Form N-CSR GOLDMAN SACHS MLP & ENER For: Nov 30

February 5, 2021 4:34 PM

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM N-CSR

CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED

MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES

Investment Company Act file number 811-22979

Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

200 West Street,

New York, NY 10282

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)


Copies to:
Caroline Kraus, ESQ.		Stephen H. Bier, ESQ.
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC		Allison M. Fumai, ESQ.
200 West Street		Dechert LLP
New York, New York 10282		1095 Avenue of the Americas
		New York, NY 10036-6797

(Name and address of agents for service)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (212) 902-1000

Date of fiscal year end: November 30

Date of reporting period: November 30, 2020

ITEM 1.

REPORTS TO STOCKHOLDERS.

The Annual Report to Shareholders is filed herewith.

Goldman Sachs Closed End Fund

LOGO



Annual Report				November 30, 2020

				MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund

LOGO

Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Portfolio Management Discussion and Performance Summary			1

Fund Basics			8

Schedule of Investments			11

Financial Statements			12

Financial Highlights			16

Notes to Financial Statements			17

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm			29

Investment Objective and Policies of the Fund			34

Investment Restrictions			50

Principal Risks of the Fund			51

Additional Information			74

Privacy Notice			76

Voting Results			77



NOT FDIC-INSURED	May Lose Value	No Bank Guarantee

PORTFOLIO RESULTS

Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund

Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategy

The Fund seeks a high level of total return with an emphasis on current distributions to shareholders. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing primarily in master limited partnership (“MLP”) and other energy investments. The Fund intends to selectively use leverage to seek to achieve its investment objective. It concentrates its investments in the energy sector, with an emphasis on midstream MLP investments. Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its managed assets in MLPs and other energy investments. The Fund’s MLP investments may include, but are not limited to, MLPs structured as limited partnerships (“LPs”) or limited liability companies (“LLCs”); MLPs that are organized as LPs or LLCs, but taxed as “C” corporations; equity securities that represent an indirect interest in an MLP issued by an MLP affiliate, including institutional units and MLP general partner or managing member interests; “C” corporations whose predominant assets are interests in MLPs; MLP equity securities, including MLP common units, MLP subordinated units, MLP convertible subordinated units and MLP preferred units; private investments in public equities issued by MLPs; MLP debt securities; and other U.S. and non-U.S. equity and fixed income securities and derivative instruments that provide exposure to the MLP market, including pooled investment vehicles that primarily hold MLP interests and exchange-traded notes. The Fund’s other energy investments may include equity and fixed income securities of U.S. and non-U.S. companies other than MLPs that (i) are classified by a third party as operating within the oil and gas storage, transportation, refining, marketing, drilling, exploration or production sub-industries or (ii) have at least 50% of their assets, income, sales or profits committed to, or derived from, the exploration, development, production, gathering, transportation (including marine), transmission, terminal operation, processing, storage, refining, distribution, mining or marketing of natural gas, natural gas liquids (including propane), crude oil, refined petroleum products, coal, electricity or other energy sources, energy-related equipment or services.

Portfolio Management Discussion and Analysis

The reorganization of the Goldman Sachs MLP Income Opportunities Fund with and into the Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund (the “Fund”) was completed before the opening of trading on the New York Stock Exchange on September 28, 2020. Below, the Goldman Sachs Energy and Infrastructure Team discusses the Fund’s performance and positioning for the 12-month period ended November 30, 2020, including the combined performance and positioning for the period from the completion of the reorganization on September 28, 2020 through November 30, 2020 (the “Reporting Period”).

How did the Fund perform during the Reporting Period?

During the Reporting Period, the Fund’s average annual total return based on its net asset value (“NAV”) was -70.48%. The Fund’s average annual total return based on market price was -75.55% for the same period. By way of reference, the Alerian MLP Index¹ had an average annual total return of -24.45% during the Reporting Period. By comparison, the Cushing^® MLP High Income Index² had an average annual total return of -20.95% for the Reporting Period.

The Fund’s NAV was $4.12 when the Reporting Period began on December 1, 2019. The Fund’s NAV fell alongside COVID-19-related demand destruction and the collapse of talks between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (“OPEC”) and Russia, which sparked a producer price war. Because of the decline in the Fund’s share price, the Fund effected a 9-for-1 reverse share split for the Fund’s issued and outstanding common shares effective after the market close on April 13, 2020. The Fund’s common shares began trading on a split-adjusted basis when the market opened on April 14, 2020. In addition, in early March, the use of leverage significantly impaired the Fund’s performance. On March 9th, we decided to

The Alerian MLP Index is the leading gauge of energy infrastructure MLPs. The capped, float-adjusted, capitalization-weighted index, whose constituents earn the majority of their cash flow from midstream activities involving energy commodities, is disseminated real-time on a price-return basis (AMZ) and on a total-return basis (AMZX). It is not possible to invest directly in an index.

Source: Cushing^® Asset Management. The Cushing^® MLP High Income Index tracks the performance of 30 publicly traded energy and shipping MLP securities with an emphasis on current yield. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.

PORTFOLIO RESULTS

effectively eliminate the Fund’s leverage, as we sought to reduce the Fund’s overall risk profile amid the near-term uncertainty. The costs of terminating the Fund’s fixed-rate borrowings had a materially negative impact on the Fund’s NAV when the leverage was removed. At the end of the Reporting Period, the Fund’s NAV was $9.80, and its market price was $7.69.

What was the Fund’s current distribution rate at the end of the Reporting Period?

During the Reporting Period overall, the Fund declared four quarterly distributions. On February 7, 2020, the Fund declared a quarterly distribution of $0.16 per share, which matches the quarterly distribution declared on November 20, 2019. A second quarterly distribution of $0.155 per share was announced on May 8th, following the 9-for-1 reverse share split mentioned above. That distribution, adjusted for the Fund’s new number of issued and outstanding common shares, represented a distribution cut of 89.2%. We set the Fund’s new distribution at a level we believed would be sustainable over the long term, without the Fund relying on the use of leverage. On August 14, 2020 and again on November 13, 2020, the Fund declared a quarterly distribution of $0.155 per share. As of November 30, 2020, the Fund’s current annualized distribution rate based on its NAV was 6.33%. The Fund’s current annualized distribution rate based on its market price was 8.06% on November 30, 2020.

How did energy-related assets overall perform during the Reporting Period?

Energy-related assets broadly sold off during the Reporting Period. Energy infrastructure master limited partnerships (“MLPs”) generally, as measured by the Alerian MLP Index,³ produced a total return of -24.45%, while higher-yielding energy infrastructure MLPs, as measured by the Cushing^® MLP High Income Index,⁴ generated a total return of -20.95%. The broader midstream⁵ sector, as measured by the Alerian Midstream Energy Index⁶ (“ANMA Index”) (which includes both energy MLPs and “C” corporations), generated a total return of -17.82% during the Reporting Period.

In December 2019, when the Reporting Period began, the growth outlooks for the U.S. shale industry and the global economy were positive and stable overall. Conditions abruptly changed in early 2020 with the emergence and spread of COVID-19 and the start of a crude oil producer price war, which together created a more challenging and uncertain global environment for the energy markets and energy-related equities.

The energy markets experienced unprecedented weakness during the first quarter of 2020, driven by two factors. The first was a demand-side shock, as quarantine efforts and travel restrictions implemented to reduce the spread of COVID-19 led to a sharp drop in demand. The second was a supply-side shock, as OPEC and Russia failed to reach an agreement on production cuts and entered into a crude oil price war, which ultimately added supply to an already oversupplied market. Crude oil prices fell, with the prices of West Texas Intermediate (“WTI”) and Brent crude oil declining approximately 25% and 24%, respectively, on March 9^th, the first trading day after the OPEC+ talks collapsed.⁷ (OPEC+ is composed of OPEC countries and non-OPEC oil producing countries, most notably Russia.) Crude oil prices then continued to trend down fueled by market uncertainty about demand given the global economic impact of COVID-19 as well as by shorter-term concerns around U.S. storage constraints.

Energy-related equities sold off during the first quarter of 2020 on investor uncertainty about the ultimate impact on the U.S. shale industry of the simultaneous demand-side and supply-side shocks. We believe the sell-off was exacerbated by selling in the midstream sector, as closed-end funds de-levered to reduce volatility and, in some cases, to maintain compliance with leverage covenants. We estimate more than $3 billion in holdings were sold by closed-end funds during the first 15 trading days of March.⁸ Midstream equities were also pressured during the first calendar quarter by the

Source: Alerian. The Alerian MLP Index is the leading gauge of energy infrastructure MLPs. The capped, float-adjusted, capitalization-weighted index, whose constituents earn the majority of their cash flow from midstream activities involving energy commodities, is disseminated real-time on a price-return basis (AMZ) and on a total-return basis (AMZX). It is not possible to invest directly in an unmanaged index.

⁴

⁵

The midstream component of the energy industry is usually defined as those companies providing products or services that help link the supply side (i.e., energy producers) and the demand side (i.e., energy end-users for any type of energy commodity. Such midstream businesses can include, but are not limited those that process, store, market and transport various energy commodities.

⁶

Source: Alerian. The Alerian Midstream Energy Index is a broad-based composite of North American energy infrastructure companies. The capped, float-adjusted, capitalization-weighted index, whose constituents earn the majority of their cash flow from midstream activities involving energy commodities, is disseminated real-time on a price-return (AMNA), total-return (AMNAX), net total-return (AMNAN), and adjusted net total-return (AMNTR) basis.

⁷

Source of crude oil price data: Bloomberg.

⁸

Source of sales data: Bloomberg and U.S. Capital Advisors.

PORTFOLIO RESULTS

magnitude of uncertainty within the equities and energy markets broadly, even though midstream cash flows are predominantly volume based and generally less sensitive to commodity price fluctuations due to contractual agreements, which we believe help manage one-to-one exposure between midstream cash flows and volume declines. Furthermore, in response to severe commodity price weakness during the first calendar quarter, a number of midstream energy companies announced plans to strengthen their balance sheets, with some keeping their distributions flat, some cutting distribution payout levels, and many reducing their expected capital expenditures for 2020. In most cases, these defensive actions were positively received by investors.

