Selling the Oomph, Not the Oil: Aemetis, XCF, and the Invisible Value Shift That Will Define Renewables in 2026

Hollywood figured this out a century ago. They don’t sell celluloid — they sell star power. If you have an established icon like Clara Bow, you sell It: allure, magnetism, and the special sparkle that turns a performer into a phenomenon. If you have a rising force like Ann Sheridan, you sell Oomph: that impossible-to-bottle mystique and sex appeal that storms the box office before the critics even learn her name.

It and Oomph. That’s the formula.

For renewable fuels, that moment arrives in 2026. The gallons of green liquid? Not the star anymore. The real value lies in the attributes — the verified, tradeable, financeable proof of carbon benefit.

Like:

• Energy Attribute Certificates (RECs, Guarantees of Origin)
• Zero-Emission Credits (rewarding firm, carbon-free generation)
• Low-Carbon Fuel Synthesis Attributes (SAFc and friends)

And when you look at eSAF, the ultimate Oomph emerges: small modular nuclear reactors paired with hydrogen and fuel synthesis — precision-engineered to electrify Wall Street. And this isn’t theory — the deals are already in the news.

The It Girl: Aemetis Biogas 

If “It” is that intangible quality that takes something merely promising and makes it irresistible, Aemetis has it in spades.

Their subsidiary Aemetis Biogas LLC has just received funds from the sale of $17 million of federal clean energy tax credits — including Section 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credits and Section 48 Investment Tax Credits. This wasn’t a paper shuffle — it delivered $15 million in net cash into the business, after transaction costs. Breakdown:

• ~$12M from Section 48 ITC tied to constructing a dairy digester that’s already producing biogas
• ~$5M from Section 45Z PTC tied to renewable natural gas production during 2025

And that’s just the first act. Aemetis expects:

• Significantly higher 45Z credit values as volumes scale and guidance strengthens
• An additional $10.5 million Section 45C credit in 2026 (already IRS + DOE approved)

That is It Factor economics: proven molecules + proven metadata = proven money. This isn’t Hollywood hype. It’s recurring cash flow with receipts.

The Oomph Girl: XCF Global 

If oomph is the quality that makes investors reach for their checkbook before the set is even built — XCF Global has it. They’ve announced a sweeping non-binding MOU with IP3, Southern Energy Renewables, and DevvStream to explore an integrated model for:

• SMR nuclear power
• Electro-sustainable aviation fuel
• Tokenized, verifiable environmental attributes

This is how high-value compliance markets get fed — continuously, reliably, and at industrial scale. The collaboration envisions:

• SMR-generated electricity powering both electrolysis + fuel synthesis
• Excess zero-carbon power supporting booming AI/data-center customers
• Digital MRV + provenance tracking ensuring every claim checks out
• “Book-and-claim” SAF structures enabling climate benefits to fly globally even before fuel does

This isn’t yesterday’s offset story. This is data-driven decarbonization that Wall Street can underwrite. And they’re doing it with a narrative investors already adore: nuclear = energy security + industry revival + jobs + big-ticket growth. Nothing has more Oomph right now.

They Said It 

“This tax credit sale represents an important step in monetizing federal clean fuel transferable tax incentives and establishing a new recurring source of cash flow,” said Eric McAfee, Chairman and CEO of Aemetis. “This is our first sale of a Section 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit from dairy RNG, and we expect additional Section 45Z transactions in 2026 and future years from ongoing renewable natural gas production, along with additional Section 48 transactions from ongoing digester construction. With the completion of $95 million of ITC transactions and today’s first Section 45Z sale, we are executing our tax credit monetization strategy. We expect federal 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credits to be a rapidly growing source of operating cash flow to support the expansion of production and new job creation.”

Chris Cooper, Chief Executive Officer of XCF Global, commented: “This MOU reflects XCF’s disciplined approach to evaluating infrastructure and partnerships that can strengthen the scalability, reliability, and carbon performance of next-generation sustainable aviation fuels. Firm, zero-carbon power is an important enabler for eSAF pathways, and this collaboration allows us to assess how integrated power, fuel, and environmental-attribute frameworks could support broader adoption of clean fuels.”

RDML (Ret.) Mike Hewitt, Chief Executive Officer of IP3, added: “Clean, reliable nuclear power is increasingly being pursued as foundational infrastructure for American energy security and industrial growth. We are excited to explore a strategic relationship with XCF, DevvStream, and Southern, including the potential deployment of small modular reactor technology to provide firm power and support e‑SAF production for European markets.  IP3’s business model to develop infrastructure projects to privatize Small Modular Reactors for multiple offtakers such as AI and data centers that support government and commercial requirements. We believe pairing firm power development with practical environmental‑asset design and monetization can create a differentiated platform that meets real customer demand while delivering the transparency the market expects.”

Sunny Trinh, Chief Executive Officer of DevvStream, commented:“Together, we are exploring real-world asset and tokenized environmental-asset frameworks with the potential to unlock additional value, improve liquidity, and help lower the delivered cost of clean energy and fuels. We see this as a potential America-first model that combines U.S. resources, digital infrastructure, and scalable markets.”

Jay Patel, Chief Executive Officer of Southern Energy, added: “This MOU reflects our focus on putting American energy, infrastructure, and production first. As the development of advanced nuclear platforms gains momentum, we believe the goal of developing and deploying firm, domestic power is becoming essential for fuels, manufacturing, and data-driven industries. We are committed to exploring how nuclear power, combined with U.S. biomass resources, can enable an integrated, multi-product approach that strengthens U.S. industrial leadership while remaining globally competitive.”

Oomph Wins the Audition. Persistence Wins the Franchise.

Look — right now, the financial markets care less about feasible and more about financeable. Investors want:

• bankable revenue streams
• compliance premiums
• physical + digital verification
• infrastructure that already exists or can be reused

Which is why Aemetis’ bolt-on model might be the most powerful story of all: Oomph gets you noticed. Persistence gets you greenlit.

Nuclear may be the red-hot starlet of the energy world — stealing headlines and dazzling regulators — but the projects that endure are the ones already delivering today.

The lesson of 2026? The molecule is the movie. The It is the attribute. And only the persistent get a sequel.