Kathy Parker, CPA, MST, Partner and Elysha Sturm, Staff Accountant at Rodman & Rodman CPAs represented Massachusetts at American Biogas Council’s (ABC) DC Fly-In held July 20-23, 2015 in Washington D.C. Rodman CPAs is a full service tax and accounting firm specializing in green energy and clean technology.
Rodman CPAs are members of ABC, which promotes the Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Industry. The Rodman team was among 24 ABC members from 11 states to attend meetings in the House and Senate on Capitol Hill, and a special Biogas Stakeholder Forum hosted by the USDA and EPA.
According to Parker, “One of the ABC’s primary goals is to ensure that renewable energy receives the same favorable treatment under federal and state laws as does fossil energy, and that all forms of renewable energy are treated equally on a comparative basis.”
Parker and Sturm had an opportunity to provide feedback on the next steps that USDA, EPA and DOE plan to take to support biogas project deployment. The Rodman team met with key staff of the offices of Senator Jerry Moran, Senator Maria Cantwell, Senator Charles Schumer, Senator Ed Markey, Congressman Mike Thompson and Jim Lyons, Tax Counsel -Senate Finance Committee Majority Staff and urged their support for Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), which provides a demand and a marketplace for biogas.
The Rodman team also urged support of the extension of renewable electricity tax credits, as the Production Tax Credit (PTC) and the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) are essential in helping to drive investment in renewable energy. Additionally, they urged support of continued discretionary funding for Farm Bill programs (including include REAP, the Renewable Energy for America Program) and to maintain the mandatory funding levels passed in the Farm Bill.
“There was a Bill on the table that was presented to congress by the finance committee which would extend ITC/PTC for two years. It was exciting to hear about it first hand, as typically extenders do not happen until the end of the year,” noted Parker. “Unfortunately, ITC/PTC was not extended at this time.”
Parker continued, “The purpose of the DC Fly-In was to continue the ongoing awareness of the need for anaerobic digester and the importance they bring to the renewable sector. It is imperative for these projects to continue to receive tax credits. Our goal at the DC Fly-In was to work with congress on tax extenders and other funding opportunities for the projects.”
About the ABC
The ABC’s mission is to create jobs, environmental sustainability, and energy independence by growing the U.S. biogas industry. The ABC represents over 200 organizations across the renewable energy, agriculture, waste and wastewater management, and transportation industries, including facility owners/operators, manufactures of tanks, engines, and other equipment, engineering organizations and institutions, utilities, financiers and lenders, and local and regional governments.
For more information, visit http://www.americanbiogascouncil.org.
About Rodman & Rodman CPAs
Founded in 1961 and listed in the Boston Business Journal’s “Top 50 Firms”, Rodman & Rodman CPAs provides accounting, tax and business services to small and medium-sized companies. Rodman CPAs’ “Green Team” is a specialized green energy and clean technology accounting and tax services practice within Rodman CPAs that serves renewable energy clients throughout the U.S. The company is Green Business Certified. For more information, email info@rodmancpa.com, visit their website at http://www.rodmancpa.com or contact (617) 965-5959.
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