Full Title: Master Limited Partnerships: A Policy Option for the Renewable Energy Industry
Author(s): Molly F. Sherlock and Mark P. Keightly
Publisher(s): Congressional Research Service
Publication Date: June 1, 2011
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
This article discusses how extending the MLP structure to renewables could possibly attract additional capital to and stimulate investment in the renewable energy sector. There are, however, a number of potential policy concerns to consider. First, expanding access to the MLP structure could narrow the corporate tax base, which is one of the reasons access to this structure was limited in the first place. Second, if changes to the tax code allowing renewable entities to access the MLP structure are enacted alongside changes to current passive activity loss rules, there may be concerns about the possibility of renewable energy investments being used as a tax shelter. Finally, if the concern is that renewable entities are disadvantaged relative to fossil fuels currently able to use the MLP structure, one option would be to prevent other energy entities from structuring as MLPs.