technology-neutral credits).</p>
<p>The new rules are detailed in the tax code’s sections 45Y, which establishes a ‘clean electricity production tax credit’ and 48E, incentivizing investments in facilities that generate clean electricity.</p>
<p>The Treasury and IRS had <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/us-proposes-expanding-new-clean-electricity-production-tax-credits" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposed</a> the technology-neutral credits in June 2024.</p>
<p>The final rules clarify which clean electricity zero-emissions technologies qualify for the credits. These include wind, solar, hydropower, marine and hydrokinetic, geothermal, nuclear, and specific waste energy recovery technologies.</p>
<p>They also clarify how combustion and gasification technologies can qualify in the future and how lifecycle analysis assessments compliant with the statute will be conducted.</p>
<p>Technology-neutral clean electricity production and investment tax credits are also eligible for bonus credits related to existing projects in energy communities and meeting domestic content standards.</p>
<p>These credits aim to utilize affordable power to reduce energy costs for American families and businesses to meet the growing demand created by significant investments in the U.S. economy.</p>
<p>The existing production and investment tax credit will be available to projects that began construction before 2025. Qualifying projects in service after December 31, 2024, will be eligible for the new clean electricity credits.</p>
<p>According to the Department of Energy, the tech-neutral credits and other Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provisions target saving American families up to $38 billion on electricity bills through 2030.</p>
<p>Clean electricity credits encourage innovation by allowing new zero-emissions technologies to develop over time and providing durable incentives for companies to invest in clean energy technologies, which is already contributing to the clean energy investment and manufacturing boom.</p>
<p>The Treasury and the IRS are expected to release the first annual table confirming the list of qualifying technologies soon.</p>
<p>The final rules also stipulate that future changes to the list of zero-emissions technologies will require an analysis from the U.S. Department of Energy&#8217;s National Labs in consultation with inter-agency and other experts.</p>
<p>The National Labs are analyzing the lifecycle emissions of electricity production using biomass technologies based on the requirements in the final rules.</p>
<p>To receive the full value of the credits, applicants must meet the standards for paying prevailing wages, employing registered apprentices, and ensuring growth in the clean energy job sector.</p>
<p>Treasury and IRS also released <a href="https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-00331.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">final rules</a> and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/rp-25-11.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">procedural guidance</a> for the Section 48E(h) Clean Electricity Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit Amount Program. This program expands the first-of-its-kind 48(e) bonus credit, designed to lower home energy costs and spur clean energy investments in low-income communities and benefit low-income households.</p>
<p><strong>Mixed Reactions</strong></p>
<p>The final rules drew a mixed response from stakeholders.</p>
<p>Solar Energy Industries Association president Abigail Ross Hopper <a href="https://seia.org/news/solar-and-storage-industry-statement-on-final-rules-for-technology-neutral-energy-tax-credits/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the tax credit is critical for driving investments in American-made energy projects across various technologies, specifically solar. She expects the U.S. solar and storage industry to add over 200 GW of new capacity to the grid, nearly doubling its current size.</p>
<p>American Council on Renewable Energy president Ray Long <a href="https://acore.org/news/treasury-department-irs-release-final-guidance-on-technology-neutral-tax-credits/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expect</a><a href="https://acore.org/news/treasury-department-irs-release-final-guidance-on-technology-neutral-tax-credits/">s</a> the technology-neutral tax credit to decrease the average annual electric bill by $29 to $74 per household by 2031 and $42 to $95 by 2035.</p>
<p>In December 2024, The U.S. Department of the Treasury <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/final-rules-on-investment-tax-credit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> final regulations for the Section 48 Energy Credit which typically provides a 30% tax credit for clean energy projects.</p>


Final Rules for Tax Credits to Spur Clean Energy Investments in US

<p><a href="https://www.recurrentenergy.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Recurrent Energy</a>, a solar and energy storage project developer and a wholly owned subsidiary of Canadian Solar announced that it signed a $103 million tax credit facilitation agreement with Bank of America for the 160 MW North Fork Solar Project. The already-operational project is located southwest of Oklahoma City.</p>
<p>NordLB and Rabobank provided project financing for the project. CRC-IB and Latham &amp; Watkins advised Recurrent Energy on the tax credit transfer transaction.</p>
<p>Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority (OMPA) will purchase 100% of the electricity produced by the project under a 15-year agreement. Recurrent Energy began developing the North Fork Solar project in 2018. The company will continue to own and operate the project in the long term.</p>
<p>This tax equity agreement marks Recurrent Energy&#8217;s first production tax credit transaction and first tax credit transfer transaction.</p>
<p>Karen Fang, Global Head of Sustainable Finance at Bank of America, remarked, &#8220;This transaction demonstrates our ability to support clients by helping build a new market for transferable tax credits. As part of our $1.5 trillion commitment to deploying and mobilizing sustainable finance capital by 2030, we are focused on accelerating and scaling renewable energy projects like North Folk Solar.&#8221;</p>
<p>According to Mercom&#8217;s Q1 2024 Solar Funding and M&amp;A <a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/product/q1-2024-solar-funding-ma-report/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a>, large-scale project funding announced in Q1 2024 came to $13 billion in 62 deals, a decrease of 24% quarter-over-quarter compared to $17.1 billion in 60 deals in Q4 2023.</p>
<p>Recently, <a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/green-genius-secures-94-million-financing-for-solar-projects/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Green Genius</a>, a renewable energy company, secured €87 million (~$94 million) in debt financing for the construction of a 121 MW solar project in Jekabpils, Central East of Latvia. The company received funding from two banks, of which €26 million (~$28 million) was provided by Berenberg Bank, while Nord LB loaned €61 million (~$66 million).</p>


Recurrent Energy Secures $103 Million Tax Credit Transfer Agreement for Solar Project

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