Covington & Burling is repping the FAIR Coalition, which wants a “level playing field” for renewable energy sources vis-à-vis the oil and natural gas sector. 

The informal group claims the traditional energy sector enjoys a competitive tax advantage over wind, solar and other renewables.

It believes extending the master limited partnership treatment to renewables would trigger a wave of investment.

Under current tax law, renewables can’t use the MLP because they are not classified as “natural resources.”

The FAIR (Financing American Investment in Renewables) group includes First Wind, First Solar, Pattern Energy, Geronimo Energy, TradeWind Energy, OwnEnergy and Spain’s Gamesa Tecnologica.

C&B staffers working the FAIR business include Bill Wichterman (special assistant to President Bush and policy advisor to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist), Muftiah McCartin (ex-staff director on House Rules Committee) and Roderick DeArment (former deputy Secretary of Labor.)