Will the inflation Reduction Act affect energy storage projects?

Image: President Biden via Twitter. The Inflation Reduction Act’s incentives for energy storage projects in the US came into effect on 1 January 2023. Standout among those measures is the availability of an investment tax credit (ITC) for investment in renewable energy projects being extended to include standalone energy storage facilities.

Are there state-level incentives for solar energy storage?

To date, state-level performance incentives for storage have typically been added to solar incentives. Perhaps the best-known state-level storage incentive in the US is California's Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP). SGIP provides a dollar per kilowatt ($/kW) rebate for the energy storage installed.

What is the best incentive for solar storage?

The best incentive for storage is the federal investment tax credit (ITC). The exact same ITC that provides a 30 percent credit on the cost of your solar system provides that same benefit to storage systems under certain conditions.

Do energy storage projects qualify for a new ITC?

Energy storage projects placed in service after Dec. 31, 2022, that satisfy a new domestic content requirement will be entitled to a 10% additional ITC (2% for base credit).

What is the ITC rate for energy storage projects?

Energy storage installations that begin construction after Dec. 31, 2024, will be entitled to credits under the technology-neutral ITC under new Section 48E (discussed below). The base ITC rate for energy storage projects is 6% and the bonus rate is 30%.

Are energy storage projects exempt from prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements?

Two exemptions from the prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements exist: Smaller-scale energy storage projects (under 1MW of storage capacity) qualify for the 30% bonus rate regardless of compliance with the prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements.