42 U.S.C. § 13317: Renewable energy production incentive

For electric energy generated and sold by a qualified renewable energy facility during the incentive period, the Secretary shall make, subject to the availability of appropriations, incentive payments to the owner or operator of such facility. The amount of such payment made to any such owner or operator shall be as determined under subsection (e). Payments under this section may only be made upon receipt by the Secretary of an incentive payment application which establishes that the applicant is eligible to receive such payment. 60 percent of appropriated funds for the fiscal year to facilities that use solar, wind, marine energy (as defined in section 17211 of this title ), geothermal, or closed-loop (dedicated energy crops) biomass technologies to generate electricity; and 40 percent of appropriated funds for the fiscal year to other projects. After submitting to Congress an explanation of the reasons for the alteration, the Secretary may alter the percentage requirements of subparagraph (A). the burning of municipal solid waste shall not be treated as using biomass energy; and no mobile liquid in its natural state; steam quality of 95 percent water; and an enthalpy for the total produced fluid greater than or equal to 1200 Btu/lb (British thermal units per pound). Payments may be made under this section only for electricity generated from a qualified renewable energy facility first used before October 1, 2016 . A qualified renewable energy facility may receive payments under this section for a 10-fiscal year period. Such period shall begin with the fiscal year in which electricity generated from the facility is first eligible for such payments, or in which the Secretary determines that all necessary Federal and State authorizations have been obtained to begin construction of the facility. Incentive payments made by the Secretary under this section to the owner or operator of any qualified renewable energy facility shall be based on the number of kilowatt hours of electricity generated by the facility through the use of solar, wind, biomass, landfill gas, livestock methane, marine energy (as defined in section 17211 of this title ), or geothermal energy during the payment period referred to in subsection (d). For any facility, the amount of such payment shall be 1.5 cents per kilowatt hour, adjusted as provided in paragraph (2). The amount of the payment made to any person under this subsection as provided in paragraph (1) shall be adjusted for inflation for each fiscal year beginning after calendar year 1993 in the same manner as provided in the provisions of section 29(d)(2)(B) of title 26 , 1 except that in applying such provisions the calendar year 1993 shall be substituted for calendar year 1979. 1 See References in Text note below. No payment may be made under this section to any facility after September 30, 2026 , and no payment may be made under this section to any facility after a payment has been made with respect to such facility for a 10-fiscal year period. There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this section for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2026, to remain available until expended.