If you hold a solar energy development lease obtained through competitive bidding under subpart 2809 of this part, you must make annual payments in accordance with this section and subpart, in addition to the one-time, upfront bonus bid you paid to obtain the lease. The annual payment includes an acreage rent for the number of acres included within the solar energy lease and an additional MW capacity fee based on the total authorized MW capacity for the approved solar energy project on the public lands.

(a) Acreage rent. The BLM will calculate and bill you an acreage rent that must be paid prior to issuance of your lease as described in §2806.52(a). This acreage rent will be based on the following:

(1) Per acre zone rate. See §2806.52(a)(1).

(2) Assignment of counties. See §2806.52(a)(2) and (3).

(3) Acreage rent payment. See §2806.52(a)(4).

(4) Acreage rent adjustments. This paragraph (a)(4) applies unless you selected the scheduled rate adjustment method (see §2806.51). Once the acreage rent is determined under §2806.52(a), no further adjustments in the annual acreage rent will be made until year 11 of the lease term and each subsequent 10-year period thereafter. The BLM will use the per acre zone rates in effect when it adjusts the annual acreage rent at those 10-year intervals,

(b) MW capacity fee. See §2806.52(b) introductory text and (b)(1), (2), and (3).

(c) MW rate phase-in. This paragraph (c) applies unless you selected the scheduled rate adjustment method (see §2806.51). If you hold a solar energy development lease, the MW capacity fee will be phased in, starting when electricity begins to be generated. The MW capacity fee for years 1-20 will be calculated using the MW rate in effect when the lease is issued. The MW capacity fee for years 21-30 will be calculated using the MW rate in effect in year 21 of the lease. These rates will be phased-in as follows:

(1) For years 1 through 10 of the lease, plus any initial partial year, the MW capacity fee is calculated by multiplying the project's authorized MW capacity by 50 percent of the applicable solar technology MW rate, as described in §2806.52(b)(2).

(2) For years 11 through 20 of the lease, the MW capacity fee is calculated by multiplying the project's authorized MW capacity by 100 percent of the applicable solar technology MW rate, as described in §2806.52(b)(2).

(3) For years 21 through 30 of the lease, the MW capacity fee is calculated by multiplying the project's authorized MW capacity by 100 percent of the applicable solar technology MW rate, as described in §2806.52(b)(2).

(4) If the lease is renewed, the MW capacity fee is calculated using the MW rates at the beginning of the renewed lease period and will remain at that rate through the initial 10-year period of the renewal term. The MW capacity fee will be adjusted using the MW rate at the beginning of each subsequent 10-year period of the renewed lease term.

(5) If an approved POD provides for staged development, the MW capacity fee is calculated using the MW capacity approved for that stage plus any previously approved stages, multiplied by the MW rate as described under this section.

(d) Scheduled rate adjustment. Under the scheduled rate adjustment (see §2806.51), the BLM will update your per acre zone rate and MW rate as follows:

(1) The BLM will calculate your payments using the per acre zone rate (see §2806.52(a)(1)) and MW rate (see §2806.52(b)(1)) in place when your lease is issued;

(2) The per acre zone rate will increase every 10 years, beginning after the first 10 years, plus the initial partial year, if any, your lease is in effect, by the average annual change in the IPD-GDP for the preceding 10-year period as described in §2806.22(b) plus 40 percent;

(3) The MW rate will increase by 40 percent every 10 years, beginning after the first 10 years, plus the initial partial year, if any, your lease is in effect;

(4) The BLM will not apply the phase-in to your MW rate under §2806.52(c). Instead, for years 1 through 5, plus any initial partial year, the BLM will calculate the MW capacity fee by multiplying the project's authorized MW capacity by 50 percent of the applicable solar technology MW rate. This phase-in will not be applied to renewed leases; and

(5) If the approved POD for your project provides for staged development, the BLM will calculate the MW capacity fee using the MW capacity approved for the current stage plus any previously approved stages, multiplied by the MW rate, as described under this section.

[81 FR 92217, Dec. 19, 2016]