In April 2020, the energy markets and energy-related equities experienced some relief, as the crude oil price war appeared to reach a resolution. OPEC+ members met, starting on April 9^th, and proposed their largest-ever production cut of 9.7 million barrels per day on April 12^th.⁹ Saudi Arabia subsequently deepened its commitment to the production cut, reducing output by an additional 1.0 million barrels per day. Several other countries also announced voluntary production cuts. Despite the April OPEC+ production agreement, significant crude oil oversupply led to logistical issues and storage capacity constraints in the U.S. that same month, resulting in unprecedentedly low WTI crude oil prices and even negative WTI crude oil futures contracts for the first time in history. Midstream equities remained relatively resilient during April, as we believe many investors looked past transient supply-side issues and instead valued equities on longer-dated commodity price expectations.

In May 2020, market expectations about the supply-demand gap started to ease, as crude oil demand improved relative to the troughs seen in early April and global supply levels began to react to lower prices in the marketplace. In particular, production cuts from OPEC+ members, as well as market-driven reductions in U.S. production, slowed inventory builds relative to their April levels. Meanwhile, future production activity indicators, such as rig counts and 2020 capital expenditure expectations for exploration and production companies, fell substantially. As a result, the crude oil market started to show signs of tightening in May, enabling prices to rebound off their prior month lows. At the same time, energy-related equities, particularly midstream equities, continued to experience a meaningful recovery from their lows in mid-March. The Alerian MLP Index and the AMNA Index recorded gains of 148% and 107%, respectively, between March 18^th and June 8^th. They retreated thereafter, dropping 32% and 24%, respectively, from June 9^th through the end of October. We believe the drop in midstream equity performance from mid-June through October 2020 was driven largely by weak investor sentiment, not fundamentals. The weakness in sentiment was due to a number of factors, including uncertainty about the then-upcoming U.S. elections, given the seemingly unfavorable oil and gas policy views of Democratic candidates. Midstream equities were also hurt, in our opinion, by environmental, social and governance-related capital allocation headwinds and terminal value¹⁰ concerns for oil and gas assets given growing interest in renewable energy. Meanwhile, the fundamental backdrop for energy-related companies improved considerably. First, oil demand picked up steam. We track traffic data across the world, and within the largest cities in Asia and Europe, traffic congestion grew closer to pre-COVID-19 levels. Although the recovery in U.S. traffic congestion was comparatively slower, we also started to see improvement domestically. Second, on the supply side, we witnessed production discipline from OPEC+ countries and U.S. shale producers, which narrowed the supply-demand gap and provided upside support for crude oil prices. Third, many midstream energy companies had significantly reduced their capital expenditures, a welcome and appropriate change, in our view. Finally, even with the dramatic decline in oil demand during the second quarter of 2020, midstream cash flows were rather resilient. If one were to look at a list of the most prominent midstream energy companies, their earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) were only down an average of approximately 11% year-over-year during the second calendar quarter. During that same quarter, the share prices of these companies fell an average of 44%, demonstrating the disconnect between equity price performance and the sector’s fundamentals, in our view.

During November 2020, energy markets and energy-related securities experienced strong rebounds. WTI and Brent crude oil prices rose 27% and 25%, respectively. Energy-related securities rallied, with the Alerian MLP Index and AMNA Index up 24% and 19%, respectively. We believe the strong performance was driven by positive COVID-19 vaccine news, which materially improved the outlook for energy demand, and by resilient earnings of midstream energy companies. Nine of the top 10 U.S. midstream energy companies beat consensus EBITDA expectations for the third calendar quarter

⁹

Source of production cut data: OPEC and Bloomberg.

¹⁰

Terminal value is the value of a business or project beyond the forecast period when future cash flows can be estimated. Terminal value assumes a business will grow at a set growth rate forever after the forecast period.

PORTFOLIO RESULTS

by an average of 7.5%, while also posting healthy distribution coverage ratios¹¹ and strong free cash flow outlooks. Price performance was also bolstered, in our view, by the announcement of share buyback programs, with $2.3 billion authorized in November alone, and continued cost rationalization,¹² with consensus expectations for 2021 midstream capital expenditures declining more than 50% relative to the estimates at 2019 year-end, greatly increasing market expectations for free cash flow and capital return to investors. At the same time, the market appeared to view the U.S. election results as relatively benign, given that a Democratic President may be coupled with a potentially Republican Senate, alleviating investors’ worst-case concerns about punitive legislation against the oil and gas sector. Finally, we believe energy-related equities benefited from a growth to value rotation, as promising COVID-19 vaccine news and potential economic reopening led many investors to focus on undervalued businesses. This view is supported, we believe, by the approximately 550 basis point outperformance of the Russell 1000 Value Index¹³ versus the Russell 1000 Growth Index¹⁴ between October 1, 2020 and the end of the Reporting Period. (A basis point is 1/100^th of a percentage point.)

What key factors were responsible for the Fund’s performance during the Reporting Period?

Security selection and severe weakness in the energy markets drove the Fund’s performance during the Reporting Period.

In terms of its exposures, the Fund was negatively affected by positions in the gathering and processing and the petroleum pipeline transportation subsectors.¹⁵ Both subsectors were hurt by extreme volatility in crude oil prices, which suffered from the global demand destruction associated with efforts to contain COVID-19 and a supply shock stemming from a price war between OPEC and Russia.

Additionally, in early to mid-March, weakness in commodity prices and in midstream equity prices caused significant distress for the Fund, which, like other energy-related closed-end funds, has historically employed leverage in an effort to increase total returns. In an up market, leverage can increase total return potential. However, it can extend losses in down markets. During early March, the use of leverage significantly impaired the Fund’s NAV. On March 9^th, the first trading day following the collapse of the OPEC+ production curtailment agreement, we decided to effectively eliminate the Fund’s leverage, as we sought to reduce the Fund’s overall risk profile amid the near-term uncertainty. The breakage costs of terminating the Fund’s fixed-rate borrowings had a materially negative impact on the Fund’s NAV when the leverage was removed. As a result, the use of leverage and the subsequent termination of fixed rate borrowings during the Reporting Period detracted from the Fund’s performance.

What individual holdings detracted from the Fund’s performance during the Reporting Period?

Positions in DCP Midstream, LP; Targa Resources Corp. and PBF Logistics LP detracted from the Fund’s returns during the Reporting Period.

The Fund’s top detractor was DCP Midstream, LP (DCP), one of the largest natural gas gatherers in North America and a top producer and primary marketer of natural gas liquids. Severe weakness in the energy markets led to a steep decline in DCP’s stock price, which we believe is largely due to the company’s high leverage profile and direct commodity exposure relative to many of its peers. DCP’s management team responded to the sell-off with a 50% distribution cut, a meaningful reduction in 2020 capital expenditures, and an announcement of additional cost savings initiatives in an effort to strengthen the company’s balance sheet. Although DCP’s capital discipline was generally viewed positively, we believe the market remained concerned about the company’s ability to decrease leverage given a reduction in producer activity and weak commodity prices. We sold the Fund’s position in DCP during March 2020 and reallocated the proceeds to companies that we believed had comparatively stronger balance sheets and less commodity price sensitivity. By the end of the Reporting Period, crude oil supply/demand had largely balanced and prices had stabilized, with market

¹¹

The distribution coverage ratio is an energy company’s distributable cash flow divided by the total amount of distributions it has paid out. It is an indication of an energy company’s ability to maintain its current cash distribution level.

¹²

Cost rationalization addresses the sources of costs through the supply chain.

¹³

The Russell 1000^® Value Index measures the performance of the large-cap value segment of the U.S. equity universe. It includes those Russell 1000^® Index companies with lower price-to-book ratios and lower expected growth values. The Russell 1000^® Index measures the performance of the large-cap segment of the U.S. equity universe and includes approximately 1000 of the largest securities based on a combination of their market cap and current index membership. The Russell 1000^® Index represents approximately 92% of the U.S. market.

¹⁴

The Russell 1000^® Growth Index is an unmanaged index of common stock prices that measures the performance of those Russell 1000 companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values.

¹⁵

Sector and subsector allocations are defined by GSAM and may differ from sector allocations used by the Alerian MLP Index.

PORTFOLIO RESULTS

expectations for U.S. total liquids production rising from trough levels. Amid an improving macro environment for the energy market, DCP reported strong second calendar quarter earnings that significantly beat consensus estimates and reaffirmed its management’s original, pre-COVID-19 guidance for the 2020 calendar year. In the week after the positive earnings announcement, average analyst consensus for the company’s 2021 price target increased considerably. Given DCP’s resilient earnings results, its management’s continued commitment to cost controls and the improving macro environment, we re-established the Fund’s position in DCP near the end of October 2020.

Another leading detractor from Fund performance was Targa Resources Corp. (TRGP), an independent midstream services provider primarily engaged in gathering, storing, processing and transporting crude oil, natural gas and refined petroleum products. During the Reporting Period, TRGP’s high leverage profile compared to its peers, its concentrated customer base and its commodity price sensitivity drove a sell-off in its stock price, as commodity prices tumbled due to COVID-19-related effects. Over the last two years, TRGP has been implementing a large capital expenditure program, and most market observers expected the company to improve its leverage metrics as projects came online. However, because of the OPEC-Russia price war and falling global demand, the timeline for de-leveraging was extended. Its company management announced plans to reduce its capital expenditure budget and cut its dividend by 89% to shore up the company’s balance sheet. We eliminated the Fund’s position in TRGP during the Reporting Period, as we sought to reduce risk exposure given severe market uncertainty. The proceeds were reallocated to companies with what we considered comparatively stronger balance sheets, less commodity price sensitivity and greater asset diversity.

The Fund was also hurt by a position in PBF Logistics LP (PBFX), which owns, leases, operates, develops and acquires crude oil and refined petroleum products, terminals, pipelines and storage facilities. PBFX’s stock price suffered as a result of refined product demand destruction stemming from COVID-19 containment efforts. In addition, PBFX was negatively impacted by investor uncertainty around the company’s affiliate and primary counterparty PBF Energy (PBF), which had exposure to gasoline, diesel and jet fuel amid worsening refining conditions. The PBFX management team took several steps in response to the stock price weakness, including a 42% quarterly distribution cut and reductions in capital expenditures and operating expenses. PBFX also announced it would use its excess cash to decrease leverage and improve its distribution coverage ratio. We trimmed the Fund’s position in PBFX during the Reporting Period to increase exposure to what we believed were higher quality companies with more diverse customer bases and greater trading liquidity.

What individual holdings added to the Fund’s performance during the Reporting Period?

During the Reporting Period, the Fund’s investments in The Williams Companies, Inc., Magellan Midstream Partners, LP and Antero Midstream Corp. contributed positively to performance.

