Past Developer Dispatch Newsletters

The U.S. government shutdown is now in its second week, and could impact clean energy permitting as well as tax credit guidance, according to an analysis from Crux. “Conventional energy” projects will be spared, however, and indeed fossil fuel companies can expect ‘concierge’ service.

To pretty much no one’s surprise, the federal government shut down at 12:01 am Wednesday, furloughing an estimated 750,000 workers and prompting threats of mass layoffs. Politico reports that during the shutdown, permitting for coal, oil and gas activities on federal lands managed by Interior will continue, but “permitting for renewable projects in federal waters? Not so much.”

It was another “you win some, you lose some” kind of a week for clean energy. In NYC, President Trump spoke at the UN General Assembly and used the opportunity to share his views about wind energy and climate change. Many world leaders are also participating in Climate Week NYC, albeit a “very different” version.

This week, the bipartisan House Problem Solvers Caucus released a sweeping permitting framework that revives familiar proposals to ease the federal process for massive infrastructure projects like pipelines and transmission lines. Although the framework signals possible progress on the issue, “it does not necessarily mean the deal will get enough buy-in to cross the finish line,” and no legislation has been drafted.

The RE+ convention was held in Las Vegas this week, and SEIA released its Q3 2025 Solar Market Insight Report, which among many findings says that while solar and storage are booming, federal policy is driving costs higher. It also projects that the OBBB will cause the U.S. to lose 44 GW of solar deployment by 2030, an 18% decline.

Regular Dispatch readers know that fusion is a fave for us, and as E&ENews reports, the technology is “having a moment” as it sees surging investment as well as increased regulatory attention.

Earlier this month, the Farm Bureau released a market intel report titled Solar Energy Expansion and Its Impacts on Rural Communities. While it’s helpful on a few fronts, it’s also going to compound headaches for solar developers because it trots out several myths that have been debunked.

Last Friday, the Treasury Department released guidance regarding what constitutes “start of construction” for clean energy projects seeking to qualify for 45Y production tax credits and 48E investment tax credits. Experts say the changes are “less restrictive” than what some expected, but will nevertheless “make it harder” for developers.