Critical Need for Capital Investment in Renewables Projects

Attracting sufficient capital investment in the wind power industry is a key -- and currently lacking -- element to insuring that the wind industry achieves its maximum potential, three lawyers at Shearman & Sterling assert.

According to an article in the New York Law Journal ("Putting the Wind (Back) to Work," July 6, 2009), historically the wind industry has been strongest when there was a demand for wind power, developers and investors enjoyed tax or other incentives, and there was "easy access to capital."  However, today "debt arrangers have largely exited the market given constrained credit. Additionally, the pool of investors with large enough tax liabilities to utilize available tax benefits has shrunk drastically."

This article is definitely worth a look for those interested in the financing of wind energy projects.

(Muchas gracias to Sergio Stone, Foreign, Comparative, and International Law Librarian at the Stanford Law Library for calling this to my attention.)