IRS Adjusts Format for High-Stakes Section 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit Hearings
Department of the Treasury
The Internal Revenue Service is altering the venue for a critical regulatory event regarding the future of domestic energy incentives, shifting a highly anticipated three-day public hearing focused on the Section 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit to an entirely virtual format.
Originally scheduled to include an in-person component, the sessions slated for Wednesday, May 27, Thursday, May 28, and Friday, May 29, 2026, will proceed strictly as telephonic-only engagements beginning at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time each day.
The underlying proposed rulemaking, officially designated as REG-121244-23 and initially published on February 4, 2026, carries massive financial implications for the energy sector by establishing the definitive framework for calculating clean fuel production credits.
The final rule will dictate strict eligibility parameters, define acceptable emissions rates, and mandate specific certification and registration requirements for producers seeking federal subsidies.
The agency previously expanded the hearing from a single day to a three-day schedule to accommodate the sheer volume of stakeholders wishing to deliver oral comments on these market-altering provisions.
Industry stakeholders planning to participate in or monitor the regulatory proceedings face a strict administrative reality regarding access.
The critical window for entities to secure a speaking slot closed on April 6, 2026, and those approved to provide oral comments will be strictly limited to ten-minute increments.
Participants who previously submitted timely requests to attend either in-person or via telephone are not required to submit a secondary request to the agency.
The Internal Revenue Service will directly email these approved individuals the necessary telephone access codes for the rescheduled format.
Observers who intend to listen to the proceedings without offering testimony must navigate a final administrative hurdle to secure entry.
The agency requires an email request submitted directly to publichearings@irs.gov by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on May 22, 2026.
To ensure access, the subject line must explicitly reference the regulation number, REG-121244-23, alongside a precise request to attend telephonically.
The final speaker agenda will be published on the Federal eRulemaking Portal prior to the event, providing a roadmap of which corporate and environmental interests will be lobbying the agency on the record.
Additionally, stakeholders requiring special assistance due to disabilities must submit their accommodation requests to the agency by May 21, 2026.