The Fund’s top contributor was The Williams Companies, Inc. (WMB), an energy infrastructure company primarily focused on gathering, processing, interstate transportation and storage of natural gas and natural gas liquids. We believe WMB’s favorable asset base, natural gas-focused revenue stream and “C” corporation structure led it to outperform during the severe market stress following the collapse of OPEC+ production cut negotiations. WMB owns one of the most extensive natural gas pipeline systems in the U.S., TransContinental Pipeline (“Transco”), which serves key demand regions along the U.S. eastern seaboard. The market-dictated reductions in U.S. crude oil production and associated gas (a byproduct of oil production) helped to improve natural gas supply-demand dynamics, which was supportive for natural gas prices. The improvement in natural gas prices helped WMB’s gathering and processing segment through the resulting reduction in counterparty credit risk, which had previously weighed on WMB’s equity price performance. In addition, we believe WMB’s better than market expected second quarter earnings results, which were announced in August 2020, and the company’s high quality asset base, which delivered rather steady operating results amid the COVID-19 pandemic, made its stock a somewhat defensive holding amid significant market volatility. The defensive nature of Transco, its resilient earnings and improving natural gas fundamentals helped WMB contribute favorably to the Fund’s performance during the Reporting Period.

The Fund’s relative performance was further bolstered during the Reporting Period by its position in Magellan Midstream Partners, LP (MMP), which engages in the transportation, storage and distribution of refined petroleum products and crude oil. MMP performed better than many of its midstream peers due, in our view, to its strong corporate governance, disciplined capital allocation policies, healthy balance sheet and demand-pull business model, which positioned MMP to endure the volatile market conditions.

PORTFOLIO RESULTS

Another notable contributor during the Reporting Period was Antero Midstream Corp. (AM), a provider of integrated and customized midstream services primarily engaged in gathering and compression, water distribution, fractionation and pipeline safety services. In 2019, persistent natural gas price weakness significantly stressed AM’s parent company, Antero Resources Corp. (AR), whose share price declined approximately 70% during that calendar year. Investor concerns about a potential bankruptcy raised questions about AR and AM’s contracts, putting pressure on AM’s share price. On December 9, 2019, AM announced plans to repurchase $100 million of shares from AR and signed a growth incentive fee program with AR, which encourages greater use of AM’s assets in exchange for volume-based discounts. AM’s equity price rallied on the announcement, as the agreement eased investor concerns around the potential restructuring of AR’s fees with AM. After the stock appreciated, we took advantage of the strength to sell the Fund’s position in AM given ongoing weakness in natural gas prices and based on our belief that AR continued to face bankruptcy risk.

Were there any notable purchases or sales during the Reporting Period?

Among notable purchases during the Reporting Period were WMB and MMP, each mentioned previously. We established both positions in an effort to increase the Fund’s exposure to high quality midstream energy companies during a period of severe market uncertainty driven by COVID-19. In our view, WMB and MMP have premier asset exposure and strong balance sheets relative to their peers.

In addition, during the Reporting Period, the Fund established a position in Rice Acquisition Corp. (RICE/U), a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC), through an initial public offering. A SPAC raises capital through an initial public offering for the purpose of acquiring an existing company and driving shareholder value through strategic management and operational expertise. We decided to allocate capital to RICE/U as we are confident in its management team, members of which previously served as executive officers of Rice Energy Inc. and Rice Midstream Partners LP. In our opinion, they are well equipped to deliver upon their objective of producing attractive and sustainable risk-adjusted returns through the development of the world’s clean energy supply, a theme we believe will become more prominent in the global energy mix over the next several decades.

As noted earlier, we eliminated the Fund’s investment in TRGP, as we sought to reduce portfolio risk. We replaced this holding with positions in companies that we felt had comparatively stronger balance sheets and less commodity price sensitivity.

In addition, we sold the Fund’s position in Genesis Energy, LP (GEL), a midstream MLP that provides energy infrastructure and logistics services. A significant portion of GEL’s cash flow comes from its soda ash segment, and soda ash demand was negatively impacted by the spread of COVID-19. Additionally, cash flows from soda ash can have greater variability than those from more traditional midstream business segments because of the length and nature of soda ash contracts. Because of uncertainty around the performance of GEL’s soda ash segment, COVID-19-related impacts to its more traditional midstream segments and the company’s relatively high level of leverage, we decided to exit the Fund’s position in its stock.

How did the Fund use derivatives and similar instruments during the Reporting Period?

During the Reporting Period, the Fund did not use derivatives or similar instruments.

How did the Fund use leverage during the Reporting Period?

At the beginning of the Reporting Period, the Fund obtained leverage through a fixed/floating rate margin loan facility with a major financial institution. During December 2019, we reduced the Fund’s leverage from approximately 38% of its managed assets to approximately 35% by the end of the 2019 calendar year. We continued reducing the Fund’s leverage during the first two months of 2020, as market uncertainties around COVID-19 started to take shape. That said, the Fund held leverage representing approximately 25% of its managed assets heading into the March OPEC+ meeting. After the agreement to curtail production collapsed at the meeting, we decided to terminate the Fund’s leverage, as we sought to reduce the Fund’s overall risk profile amid near-term uncertainty created by COVID-19-related demand destruction and the start of a producer price war between OPEC nations and Russia. The breakage costs of terminating the Fund’s fixed rate borrowings had a materially negative impact on the Fund’s NAV when the leverage was removed on March 9, 2020. As a result, the use of leverage and its subsequent termination detracted from the Fund’s performance during the Reporting Period overall. General market conditions had improved by the end of the Reporting Period, with some clarity around a COVID-19 vaccine and a better line of sight

PORTFOLIO RESULTS

into 2021 cash flows for the companies held by the Fund. As a result, we may consider adding leverage back into the Fund as we look into 2021. However, we anticipate that any such leverage strategy, if implemented, would likely be conservative relative to the Fund’s historic levels of leverage and would generally be used to seek higher price returns, not to pay higher than market yields.

On January 4, 2021, after the end of the Reporting Period, the Fund used its fixed/floating rate margin loan facility with a major financial institution, to introduce a modest level of leverage back into the Fund, representing 2.85% of the Fund’s managed assets. There can be no assurances that the Fund will be able to obtain or maintain a specific level of leverage, that the terms under which the Fund borrows will not change, or that the Fund’s use of leverage will be profitable. The future leverage of the Fund may be higher or lower than the levels discussed above.

What is the Fund’s tactical view and strategy for the months ahead?

At the end of the Reporting Period, we had a positive outlook for the energy markets and energy-related equities in 2021. Taking a macro perspective, we noted that crude oil demand had improved toward the end of the Reporting Period, not only internationally, but also in the U.S., and we believed the COVID-19 vaccine would only accelerate this trend. Additionally, in our view, U.S. producers were demonstrating unprecedented supply-side discipline, and OPEC+ members were showing solidarity. Assuming global production remained disciplined and demand increased on the back of rapid testing and a vaccine, Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research was forecasting at the end of the Reporting Period that Brent crude oil prices would hit $63 per barrel in 2021. Furthermore, a decline in U.S.-based upstream¹⁶ drilling activity seemed to have reduced the need for more pipeline projects, which led many midstream energy companies to shift their focus from new project spending to debt reduction and possible share buyback programs during the Reporting Period. Coupled with lower distribution payouts, this should result in strong free cash flow into 2021, in our view. We thought the shift in capital allocation was long overdue, and more free cash flow-centric business models may well be a key factor for the long-term sustainability of the midstream energy sector. In our opinion, the sector’s free cash flow potential has also created a significant opportunity for share repurchase programs, which we believe could be a meaningful catalyst for a recovery in equity prices, given the depressed valuations at the end of the Reporting Period.

Looking ahead to 2021, we believe the midstream energy sector has the potential to generate $35-$45 billion of excess cash after distributions and capital expenditures, which amounts to nearly 15% of the market capitalization of midstream energy companies generating positive free cash flow at the end of the Reporting Period. To put this in context, Wells Fargo said it expects the midstream energy sector to generate nearly $7 billion of excess cash in 2021 alone¹⁷. If just 50% of that excess cash is used for share buyback programs, it would reverse almost all of the investment outflows experienced from January 2020 through the end of the Reporting Period. We have seen several billion dollars of share buyback authorizations from midstream companies during 2020 year to date through November 2020, and we anticipate more buyback programs may be announced in coming calendar quarters. In our opinion, these programs should be accretive to shareholder value and may also be a strong technical tailwind for midstream equity prices.

At the end of the Reporting Period, we believed the risk-reward profile of midstream equities had grown increasingly positive. In managing the Fund, we intended to remain focused on companies we deemed to be of high quality, with strong dividend and distribution coverage ratios, healthy balance sheets and robust free cash flow outlooks. At the end of the Reporting Period, we believed the Fund was well positioned to benefit from the rebound in midstream equity prices we expect to see in 2021.

¹⁶

The upstream component of the energy industry is usually defined as those operations stages in the oil and gas industry that involve exploration and production. Upstream operations deal primarily with the exploration stages of the oil and gas industry, with upstream firms taking the first steps to first locate, test and drill for oil and gas. Later, once reserves are proven, upstream firms will extract any oil and gas from the reserve.

¹⁷

Source of midstream energy sector data: Wells Fargo.

FUND BASICS

Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund

as of November 30, 2020

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FUND SNAPSHOT

As of November 30, 2020

Net Asset Value (NAV)¹	$	9.80
Market Price¹	$	7.69
Premium (Discount) to NAV²		-21.53	%
Leverage³		0.00	%
Distribution Rate – NAV⁴		6.33	%
Distribution Rate – Market Price⁴		8.06	%

The Market Price is the price at which the Fund’s common shares are trading on the NYSE. The Market Price of the Fund’s common shares will fluctuate and, at the time of sale, common shares may be worth more or less than the original investment or the Fund’s then current net asset value (“NAV”). The NAV is the market value of one share of the Fund. This amount is derived by dividing the total value of all the securities in the Fund’s portfolio, plus any other assets, less any liabilities, by the number of Fund shares outstanding. The Fund cannot predict whether its common shares will trade at, above or below NAV. Shares of closed-end investment companies frequently trade at a discount from their NAV, which may increase investors’ risk of loss.

The premium/discount to NAV is calculated as the market price divided by the NAV of the Fund minus 1, expressed as a percentage. If this value is positive, the Fund is trading at a premium to its NAV. If the value is negative, the Fund is trading at a discount to its NAV.

