following a brief government shut down the US Senate managed to pass a two year budget deal February 8, 2018 that contains credits for ‘orphan’ energy technology. This includes fuel cells, energy efficiency, mircroturbines, combined heat and power, carbon capture, and nuclear power.
Malcolm Woolf, senior vice president for policy at Advanced Energy Economy, stated that “this legislation provides the market certainty that will support investment in technologies like fuel cells, combined heat and power, energy efficiency, geothermal and advanced nuclear.”
Some industry representatives were disappointed that the bill does not allow energy storage to benefit from Investment Tax Credit. However, it has been reported that lawmakers only wanted to extend expired credits, not grant new credits to new technologies.
The inclusion of the credits for ‘orphan’ technologies comes after TheWashington Post reported that leaked 2019 budget documents from the Trump administration called for a 72% cut to the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.