News & Insights
Stay informed with the latest developments and expert perspectives on tax credits from Mickelson & Company. Our articles offer thorough analysis and up-to-date insights into the railroad and renewable energy sectors. Utilize this knowledge to strengthen your strategic planning in these crucial areas.
Mickelson & Company Clients Awarded $77M+ in CRISI Funding
With this year’s CRISI awards now announced, we’re excited to share that nine of the railroads we partnered with were selected for federal funding, totaling more than $77 million.
These awards will fund track rehabilitation, bridge improvements, and capacity upgrades across the short line and regional railroad network, strengthening service for the shippers and communities along these lines.
This marks another great year for our grant practice, building on the $72 million we helped secure last cycle. Congratulations to all nine awardees!
Notice 2026-53: What the New Section 45Z Guidance Means
On September 8, 2026, the U.S. Treasury and IRS released Notice 2026-53 alongside an updated 45Z-CF GREET Model, providing additional clarity on emissions calculations and the Section 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit. The guidance introduces important changes for regenerative agriculture, animal manure feedstocks, farm-specific alternative fates, and the treatment of ILUC, foreign feedstocks, and negative emissions rates. These updates provide important considerations for biofuel producers, agricultural feedstock suppliers, and tax credit buyers as they evaluate 2025 and 2026 credit eligibility and documentation requirements.
From Federal to State: Using 45G Rail Credits as a Model for Biofuels
The 45G federal tax credit for rural railroad maintenance serves as a model for state-level adoption, with 17 jurisdictions now offering similar incentives to boost rural infrastructure. This legislative pattern is currently being replicated for the American biofuels industry following the 2025 introduction of federal credits, with states like Kansas and Kentucky already adopting complementary programs.
DOE Revises 45Z GREET Model: Lower Carbon Intensity Scores and Stricter Standards for Clean Fuel Credits
The U.S. Department of Energy released an updated 45ZCF-GREET model on June 12, 2026, which lowers carbon intensity scores by removing indirect land use change emissions for fuels produced after Dec. 31, 2025. These updates introduce stricter North American feedstock sourcing requirements and increased compliance documentation for clean fuel producers, while impacting diligence processes for tax credit buyers.
4 Benefits of Purchasing a Transferable Tax Credit
Imagine if your corporation could legally reduce its federal tax liability by 10% or more without taking on complex equity risk or altering its core business operations. This is the reality in a rapidly growing market for transferable tax credits.
Section 45Z and Prevailing Wage & Apprenticeship Regulations: From Proposed Rules to Implementation
As prevailing wage and apprenticeship (PWA) guidance continues to evolve, taxpayers must ensure comprehensive oversight to avoid significant penalty exposure.
Guidance and the GREET Model: Considerations for 2026 Section 45Z Tax Credit Purchases
As the tax credit transferability market moves into mid-2026, the market for Section 45Z continues to mature. While Treasury and the IRS have now released proposed guidance on the credit, several critical issues remain open, including the anticipated release of an updated Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Technologies (GREET) model expected in the third quarter of 2026.
45Z Transfer Pricing in 1H 2026: What’s Actually Moving the Bid
The first half of 2026 marks the transition of Section 45Z clean fuel production tax credits from an emerging concept to an execution-driven market. After a slow and uncertain 2025, pricing is now less about headline credit value and more about how transactions are structured, documented, and delivered.
Webinar: Turning 45Z Tax Credits into Climate Capital
Hosted by Timothy Daniel of Rimba AI for San Francisco Climate Week 2026, Mickelson & Company's Vice President of Renewables & Legal Counsel Faith Larson discusses the Section 45Z tax credit, one of the most favorable tax credits for a corporate purchaser.