The Fund is permitted to obtain leverage using any form or combination of financial leverage instruments, including through funds borrowed from banks or other financial institutions (i.e., a credit facility), margin facilities or notes issued by the Fund and the leverage attributable to similar transactions entered into by the Fund. The Fund’s use of leverage through a credit facility is calculated as a percentage of the Fund’s Managed Assets. Managed Assets are defined as total assets of the Fund (including assets attributable to borrowings for investment purposes) minus the sum of the Fund’s accrued liabilities (other than liabilities representing borrowings for investment purposes).

⁴

The Distribution Rate is calculated by annualizing the most recent distribution amount declared divided by the most recent closing Market Price or NAV. The Distribution Rate is subject to change and is not an indication of Fund performance. A portion of the Fund’s distributions will likely be treated for tax purposes as a return of capital. A return of capital is not taxable and results in a reduction in the tax basis of a shareholder’s investment. The final determination regarding the nature of the distributions will be made after the end of the Fund’s fiscal year when the Fund can determine its earnings and profits. The final tax status of the distribution may vary substantially and will be made available to shareholders after the close of each calendar year. The proportion of distributions that are treated as taxable distributions may also vary and/or increase in future years. The ultimate composition of these distributions may vary due to a variety of factors including projected income and expenses, depreciation and depletion, and any tax elections made by the underlying MLP investments.


PERFORMANCE REVIEW

December 1, 2019–November 30, 2020	Fund Total Return (based on NAV)⁵			Fund Total Return (based on Market Price)⁵

Common Shares		-70.48	%		-75.55	%

⁵

Total returns are calculated assuming purchase of a share at the market price or NAV on the first day and sale of a share at the market price or NAV on the last day of each period reported. Dividends and distributions, if any, are assumed, for purposes of this calculation, to be reinvested at prices obtained under the Fund’s dividend reinvestment plan. The Total Returns based on NAV and Market Price do not reflect brokerage commissions or sales charges in connection with the purchase or sale of Fund shares, which if included would lower the performance shown above. The NAV used in the Total Return calculation includes all management fees, interest expense (if any) and operating expenses incurred by the Fund. Operating expenses include custody, accounting and administrative services, professional fees, transfer agency fees, registration, printing and mailing costs and Trustee fees. Total returns for periods less than one full year are not annualized.

The returns set forth in the tables above represent past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The Fund’s investment returns and principal value will fluctuate. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted above. Please visit our web site at www.GSAMFUNDS.com/CEF to obtain the most recent month-end returns. Closed-end funds, unlike open-end funds, are not continuously offered. Once issued in a public offering, shares of closed-end funds are traded in the open market through a stock exchange.

FUND BASICS


TOP TEN HOLDINGS AS OF 11/30/20‡

Holding	% of Net Assets			Line of Business

MPLX LP		11.8	%	Gathering + Processing
Enterprise Products Partners LP		11.0		Pipeline Transportation \| Natural Gas
Magellan Midstream Partners LP		10.8		Pipeline Transportation \| Petroleum
Plains All American Pipeline LP		7.3		Pipeline Transportation \| Petroleum
Energy Transfer LP		6.1		Pipeline Transportation \| Natural Gas
Phillips 66 Partners LP		4.1		Pipeline Transportation \| Petroleum
The Williams Cos., Inc.		3.7		Gathering + Processing
Pembina Pipeline Corp.		3.6		Pipeline Transportation \| Petroleum
Sunoco LP		3.0		Marketing \| Wholesale
Atlantica Sustainable Infrastructure PLC		2.8		Power Generation

‡

The top 10 holdings may not be representative of the Fund’s future investments.

FUND SECTOR ALLOCATIONS†

LOGO

†

The Fund is actively managed and, as such, its composition may differ over time. Consequently, the Fund’s overall sector allocations may differ from the percentages contained in the graph above. The percentage shown for each investment category reflects the value of investments in that category as a percentage of total net assets. As a result of borrowings, the percentages may add to an amount in excess of 100%. Sector allocations are defined by GSAM and may differ from sector allocations used by the Alerian MLP Index.

For more information about the Fund, please refer to www.GSAMFUNDS.com. There, you can learn more about the Fund’s investment strategies, holdings, and performance.

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

Performance Summary

November 30, 2020

The following graph shows the market price performance of a $10,000 investment in Fund shares for the period from September 26, 2014 (commencement of operations) through November 30, 2020. The performance calculation assumes the purchase of Fund shares at the offering price at the beginning of the period and the sale of Fund shares at the market price at the end of the period. For comparative purposes, the performance of the Fund’s benchmark indexes, the Cushing MLP High Income Index and the Alerian MLP Total Return Index, are shown. Performance reflects applicable fee waivers and/or expense limitations in effect during the periods shown and in their absence, performance would be reduced. Dividends and distributions, if any, are assumed, for purposes of this calculation, to be reinvested at prices obtained under the Fund’s dividend reinvestment plan. The performance does not reflect brokerage commissions in connection with the purchase or sale of Fund shares, which if included would lower the performance shown above. Returns do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund distributions or the sale of Fund shares. The returns set forth below represent past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The market price of Fund shares value will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted below. Please visit our web site at www.GSAMFUNDS.com to obtain the most recent month-end returns.

MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund’s Lifetime Performance

Market price performance of a $10,000 investment, with distributions reinvested, from September 26, 2014 through November 30, 2020.

LOGO


Average Annual Total Return through November 30, 2020*	One Year	Five Years	Since Inception
Common Shares (Commenced September 26, 2014)	-75.55%	-27.87%	-32.42%

Total returns are calculated assuming purchase of a share at the market price on the first day and sale of a share at the market price on the last day of each period reported. The total returns assume the reinvestment of dividends and do not reflect brokerage commissions in connection with the purchase or sale of Fund shares, which if included would lower the performance shown above.

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

Schedule of Investments

November 30, 2020


Shares		Description	Value

Common Stocks – 97.9%
Gathering + Processing – 21.0%
	238,302	Crestwood Equity Partners LP	$	3,886,706
	104,090	DCP Midstream LP		1,681,054
	944,036	MPLX LP		19,862,517
	295,644	The Williams Cos., Inc.		6,202,611
	289,349	Western Midstream Partners LP		3,732,602

				35,365,490

Marketing \| Retail – 0.7%
	78,881	Suburban Propane Partners LP		1,208,457

Marketing \| Wholesale – 5.6%
	261,770	CrossAmerica Partners LP		4,486,738
	180,447	Sunoco LP		5,014,622

				9,501,360

Other \| Liquefaction – 2.4%
	106,155	Cheniere Energy Partners LP		4,044,505

Other \| Rail Terminaling – 0.3%
	150,406	USD Partners LP		556,502

Pipeline Transportation \| Natural Gas – 23.4%
	1,668,240	Energy Transfer LP		10,309,723
	953,031	Enterprise Products Partners LP		18,488,802
	332,495	Equitrans Midstream Corp.		2,713,159
	81,040	TC Energy Corp.		3,560,087
	142,737	TC PipeLines LP		4,410,573

				39,482,344

Pipeline Transportation \| Petroleum – 40.7%
	311,318	BP Midstream Partners LP		3,530,346
	116,116	Delek Logistics Partners LP		3,515,992
	122,815	Enbridge, Inc.		3,833,056
	243,626	Holly Energy Partners LP		3,298,696
	443,799	Magellan Midstream Partners LP		18,262,329
	290,330	NuStar Energy LP		3,858,486
	402,865	PBF Logistics LP		3,758,730
	240,640	Pembina Pipeline Corp.		6,133,914
	256,752	Phillips 66 Partners LP		6,901,494
	1,546,223	Plains All American Pipeline LP		12,277,011
	318,542	Shell Midstream Partners LP		3,268,241

				68,638,295

Power Generation – 3.8%
	136,332	Atlantica Sustainable Infrastructure PLC		4,688,458
	15,140	Brookfield Renewable Partner LP		962,601
	13,283	NextEra Energy Partners LP		843,072

				6,494,131

	TOTAL COMMON STOCKS
	(Cost $163,875,434)		$	165,291,084


Units		Description	Value

Special Purpose Acquisition Company*^(a) – 1.2%
	195,116	Rice Acquisition Corp.	$	2,021,402
	(Cost 1,951,160)

Shares		Dividend Rate	Value

Investment Company^(b) – 1.6%
	Goldman Sachs Financial Square Government Fund – Institutional Shares
	2,597,513	0.016%	$	2,597,513
	(Cost $2,597,513)

	TOTAL INVESTMENTS – 100.7%
	(Cost $168,424,107)		$	169,909,999

	LIABILITIES IN EXCESS OF OTHER ASSETS – (0.7)%			(1,116,769	)

	NET ASSETS – 100.0%		$	168,793,230



The percentage shown for each investment category reflects the value of investments in that category as a percentage of net assets.

*		Non-income producing security.

(a)		Units consist of 1 share of common stock and 1/2 warrant.

(b)		Represents an affiliated issuer.



Investment Abbreviations:
LP		—Limited Partnership
PLC		—Public Limited Company


The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.		11

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

Statement of Assets and Liabilities

November 30, 2020



Assets:

Investments of unaffiliated issuers, at value (cost $165,826,594)	$	167,312,486

Investments of affiliated issuers, at value (cost $2,597,513)		2,597,513

Receivables:

Current taxes		1,109,284

Dividends		170,886

Prepaid state and local franchise taxes		7,271

Other assets		40,946

Total assets		171,238,386

Liabilities:

Due to custodian/over-draft		1,454,497

Payables:

Professional fees		437,301

Management fees		132,091

Interest on borrowing		30,695

Distributions payable		10,881

Accrued expenses		379,691

Total liabilities		2,445,156

Net Assets:

Paid-in capital		1,282,954,223

Total distributable earnings (loss)		(1,114,160,993	)

NET ASSETS	$	168,793,230

Shares Outstanding $0.001 par value (unlimited shares authorized):		17,219,530

Net asset value per share:		$9.80


12		The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

Statement of Operations

For the Fiscal Year Ended November 30, 2020



Investment income:

Dividends — unaffiliated issuers (net of foreign withholding taxes of $83,628)	$	24,026,348

Dividends — affiliated issuers		22,672

Less: Return of Capital on Dividends		(23,074,008	)

Interest		5,105

Total investment income		980,117

Expenses:

Interest on borrowings		39,212,707

Management fees		2,295,285

Professional fees		454,672

Franchise tax expense		448,931

Trustee fees		160,412

Custody, accounting and administrative services		67,553

Printing and mailing costs		49,339

Transfer agency fees		17,550

Other		116,051

Total operating expenses, before income taxes		42,822,500

Less — expense reductions		(3,280	)

