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County advances solar plan steps: attestation filed, low-income bonus applications submitted for courthouse and IT building
Summary
Albany County staff briefed commissioners on possible Inflation Reduction Act tax-credit/direct-payment benefits for solar arrays on county buildings and the board approved an attestation letter and separate clean-energy low-income bonus applications for two county buildings.
Albany County on Feb. 4 moved forward on steps to capture federal clean-energy incentives for planned solar installations on the Albany County Courthouse and the 501 East Ivinson building (county IT offices).
Background: County staff said the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provides for a direct-pay option for tax-exempt entities; rather than receiving tax credits, a nonprofit or government entity can apply for a direct payment to capture a percentage of project costs. Staff said the county could be eligible for a combined federal credit/bonus that would materially reduce up-front costs.
What the commission approved: Commissioners approved an attestation letter required by the Clean Electricity Low Income Communities Bonus Credit program and authorized separate applications for the bonus credit for (1) the Albany County Courthouse and (2) 501 East Ivinson. Staff said the low-income community bonus can add an additional 10% credit on top of base credits (bringing an approximate 40% effective offset for eligible projects under current IRS guidance). The county will need to: (a) apply in advance to the program, (b) complete the project, (c) have an engineer certify the system is placed in service, and (d) then file for the direct payment in the federal portal.
Commission discussion: Commissioners asked whether the projects would pay for themselves. Staff said the IT-building installation had a projected payback within the warranty period (roughly 14 years on their figures), while courthouse payback was less certain. Staff emphasized the multi-step application and certification process and the need for staff and contracted energy consultants (Creative Energies) to assist with evidence and filing.
Votes: Commissioners approved the attestation letter and both low-income bonus applications by voice votes.
Ending: Staff will continue the multi-step application process (including direct-pay registration and engineer verification once systems are in service) and coordinate with the county attorney and finance staff to manage the tax-credit-to-direct-payment filings.
