15.

Alternative Energy Tax Credits

The Company generated black liquor as a by-product of its pulp manufacturing process and used it in a mixture with diesel fuel during 2009 to produce energy at its Counce, Tennessee, Valdosta, Georgia, and Tomahawk, Wisconsin mills. Through December 31, 2009, the U.S. Internal Revenue Code provided a $0.50 per gallon refundable tax credit for taxpayers who used alternative fuels in their trade or business. During the first quarter of 2010, the IRS released a memorandum which provided clarification about the calculation of the alternative fuel mixture credit for black liquor. As a result, during the first quarter of 2010 the Company released a reserve of $9.2 million that was established in 2009 due to the ambiguity in the calculation of the credit. This reserve release resulted in additional income of $9.2 million, which was recorded in alternative fuel mixture tax credits on the income statement in the first quarter of 2010.

The laws governing the taxability of the alternative fuel mixture credit are not completely defined. The IRS has not issued definitive guidance regarding such taxability. PCA believes that the manner in which the credit was claimed will not subject the Company to federal or state income taxes on such benefits. If it is determined that any of the alternative fuel mixture credits are subject to taxation, PCA will be required to pay those taxes and take a corresponding charge to its income.

In an IRS memorandum released during the second quarter of 2010, the IRS concluded that black liquor also qualifies for the taxable cellulosic biofuel producer credit of $1.01 per gallon of biofuel produced in 2009. In a subsequent memorandum, the IRS concluded that a black liquor producer may claim the alternative fuel mixture credit and the cellulosic biofuel producer credit in the same taxable year for different volumes of black liquor (the same gallon of fuel cannot receive both credits but can be claimed as either alternative fuel mixture credit or the cellulosic biofuel producer credit). PCA received the required cellulosic biofuel producer registration code in September 2010.

Based upon both the IRS memoranda and guidance regarding the cellulosic biofuel producer credit, the Company analyzed the additional potential benefits from claiming the cellulosic biofuel producer credit for 2009 instead of the alternative fuel mixture credit, or claiming a combination of the two credits for 2009. For the gallons of alternative fuels produced in 2009, PCA claimed about two-thirds of the gallons as cellulosic biofuel producer credits and about one-third of the gallons as alternative fuel mixture credits, resulting in additional income of $33.4 million recorded during the third quarter of 2010.

During the fourth quarter of 2010 the Company determined that its proprietary biofuel process at the Filer City, Michigan mill would likely qualify for the 2009 cellulosic biofuel producer credit. The Company amended the 2009 federal return in December 2010 to claim these gallons, resulting in $107.0 million of cellulosic biofuel producer credits. Due to the unique and proprietary nature of the Filer City mill process, IRS guidelines do not specifically address the process and uncertainty exists. As a result, the Company increased the reserve for uncertain tax positions under ASC 740 by $102.0 million, which resulted in a net benefit of $5.0 million recorded during the fourth quarter of 2010. During the first quarter of 2011, the Company received notification that the IRS will begin its review of the cellulosic biofuel producer tax credits claimed in the 2009 federal income tax return and such review is under way.

The amount of credits that the Company can apply against future federal taxes owed will be dependent upon the timing and amount of PCA's future taxable income. As of June 30, 2011, including the reserve for uncertain tax positions, PCA has as much as $179 million of tax credits to be used to offset future tax payments. The cellulosic biofuel producer credit carryforward must be utilized to offset federal taxes owed by December 31, 2015, at which time the credit carryforward expires. A valuation allowance was not recorded against the deferred tax asset for this credit carryforward since the Company believes the credit can be fully utilized before expiration. If it is determined that any of the credit carryforward will become subject to expiration, PCA will reduce the deferred tax asset and record a corresponding charge to income.