The IRA credits for battery production are refundable from what I can tell, if you use the "Direct Pay" option, the credits are considered tax payments and can be refunded. From: Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 – New Tax Credits for Manufacturers of Clean Energy Equipment | Norton Rose Fulbright
Good catch. The tax-exempt company criteria of (a) gets overruled by a few sector specific carve outs.
The articles regarding 6417 call out that it is only applicable to new facilities placed in service after Dec 31, 2022 and then only for 5 years.
It also locks one out from credit transfer for cash unless permanently revoked. There is also a 22 year carry forward option.