Senate Finance Chair Releases Draft Energy Incentive Bill And Requests Comment By January 31, 201

On December 18, 2013, Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-MT) unveiled a detailed summary of staff discussion draft legislation designed to reform current energy incentives under the U.S. Tax Code. In sum, the proposal would consolidate nearly all 42 existing energy incentives under two categories of incentives: technology-neutral tax incentives for domestic production of (1) clean electricity and (2) clean fuels. The detailed summary of the discussion draft acknowledges and requests comment on the fact that the energy tax reform proposal would not provide incentives for other sectors of the energy economy, which includes renewable chemicals and products. Comments are due by January 31, 2014, via e-mail at Tax_Reform@Finance.Senate.gov. A copy of the eight-page detailed summary of the discussion draft is available online. A copy of the one-page summary is available online and a copy of Chair Baucus' press release on the proposal is available online.

Currently, there are two nearly identical proposals before Congress to provide a business related tax credit for the production of renewable chemicals. S. 1267, the Qualifying Renewable Chemical Tax Production Act of 2013, was introduced on June 27, 2013, by Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). The bill has one co-sponsor, Senator Al Franken (D-MN). H.R. 3084, a bill by the same name, was introduced on September 12, 2013. It currently has five bi-partisan co-sponsors, including Representatives Richard Neal (D-MA), Scott Peters (D-CA), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Allyson Schwartz (D-PA), and Steve Stockman (R-TX). A copy of S. 1267 is available online. A copy of H.R. 3084 is available online.