Community Wind Financing Handbook

The goal of this handbook is to identify critical financing issues and present several possible financing models that reflect the differing financial positions and investment goals of various project owners/developers. The handbook includes six sections:

-- Section I describes various models for community wind power ownership.

-- Section II examines sources of equity and debt financing and the steps necessary to secure this financing.

-- Section III identifies federal grant and loan programs and state incentives for wind power development.

-- Section IV reviews the federal tax incentives supporting wind power projects, the impact of these incentives on project economics, and limitations on utilizing these incentives.

-- Section V examines power purchase agreements and the value of green tags to community wind power projects.

-- The Appendix contains a list of operating community wind projects in the United States and a list of project consultants and financing resources.

Principal author: Charles Kubert, Environmental Business Specialist, with assistance from Howard Learner, Executive Director, Jill Geiger, Director of Communications and Marketing, and Rebecca Stamey-White, Policy Associate