Net operating expenses, before income taxes		42,819,220

NET INVESTMENT LOSS, BEFORE INCOME TAXES		(41,839,103	)

Current and deferred tax benefit		2,363

NET INVESTMENT LOSS, NET OF TAXES		(41,836,740	)

Realized and unrealized gain (loss):

Net realized gain (loss) from:

Investments — unaffiliated issuers		(302,758,403	)

Foreign currency transactions		(192	)

Current and deferred tax benefit		17,097

Net change in unrealized gain on:

Investments — unaffiliated issuers		135,183,820

Foreign currency translation		960

Deferred tax expense		(7,634	)

Net realized and unrealized loss, net of taxes		(167,564,352	)

NET DECREASE IN NET ASSETS RESULTING FROM OPERATIONS	$	(209,401,092	)


The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.		13

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

Statements of Changes in Net Assets


	For the Fiscal Year Ended November 30, 2020			For the Fiscal Year Ended November 30, 2019
From operations:

Net investment loss, net of taxes	$	(41,836,740	)	$	(9,211,177	)

Net realized loss, net of taxes		(302,741,498	)		(34,111,776	)

Net change in unrealized gain (loss), net of taxes		135,177,146			(39,067,627	)

Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations		(209,401,092	)		(82,390,580	)

Distributions to shareholders:

From distributable earnings		—			(1,370,834	)

From return of capital		(18,131,005	)		(49,493,089	)

Total distributions to shareholders		(18,131,005	)		(50,863,923	)

From share transactions:

Proceeds received in connection with reorganization		67,864,483			—

Increase from reinvestment of distributions		777,286			—

Net increase in net assets resulting from share transactions		68,641,769			—

TOTAL DECREASE		(158,890,328	)		(133,254,503	)

Net assets:

Beginning of year		327,683,558			460,938,061

End of year	$	168,793,230		$	327,683,558


14		The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

Statement of Cash Flows

For the Fiscal Year Ended November 30, 2020



Increase/(Decrease) in cash – Cash flows provided by operating activities:

Net decrease in net assets from operations	$	(209,401,092	)

Adjustments to reconcile net decrease in net assets from operations to net cash provided by/(used in) operating activities:

Payments for purchases of investments		(135,127,172	)

Proceeds from sales of investment securities		370,893,771

Corporate actions purchases and sales, net		690,642

Sales of short term investments, net		2,145,574

Return of capital on dividends		23,074,008

(Increase) Decrease in Assets:

Receivable for investments sold		2,121,969

Receivable for dividends		(86,436	)

Receivable for current taxes		(898,356	)

Prepaid state and local franchise taxes		140,321

Other assets		(39,606	)

Increase (Decrease) in Liabilities:

Payable for investments purchased		(4,257,985	)

Management fees payable		(401,103	)

Interest on borrowings payable		(1,239,227	)

Payable for deferred tax, net		(9,889	)

Professional fees payable		110,002

Accrued expenses		(704,197	)

Net realized gain (loss) on:

Investments		302,758,403

Net change in unrealized gain (loss) on:

Investments		(135,183,820	)

Net cash provided by operating activities		214,585,807

Cash flows used in financing activities:

Repayment of borrowing facility		(202,500,000	)

Cash received in connection with tax-free reorganization^(a)		82,854

Cash distributions paid		(18,181,540	)

Net cash used in financing activities		(220,598,686	)

NET DECREASE IN CASH	$	(6,012,879	)

Cash:

Beginning of year		4,558,382

End of year	$	(1,454,497	)

Supplemental disclosure:

Cash paid for interest on borrowings and related fees	$	40,451,934

Cash paid for income taxes		(898,356	)

Reinvestment of distributions		777,286

(a)

After the close of business on September 25, 2020, net assets of $67,864,483 were acquired in connection with the tax-free reorganization, including $82,854 in cash, $235,982 in other assets and $430,244 of assumed liabilities.


The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.		15

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

Financial Highlights

Selected Share Data for a Share Outstanding Throughout Each Year


	Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund
	Year Ended November 30,
	2020			2019			2018			2017			2016
Per Share Data*

Net asset value, beginning of year	$	37.08		$	52.20		$	54.45		$	68.04		$	67.05

Net investment loss^(a)		(4.06	)		(1.08	)		(1.35	)		(1.89	)		(1.17	)

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)		(21.31	)		(8.28	)		4.86			(5.94	)		7.92

Total from investment operations		(25.37	)		(9.36	)		3.51			(7.83	)		6.75

Distributions to shareholders from net investment income		—			(0.18	)		(3.87	)		(3.15	)		—

Distributions to shareholders from return of capital		(1.91	)		(5.58	)		(1.89	)		(2.61	)		(5.76	)

Total distributions		(1.91	)		(5.76	)		(5.76	)		(5.76	)		(5.76	)

Net asset value, end of year		9.80			37.08			52.20			54.45			68.04

Market price, end of year	$	7.69		$	35.28		$	47.79		$	51.03		$	63.81

Total return based on net asset value^(b)		(70.47	)%		(18.85	)%		6.31	%		(12.32	)%		12.13	%

Total return based on market price^(b)		(75.64	)%		(15.66	)%		3.86	%		(12.38	)%		4.20	%

Net assets, end of year (in 000s)	$	168,793		$	327,684		$	460,938		$	479,443		$	597,558

Ratio of net expenses to average net assets after interest expense and tax benefit/(expenses)^(c)		26.26	%		2.78	%		3.46	%		2.79	%		3.29	%

Ratio of net expenses to average net assets after interest expense and before tax benefit/(expenses)		26.27	%		3.48	%		2.88	%		3.03	%		3.01	%

Ratio of total expenses to average net assets before interest expense and tax benefit/(expenses)		2.21	%		1.77	%		1.65	%		1.68	%		1.75	%

Ratio of net investment loss to average net assets^(d)		(25.67	)%		(2.09	)%		(2.28	)%		(2.78	)%		(2.01	)%

Portfolio turnover rate^(e)		61	%		69	%		61	%		31	%		64	%

Asset coverage, end of period per $1,000^(f)	$	—		$	2,618		$	2,983		$	2,998		$	3,339

On April 13, 2020, the Fund effected a 9-for-1 reverse share split. All per share data prior to April 13, 2020 has been adjusted to reflect the reverse share split.

(a)

Calculated based on the average shares outstanding methodology.

(b)

Total returns are calculated assuming purchase of a share at the market price or NAV on the first day and sale of a share at the market price or NAV on the last day of the period reported. Dividends and distributions, if any, are assumed, for purposes of this calculation, to be reinvested at prices obtained under the Fund’s dividend reinvestment plan. Total return does not reflect brokerage commissions or sales charges in connection with the purchase or sale of Fund shares.

(c)

Current and deferred tax expense/benefit for the ratio calculation is derived from the net investment income (loss), and realized and unrealized gains (losses).

(d)

Current and deferred tax expense/benefit for the ratio calculation is derived from the net investment income (loss) only.

(e)

The Fund’s portfolio turnover rate is calculated in accordance with regulatory requirements, without regard to transactions involving short term investments. If such transactions were included, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate may be higher. On September 25, 2020, Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund acquired all of the net assets of Goldman Sachs MLP Income Opportunities Fund pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of Reorganization. Portfolio turnover excludes purchases and sales of securities by Goldman Sachs MLP Income Opportunities Fund (acquired fund) prior to the reorganization date.

(f)

Calculated by dividing the Fund’s Managed Assets by the amount of borrowings outstanding under the credit facility at period end. As of November 30, 2020 the Fund had no borrowings under the credit facility.


16		The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

Notes to Financial Statements

November 30, 2020

1. ORGANIZATION

The Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund (the “Fund”) is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) and the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”). The Fund was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on July 7, 2014. The shares of the Fund are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) and trade under the symbol “GER”.

Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P. (“GSAM”), an affiliate of Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, serves as investment adviser to the Fund pursuant to a management agreement (the “Agreement”) with the Fund.

On April 13, 2020, the Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund had a 9-for-1 reverse share split, effective after the market close on April 13, 2020. The share split had no impact on the overall value of a shareholder’s investment in the Fund.

Pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of Reorganization (the “Reorganization Agreement”) approved by the Fund’s Board of Trustees and shareholders of the Goldman Sachs MLP Income Opportunities Fund (the “Acquired Fund”), all of the assets and liabilities of the Acquired Fund were transferred to the Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund (“Survivor Fund”) as of the close of business on September 25, 2020 (the “Reorganization”). Shareholders of the Fund also approved the issuance of additional common shares in connection with the Reorganization. As part of the Reorganization, holders of the Acquired Fund’s shares received shares of the Fund in an amount equal to the aggregate net asset value of their investment in the Acquired Fund. The Reorganization was a tax-free event to shareholders.

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and require management to make estimates and assumptions that may affect the reported amounts and disclosures. Actual results may differ from those estimates and assumptions. The Fund is an investment company under GAAP and follows the accounting and reporting guidance applicable to investment companies.

A. Investment Valuation — The Fund’s valuation policy is to value investments at fair value.

B. Investment Income and Investments — Investment income includes interest income, dividend income, net of any foreign withholding taxes and less any amounts reclaimable. Interest income is accrued daily and adjusted for amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts. Dividend income is recognized on ex-dividend date or, for certain foreign securities, as soon as such information is obtained subsequent to the ex-dividend date. Non-cash dividends, if any, are recorded at the fair market value of the securities received. Investment transactions are reflected on trade date. Realized gains and losses are calculated using identified cost. Investment transactions are recorded on the following business day for daily net asset value (“NAV”) calculations. Distributions from master limited partnerships (“MLPs”) are generally recorded based on the characterization reported on a Fund’s schedule K-1 received from the MLPs. The Fund records its pro-rata share of the income/loss and capital gains/losses, allocated

from the underlying partnerships and adjust the cost basis of the underlying partnerships accordingly.

C. Expenses — Expenses incurred by the Fund, which may not specifically relate to the Fund, may be shared with other registered investment companies having management agreements with GSAM or its affiliates, as appropriate. These expenses are allocated to the Fund on a straight-line and/or pro-rata basis depending upon the nature of the expenses and are accrued daily.

D. Distributions to Shareholders — While the Fund seeks to distribute substantially all of the Fund’s distributable cash flow received as cash distributions from MLPs, interest payments received on debt securities owned by the Fund and other payments on securities owned by the Fund, less Fund expenses, in order to permit the Fund to maintain more stable quarterly distributions, the distributions paid by the Fund may be more or less than the amount of net distributable earnings actually earned by the Fund. These distributions could include a return of a shareholder’s invested capital which would reduce such Fund’s NAV. The Fund estimates that only a portion of the distributions paid to shareholders will be treated as dividend income. The remaining portion of the Fund’s distribution, which may be significant, is expected to be a return of capital. These estimates are based on the Fund’s operating results during the period, and their final federal income tax characterization may differ.

