(June 7, 2012) Washington, DC -- The Advanced Ethanol Council released a statement today applauding the leadership of Senator Christopher Coons (D-DE), Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) and the co-sponsors of the Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs) Parity Act.

The Master Limited Partnerships Parity Act (MLP Parity Act) will allow the renewable energy sector to utilize the advantageous tax structure of MLPs -- currently only available to oil, gas, coal and pipelines -- for project development. MLPs in essence combine the business development advantages of a corporation with the tax advantages of a partnership to facilitate easier access to capital markets. Hundreds of billions of dollars in fossil fuel and pipeline construction investments now pass through MLPs annually.

"The advanced ethanol industry strongly supports the efforts of Senator Coons and the co-sponsors of the Master Limited Partnerships Parity Act to level the playing field for advanced technologies when it comes to MLPs. Energy project developers are using MLPs to access the retail investment market, which in turn makes it easier to finance new energy projects. It makes no sense for the federal government to continue to offer this financing vehicle to, in essence, the fossil fuel industry only. The MLP Parity Act would take a serious inequity out of the U.S. tax code and put the country in a better position to create jobs and compete in the emerging global clean energy marketplace."