The fragile mental state of MLP investors left them ill-prepared for Thursday’s ruling by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). By modifying how MLPs calculate certain tariffs, it sent the sector on another wild afternoon ride. It’s a complex issue – pipelines owned by MLPs that cross state lines and rely on FERC-regulated tariffs are most vulnerable. MLPs can no longer set tariffs by including taxes paid by their investors in calculating full cost of service (since MLPs are largely non-taxpayers themselves).

However, it’s possible to find many exceptions – large swathes of the U.S. pipeline network operate intrastate and are therefore generally not governed by FERC. Many contracts are negotiated or have market-based rates, and there are plenty of cases where customers have few attractive alternatives to their existing infrastructure provider. Pipelines owned by corporations rather than MLPs should be relatively unaffected, while non-pipeline energy infrastructure assets are also immune, including gathering, processing, terminals, fractionation, storage, and Liquified Natural Gas facilities.

But the ruling did provide another example of the complexity in the MLP structure. Investors have already had to contend with management teams redirecting cash flows from payouts to new projects (see Will MLP Distribution Cuts Pay Off?). MLP Limited Partners still tolerate their junior position relative to a General Partner (GP) that retains control, although the GP’s payments received via Incentive Distribution Rights (IDRs) are increasingly being phased out. K-1s have always been unpopular, and compounding 2017’s disappointing performance, users of the PWC website for electronic download are confronting additional authentication requirements that add to the burden of tax preparation.

Meanwhile, the FERC ruling exposed one more element of complexity. Calculating cost of service by including investors’ tax expense is another quirky feature of the MLP structure. Such tax rates are in any case unknowable by the MLP. The market’s superficial understanding of the issue was reflected in the sector’s initial 10% drop on Thursday before recovering approximately half, and by Friday prices were barely changed from prior to the ruling. In any event, few contracts nowadays are negotiated in such a way that FERC’s ruling affects them, compared with older, legacy contracts. Figuring in owners’ taxes turns out to be another anachronistic feature of MLPs.

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