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

Notes to Financial Statements (continued)

November 30, 2020

2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued)

The characterization of distributions to shareholders for financial reporting purposes is determined in accordance with federal income tax rules, which may differ from GAAP. Certain components of the Fund’s net assets on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities reflect permanent GAAP/Tax differences based on the appropriate tax character.

E. Income Taxes — The Fund does not intend to qualify as a regulated investment company pursuant to Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, but will rather be taxed as a corporation. As a result, the Fund is obligated to pay federal, state and local income tax on its taxable income. The Fund invests primarily in MLPs, which generally are treated as partnerships for federal income tax purposes. As a limited partner in the MLPs, the Fund must report its allocable share of the MLPs’ taxable income or loss in computing its own taxable income or loss. In addition, sales of MLP investments will result in allocations to the Fund of taxable ordinary income or loss and capital gain or loss, each in amounts that will not be reported to the Fund until the following year, in magnitudes often not readily estimable before such reporting is made.

The Fund’s tax expense or benefit is included in the Statement of Operations based on the component of income or gains/losses to which such expense or benefit relates. Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes. Such temporary differences are principally: (i) taxes on unrealized gains/losses, which are attributable to the temporary difference between fair market value and tax basis, (ii) the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting and income tax purposes, and (iii) the net tax benefit of accumulated net operating losses and capital loss carryforwards. The Fund will accrue a deferred income tax liability balance, at the currently effective statutory United States (“U.S.”) federal income tax rate plus an estimated state and local income tax rate, for its future tax liability associated with the capital appreciation of its investments and the distributions received by the Fund on interests of MLPs considered to be return of capital and for any net operating gains. The Fund may also record a deferred tax asset balance, which reflects an estimate of the Fund’s future tax benefit associated with net operating losses, capital loss carryforwards, and/or unrealized losses.

To the extent the Fund has a deferred tax asset, consideration is given to whether or not a valuation allowance, which would offset the value of some or all of the deferred tax asset balance, is required. A valuation allowance is required if based on the evaluation criterion provided by Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 740, Income Taxes (ASC 740) it is more likely than not that some portion, or all, of the deferred tax asset will not be realized. The factors considered in assessing the Fund’s valuation allowance include: the nature, frequency and severity of current and cumulative losses, the duration of the statutory carryforward periods and the associated risks that operating and capital loss carryforwards may expire unutilized. From time to time, as new information becomes available, the Fund will modify its estimates or assumptions regarding the deferred tax liability or asset. Unexpected significant decreases in cash distributions from the Fund’s MLP investments or significant declines in the fair value of its investments may change the Fund’s assessment regarding the recoverability of their deferred tax assets and may result in a valuation allowance. If a valuation allowance is required to reduce any deferred tax asset in the future, it could have a material impact on the Fund’s NAV and results of operations in the period it is recorded. The Fund will rely to some extent on information provided by MLPs, which may not be provided to the Fund on a timely basis, to estimate operating income/loss and gains/losses and current taxes and deferred tax liabilities and/or asset balances for purposes of daily reporting of NAVs and financial statement reporting.

It is the Fund’s policy to classify interest and penalties associated with underpayment of federal and state income taxes, if any, as income tax expense on its Statement of Operations. The Fund anticipates filing income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and various states, and such returns are subject to examination by the tax jurisdictions. The Fund has reviewed all major jurisdictions and concluded that there is no significant impact on its net assets and no tax liability resulting from unrecognized tax benefits or expenses relating to uncertain tax positions expected to be taken on its tax returns.

Return of Capital Estimates — Distributions received from the Fund’s investments in MLPs generally are comprised of income and return of capital. The Fund records investment income and return of capital based on estimates made at the time such distributions are received. Such estimates are based on historical information available from each MLP and other industry sources. These estimates may subsequently be revised based on information received from MLPs after their tax reporting periods are concluded.

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

3. INVESTMENTS AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

The fair value of a financial instrument is the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date (i.e., the exit price); the Fund’s policy is to use the market approach. GAAP establishes a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). The level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement in its entirety falls shall be determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. The levels used for classifying investments are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in these investments. The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are described below:

Level 1 — Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities;

Level 2 — Quoted prices in markets that are not active or financial instruments for which significant inputs are observable (including, but not limited to, quoted prices for similar investments, interest rates, foreign exchange rates, volatility and credit spreads), either directly or indirectly;

Level 3 — Prices or valuations that require significant unobservable inputs (including GSAM’s assumptions in determining fair value measurement).

The Board of Trustees (“Trustees”) has approved Valuation Procedures that govern the valuation of the portfolio investments held by the Fund, including investments for which market quotations are not readily available. The Trustees have delegated to GSAM day-to-day responsibility for implementing and maintaining internal controls and procedures related to the valuation of the Fund’s portfolio investments. To assess the continuing appropriateness of pricing sources and methodologies, GSAM regularly performs price verification procedures and issues challenges as necessary to third party pricing vendors or brokers, and any differences are reviewed in accordance with the Valuation Procedures.

A. Level 1 and Level 2 Fair Value Investments — The valuation techniques and significant inputs used in determining the fair values for investments classified as Level 1 and Level 2 are as follows:

Equity Securities — Equity securities traded on a United States (“U.S.”) securities exchange or the NASDAQ system, or those located on certain foreign exchanges, including but not limited to the Americas, are valued daily at their last sale price or official closing price on the principal exchange or system on which they are traded. If there is no sale or official closing price or such price is believed by GSAM to not represent fair value, equity securities will be valued at the valid closing bid price for long positions and at the valid closing ask price for short positions (i.e. where there is sufficient volume, during normal exchange trading hours). If no valid bid/ask price is available, the equity security will be valued pursuant to the Valuation Procedures approved by the Trustees and consistent with applicable regulatory guidance. To the extent these investments are actively traded, they are classified as Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy, otherwise they are generally classified ss Level 2. Certain equity securities containing unique attributes may be classified as Level 2.

Unlisted equity securities for which market quotations are available are valued at the last sale price on the valuation date, or if no sale occurs, at the last bid price, and are generally classified as Level 2.

Money Market Funds — Investments in the Goldman Sachs Financial Square Government Fund—Institutional Shares (“Underlying Fund”) are valued at the NAV on the day of valuation. These investments are generally classified as Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy. For information regarding an Underlying Fund’s accounting policies and investment holdings, please see the Underlying Fund’s shareholder report.

B. Level 3 Fair Value Investments — To the extent that significant inputs to valuation models and other alternative pricing sources are unobservable, or if quotations are not readily available, or if GSAM believes that such quotations do not accurately reflect fair value, the fair value of the Fund’s investments may be determined under Valuation Procedures approved by the Trustees. GSAM, consistent with its procedures and applicable regulatory guidance, may make an adjustment to the most recent valuation prices of either domestic or foreign securities in light of significant events to reflect what it believes to be the fair value of the securities at the time of determining a Fund’s NAV. To the extent investments are valued using single source broker

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

Notes to Financial Statements (continued)

November 30, 2020

3. INVESTMENTS AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS (continued)

quotations obtained directly from the broker or passed through from third party pricing vendors, such investments are classified as Level 3 investments.

C. Fair Value Hierarchy — The following is a summary of the Fund’s investments classified in the fair value hierarchy as of November 30,2020:



Investment Type	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3

Assets

Common Stock^(a)

MLP’s

North America	$	138,159,799	$	—	$	—

Corporations

Europe		4,688,458		—		—

North America		22,442,827

Special Purpose Acquisition Company		2,021,402		—		—

Investment Company		2,597,513		—		—

Total	$	169,909,999	$	—	$	—

(a)

Amounts are disclosed by continent to highlight the impact of time zone differences between local market close and the calculation of net asset value. Security valuations are based on the principal exchange or system on which they are traded, which may differ from country of domicile.

For further information regarding security characteristics, see the Schedule of Investments.

4. TAXATION

Total income taxes are computed by applying the federal statutory rate plus a blended state income tax rate. During the fiscal year ended November 30, 2020, the Fund reevaluated its blended state income tax rate, decreasing the rate from 2.47% to 2.11% due to anticipated changes in state apportionment of income and gains. The reconciliation between the federal statutory income tax rate of 21% and the effective tax rate on net investment income/loss and realized and unrealized gain/loss is as follows:


Application of statutory income tax rate	$	(43,976,713	)	21.00	%

State income taxes, net of federal benefit		(4,418,613	)	2.11	%

Change in estimated deferred tax rate		3,047,777		(1.46	)%

Effect of permanent differences		(5,354	)	0.00	%

Benefit of Tax Attributes Acquired in Reorganization		(52,736,334	)	25.18	%

Capital Loss Carryforward Expiration		129,055,906		-61.63	%
Change in Valuation Allowance		(30,978,495	)	14.79	%
Total current and deferred income tax expense/(benefit), net	$	(11,826	)	-0.01	%

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

4. TAXATION (continued)

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using effective tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years such temporary differences are realized or otherwise settled. At November 30, 2020, components of the Fund’s deferred tax assets and liabilities are as follows:


Deferred tax assets:
Net operating loss carryforward — see table below for expiration	$	1,674,607
Capital loss carryforward (tax basis) — see table below for expiration		168,082,598
Other tax assets		1,953,197
Valuation Allowance		(167,739,302	)
Total Deferred Tax assets	$	3,971,100

Deferred tax liabilities:
Book vs. tax partnership income to be recognized	$	(954,626	)
Net unrealized gain on investment securities (tax basis)		(3,016,474	)
Total Deferred Tax Liabilities	$	(3,971,100	)
Net Deferred Tax Asset/(Liability)	$	—

At November 30, 2020, the Fund had net operating loss carryforwards, subject to expiration and limitation based on the fiscal year generated, as follows:


Expiration	Amount
November 30, 2037	$	1,630,094
November 30, 2038		5,616,148

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”) was signed into law on December 22, 2017. The TCJA made modifications to the net operating loss (“NOL”) deduction. The TCJA eliminated the NOL carryback ability and replaced the 20 year carryforward period with an indefinite carryforward period for any NOLs arising in tax years beginning after December 31, 2017. The TCJA also established a limitation for any NOLs generated in tax years beginning after December 31, 2017 to the lesser of the aggregate of available NOLs or 80% of taxable income before any NOL utilization.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Stability Act (CARES Act) was signed into law on March 27, 2020. The CARES Act delays the application of the 80% net operating loss limitation, established under TCJA, to tax years ending November 30, 2022 and beyond.

At November 30, 2020, the Fund had capital loss carryforwards, subject to expiration and limitation based on the fiscal year generated, as follows:


Expiration	Amount
November 30, 2021	$	371,704,777
November 30, 2024		81,840,017
November 30, 2025		273,770,646

As of the close of business on September 25, 2020, the Fund acquired all of the assets and liabilities of the Acquired Fund in a tax free reorganization. Although the Fund acquired all of the tax attributes of the Acquired Fund as of the reorganization date, its ability to utilize all the loss carryforwards acquired is limited under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code. The amounts above include a net operating loss carryforward of $1,630,094 and a capital loss carryforward of $2,517,589 from the Acquired Fund that may be available for use by the Fund, although utilization of these amounts is subject to an annual limitation. The net operating loss carryforward will expire in fiscal year ending November 30, 2037 and the capital loss carryforward will expire in fiscal year

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

Notes to Financial Statements (continued)

November 30, 2020

4. TAXATION (continued)

ending November 30, 2024. A full valuation allowance has been placed against the loss carryforwards. Additionally, a capital loss carryforward of $234,022,088 from the Acquired Fund was written off because it is expected to expire unutilized due to Section 382 limitation.

The Fund had a capital loss carryforward expire unutilized in the current year in the amount of $343,843,658. The Fund also had a capital loss carryforward acquired in the reorganization with the Acquired Fund that expired unutilized in the current year in the amount of $214,598,166.

The Fund reviews the recoverability of its deferred tax assets based upon the weight of the available evidence. When assessing, the Fund’s management considers available carrybacks, reversing temporary taxable differences, and tax planning, if any. As a result of its analysis of the recoverability of its deferred tax assets, the Fund recorded the following valuation allowances as of November 30, 2020:


Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund		$	167,739,302

As of November 30, 2020, components of the Fund’s current and deferred tax expense/(benefit) are as follows:


	Current			Deferred			Total
Federal	$	—		$	25,380,511		$	25,380,511
State		(11,826	)		5,597,984			5,586,158
Valuation Allowance		—			(30,978,495	)		(30,978,495	)
Total	$	(11,826	)	$	—		$	(11,826	)

At November 30, 2020, gross unrealized appreciation and depreciation of investments, based on cost for federal income tax purposes was as follows:


Tax Cost	$	152,727,510
Gross unrealized gain		34,600,169
Gross unrealized loss		(17,417,680	)
Net unrealized gain (loss)	$	17,182,489

Any difference between cost amounts for financial statement and federal income tax purposes is due primarily to wash sales and timing differences related to the tax treatment of partnership investments.

For the fiscal year ended November 30, 2020, the Fund’s distributions are estimated to be comprised of 0.00% from taxable income and 100% return of capital. Shareholders will be informed of the final tax characterization of the distributions in February 2021. The Fund’s tax years ended November 30, 2017 through November 30, 2019 remain open for examination by U.S. and state tax authorities. Management of the Fund is not aware of any tax positions for which it is reasonably possible that the total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits or expenses will significantly change in the next 12 months.

5. AGREEMENTS AND AFFILIATED TRANSACTIONS

A. Management Agreement — Under the Fund’s Agreement, GSAM manages the Fund, subject to the general supervision of the Board of Trustees.

As compensation for the services rendered pursuant to the respective Agreement, the assumption of the expenses related thereto and administration of the Fund’s business affairs, including providing facilities, GSAM is entitled to a management fee, accrued daily and paid monthly, equal to an annual percentage rate of 1.00% of the Fund’s average daily managed net assets for the fiscal year ended November 30, 2020. Managed assets are defined as total assets of the Fund (including any assets attributable to

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

5. AGREEMENTS AND AFFILIATED TRANSACTIONS (continued)

borrowings for investment purposes) minus the sum of all accrued liabilities (other than liabilities representing indebtedness for investment purposes).

The Fund invests in Institutional Shares of the Goldman Sachs Financial Square Government Fund, which is an affiliated Underlying Fund. GSAM has agreed to waive a portion of its management fee payable by the Fund in an amount equal to the management fee it earns as investment adviser to the affiliated Underlying Fund in which the Fund invests. For the fiscal year ended November 30, 2020, GSAM waived $3,280 of the Fund’s management fees.

B. Other Transactions with Affiliates — For the fiscal year ended November 30, 2020, Goldman Sachs did not earn any brokerage commissions from portfolio transactions on behalf of the Fund.

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC or certain of its affiliates may be deemed to be an affiliate of the Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund as a result of it or certain of its affiliates owning, controlling or holding the power to vote 5% or more of the Fund’s outstanding shares. During the fiscal year ended November 30, 2020, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC earned $6,939 in brokerage commissions from portfolio transactions with the Fund.

The table below shows the transactions in and earnings from investments in all affiliated funds as of and for the fiscal year ended November 30, 2020:

Underlying Fund

Beginning

Value as of

November 30, 2019

Purchases
at Cost

Proceeds
from Sales

Ending

Value as of

November 30, 2020

Shares as of

November 30, 2020

Dividend
Income

Goldman Sachs Financial Square Government Fund

4,743,087

62,770,813

(64,916,387

)

2,597,513

22,672

C. Financing Agreement — The Fund has entered into an evergreen fixed/floating rate margin loan facility (the “Credit Facility”) with a major U.S. financial institution. The Credit Facility provides for borrowings in an aggregate amount up to $30,000,000. Prior to September 25, 2020, the Credit Facility provided for borrowings of up to $20,000,000 for the Fund. Prior to April 1, 2020, the Credit Facility provided for borrowings of up to $220,000,000 for the Fund. Borrowings under the Credit Facility, which are secured by certain assets of the Fund, bear interest subject to a Fund’s election of fixed rate and/or floating rate borrowings. The interest rates for the fixed rate borrowings are based on the lender’s internal fixed rates plus a mutually agreed-upon spread. The interest rates for the floating rate borrowings are based on variable rates (i.e., LIBOR) plus market spreads. The Fund also pays an unused commitment fee of 0.20% per annum. Interest is accrued daily and paid quarterly. Under the terms of the Credit Facility, in the event of an early termination of any fixed rate borrowing, the Fund will receive or pay any gain or loss associated with the lender’s interest rate hedge, which could be material in certain circumstances, as well as any related termination costs (“Breakage Fees/Expenses”). For the fiscal year ended November 30, 2020, the Fund paid Breakage Fees of $36,617,957. Such amounts were included with “Interest on borrowings” on the Statement of Operations and Statement of Cash Flows.

The Fund had borrowings from December 1, 2019 through March 31, 2020. During this period the Fund had an average outstanding balance and weighted average annual interest rate of $198,036,885 and 3.797%, respectively. As of November 30, 2020, there were no outstanding borrowings under the Credit Facility.

6. PORTFOLIO SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS

The cost of purchases and proceeds from sales and maturities of long-term securities (reorganization transactions excluded) for the fiscal year ended November 30, 2020, were $135,127,172 and $370,893,771, respectively.

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

Notes to Financial Statements (continued)

November 30, 2020

7. OTHER RISKS

The Fund’s risks include, but are not limited to, the following:

Investments in Other Investment Companies — As a shareholder of another investment company, the Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any net management fees and other expenses paid by such other investment companies, in addition to the fees and expenses regularly borne by the Fund.

Leverage Risk — The Fund may use leverage to seek to achieve its investment objectives. The use of leverage creates an opportunity for increased net investment income dividends, but also creates risks for the investors. There is no assurance that the Fund’s intended leveraging strategy will be successful. Leverage involves risks and special considerations, including the likelihood of greater volatility of NAV, market price and dividend rate than a comparable portfolio without leverage; the risk that fluctuations in interest rates on borrowings and short-term debt or in the interest or dividend rates on any leverage that a Fund must pay will reduce the Fund’s return; the effect of leverage in a declining market, which is likely to cause a greater decline in the NAV than if the Fund were not leveraged, which may result in a greater decline in the market price; the investment advisory fees payable to the Investment Adviser will be higher than if the Fund did not use financial leverage; and that leverage may increase operating costs, which may reduce total return. The use of leverage may impact a Fund’s ability to declare dividends and distributions; the Fund are generally not permitted to declare cash dividends or other distributions unless, at the time of such declaration, the value of the Fund’s assets, less liabilities other than the principal amount of borrowings, is at least 300% of such principal amount (after deducting the amount of such dividend or distribution). This prohibition does not apply to privately arranged debt that is not intended to be publicly distributed (i.e., each Fund’s credit facility, as discussed above). Under the terms of each Credit Facility, in the event of an early termination of any fixed rate borrowings, the Fund will receive or pay any gain or loss associated with the lender’s interest rate hedge, which could be material in certain circumstances, as well as any related termination costs.

Liquidity Risk — The Fund may make investments that are illiquid or that may become less liquid in response to market developments or adverse investor perceptions. Illiquid investments may be more difficult to value.

Market and Credit Risks — An investment in the Fund represents an indirect investment in the securities owned by the Fund, a significant portion of which are traded on a national securities exchange. The value of these securities, like other investments, may move up or down, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably, in response to the prospects of individual companies, particular sectors or governments and/or general economic conditions throughout the world due to increasingly interconnected global economies and financial markets. Events such as war, acts of terrorism, social unrest, natural disasters, the spread of infectious illness or other public health threats could also significantly impact a Fund and its investments. The Fund may utilize leverage, which magnifies the market risk.

Additionally, the Fund may also be exposed to credit risk in the event that an issuer fails to perform or that an institution or entity with which the Fund has unsettled or open transactions defaults.

Market Discount Risk — Shares of closed-end investment companies frequently trade at a discount from their NAV. This characteristic is a risk separate and distinct from the risk that the Fund’s NAV could decrease as a result of its investment activities and may be greater for investors expecting to sell their shares in a relatively short period of time following completion of the Fund’s initial offering. Although the value of a Fund’s net assets is generally considered by market participants in determining whether to purchase or sell shares, whether investors will realize gains or losses upon the sale of their shares will depend entirely upon whether the market price of the shares at the time of sale is above or below the investor’s adjusted tax cost basis for the shares. Because the market price of the shares will be determined by factors such as (i) NAV, (ii) dividend and distribution levels and their stability (which will in turn be affected by levels of dividend and interest payments by a Fund’s portfolio holdings, the timing and success of the Fund’s investment strategies, regulations affecting the timing and character of Fund distributions, Fund expenses and other factors), (iii) supply of and demand for the shares, (iv) trading volume of the shares, (v) general market, interest rate and economic conditions and (vi) other factors that may be beyond the control of the Fund. A Fund cannot predict whether the shares will trade at, below or above NAV or at, below or above the initial public offering price.

Master Limited Partnership Risk— Investments in securities of MLPs involve risks that differ from investments in common stocks, including risks related to limited control and limited rights to vote on matters affecting the MLP, risks related to potential

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

7. OTHER RISKS (continued)

conflicts of interest between the MLP and the MLP’s general partner, cash flow risks, dilution risks, limited liquidity and risks related to the general partner’s right to require unit-holders to sell their common units at an undesirable time or price.

Non-Diversification Risk— The Fund is non-diversified, meaning that it is permitted to invest a larger percentage of its assets in fewer issuers than diversified mutual funds. Thus, the Fund may be more susceptible to adverse developments affecting any single issuer held in its portfolio, and may be more susceptible to greater losses because of these developments.

Sector Risk — To the extent the Fund focuses its investments in securities of issuers in one or more sectors (such as the energy sector), the Fund will be subject, to a greater extent than if its investments were diversified across different sectors, to the risks of volatile economic cycles and/or conditions and developments that may be particular to that sector, such as: adverse economic, business, political, environmental or other developments.

Strategy Risk — The Fund’s strategy of investing primarily in MLPs, resulting in its being taxed as a corporation, or a “C” corporation, rather than as a regulated investment company for U.S. federal income tax purposes, is a relatively new investment strategy for funds. This strategy involves complicated accounting, tax and valuation issues. Volatility in the NAV may be experienced because of the use of estimates at various times during a given year that may result in unexpected and potentially significant consequences for the Fund and its shareholders.

Special Purpose Acquisition Companies Risk — The Fund may invest in stock, warrants, and other securities of special purpose acquisition companies (“SPACs”) or similar special purpose entities that pool funds to seek potential acquisition opportunities. Because SPACs and similar entities are in essence blank check companies without operating history or ongoing business other than seeking acquisitions, the value of their securities is particularly dependent on the ability of the entity’s management to identify and complete a profitable acquisition. An investment in a SPAC is subject to a variety of risks, including that (i) a portion of the monies raised by the SPAC for the purpose of effecting an acquisition or merger may be expended prior to the transaction for payment of taxes and other purposes; (ii) prior to any acquisition or merger, a SPAC’s assets are typically invested in government securities, money market funds and similar investments whose returns or yields may be significantly lower than those of the Fund’s other investments; (iii) the Fund generally will not receive significant income from its investments in SPACs (both prior to and after any acquisition or merger) and, therefore, the Fund’s investments in SPACs will not significantly contribute to the Fund’s distributions to shareholders; (iv) an attractive acquisition or merger target may not be identified at all, in which case the SPAC will be required to return any remaining monies to shareholders; (v) if an acquisition or merger target is identified, the Fund may elect not to participate in the proposed transaction or the Fund may be required to divest its interests in the SPAC due to regulatory or other considerations, in which case the warrants or other rights with respect to the SPAC held by the Fund may expire worthless or may be repurchased or retired by the SPAC at an unfavorable price; (vi) any proposed merger or acquisition may be unable to obtain the requisite approval, if any, of SPAC shareholders; (vii) under any circumstances in which the Fund receives a refund of all or a portion of its original investment (which typically represents a pro rata share of the proceeds of the SPAC’s assets, less any applicable taxes), the returns on that investment may be negligible, and the Fund may be subject to opportunity costs to the extent that alternative investments would have produced higher returns; (viii) to the extent an acquisition or merger is announced or completed, shareholders who sell their shares prior to that time may not reap any resulting benefits; (ix) the Fund may be delayed in receiving any redemption or liquidation proceeds from a SPAC to which it is entitled; (x) an acquisition or merger once effected may prove unsuccessful and an investment in the SPAC may lose value; (xi) an investment in a SPAC may be diluted by additional later offerings of interests in the SPAC or by other investors exercising existing rights to purchase shares of the SPAC; (xii) only a thinly traded market for shares of or interests in a SPAC may develop, or there may be no market at all, leaving the Fund unable to sell its interest in a SPAC or to sell its interest only at a price below what the Fund believes is the SPAC interest’s intrinsic value; and (xiii) the values of investments in SPACs may be highly volatile and may depreciate significantly over time.

Tax Risks — Tax risks associated with investments in the Fund include but are not limited to the following:

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

Notes to Financial Statements (continued)

November 30, 2020

7. OTHER RISKS (continued)

Fund Structure Risk. Unlike traditional mutual funds that are structured as regulated investment companies for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Fund will be taxable as a regular corporation, or “C” corporation, for U.S. federal income tax purposes. This means the Fund generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on its taxable income at the rates applicable to corporations, and will also be subject to state and local income taxes.

MLP Tax Risk. MLPs are generally treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Partnerships do not pay U.S. federal income tax at the partnership level. Rather, each partner is allocated a share of the partnership’s income, gains, losses, deductions and expenses. A change in current tax law or a change in the underlying business mix of a given MLP could result in an MLP being treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, which would result in the MLP being required to pay U.S. federal income tax (as well as state and local income taxes) on its taxable income. This would have the effect of reducing the amount of cash available for distribution by the MLP and could result in a reduction in the value of a Fund’s investment in the MLP and lower income to the Fund.

To the extent a distribution received by the Fund from an MLP is treated as a return of capital, the Fund’s adjusted tax basis in the interests of the MLP will be reduced, which may increase the Fund’s tax liability upon the sale of the interests in the MLP or upon subsequent distributions in respect of such interests.

Tax Estimation/NAV Risk. In calculating the Fund’s daily NAV, the Fund will, among other things, include its current taxes and deferred tax liability and/or asset balances and related valuation balances, if any. The Fund may accrue a deferred income tax liability balance, at the currently effective statutory U.S. federal income tax rate (currently 21%) plus an estimated state and local income tax rate, for its future tax liability associated with the capital appreciation of its investments and the distributions received by the Fund on interests of MLPs considered to be return of capital and for any net operating gains. Any deferred tax liability balance will reduce the Fund’s NAV which could have an effect on the market price of the shares. A Fund may also record a deferred tax asset balance, which reflects an estimate of the Fund’s future tax benefit associated with net operating losses, capital loss carryforwards, and/or unrealized losses. Any deferred tax asset balance will increase a Fund’s NAV to the extent it exceeds any valuation allowance which could have an effect on the market price of the shares. The Fund will rely to some extent on information provided by MLPs, which may not be provided to the Fund on a timely basis, to estimate current taxes and deferred tax liability and/or asset balances for purposes of financial statement reporting and determining its NAV. The daily estimate of a Fund’s current taxes and deferred tax liability and/ or asset balances used to calculate the Fund’s NAV could vary significantly from the Fund’s actual tax liability or benefit, and, as a result, the determination of the Fund’s actual tax liability or benefit may have a material impact on the Fund’s NAV. From time to time, the Fund may modify its estimates or assumptions regarding its current taxes and deferred tax liability and/ or asset balances as new information becomes available, which modifications in estimates or assumptions may have a material impact on the Fund’s NAV.

The above risks represent a portion of the Fund’s risks. Please refer to the Principal Risks of the Fund section for a complete list of all principal risks of the Fund.

8. INDEMNIFICATIONS

Under the Trust’s organizational documents, its Trustees, officers, employees and agents are indemnified, to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act and state law, against certain liabilities that may arise out of performance of their duties to the Fund.

Additionally, in the course of business, the Fund enter into contracts that contain a variety of indemnification clauses. The Fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Fund that have not yet occurred. However, GSAM believes the risk of loss under these arrangements to be remote.

9. OTHER MATTERS

Mergers and Reorganizations — Pursuant to the Reorganization Agreement, as of the close of business on September 25, 2020, all of the assets and liabilities of the Acquired Fund were transferred to the Survivor Fund in exchange for shares of the Fund

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

9. OTHER MATTERS (continued)

having an aggregate NAV equal to the NAV of the Acquired Fund as of the time of valuation specified in the Reorganization Agreement, which were then distributed to shareholders of the Survivor Fund in a tax-free exchange as follows:

Acquired Fund/Survivor Fund

Exchanged

Shares of
Survivor Fund Issued

Value of
Exchanged
Shares

Acquired Fund’s Shares
Outstanding as of
September 25, 2020

MLP Income Opportunities Fund / MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund

8,361,480

67,864,483

6,388,560

The following chart shows the Survivor Fund’s and Acquired Fund’s aggregate net assets (immediately before and after the completion of the Reorganization) and the Acquired Fund’s unrealized appreciation:


Acquired Fund/Survivor Fund	Survivor Fund’s Aggregate Net Assets before Reorganization		Acquired Fund’s Aggregate Net Assets before Reorganization		Survivor Fund’s Aggregate Net Assets Immediately after Reorganization		Acquired Fund’s Unrealized Appreciation (Depreciation)#
MLP Income Opportunities Fund / MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund	$	71,901,179	$	67,864,483	$	139,791,208	$	(21,161,507	)

The Survivor Fund has elected to carry forward the assets of the Acquired Fund at the Acquired Fund’s historical cost basis for purposes of measuring unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) and future realized gain or loss of those acquired assets.

Assuming the Reorganization had been completed on December 1, 2019, the Fund’s pro-forma results of operations for the year ended November 30, 2020 would have been as follows:


Net Investment Loss	$	(40,582,089	)^(a)
Net realized and unrealized loss on investments	$	(320,967,023	)^(b)
Net decrease in net assets from operations	$	(361,549,112	)

Because the combined Survivor Fund has been managed as a single integrated fund since the Reorganization was completed, it is not practicable to separate the amounts of revenue and earnings of the Acquired Fund that have been included in the Survivor Fund’s Statement of Operations since September 25, 2020.

(a)

$(41,836,740) net investment loss as reported at November 30, 2020, minus $28,736,750 from Acquired Fund pre-reorganization net investment income, minus $1,198,627 in lower net advisory fees, plus $31,190,028 of pro-forma eliminated other expenses.

(b)

$(302,741,498) realized losses as reported at November 30, 2020, plus $1,479,218 pro-forma November 30, 2020 unrealized appreciation, minus $217,613,520 net realized losses as reported at September 25, 2020, plus $197,908,777 in net unrealized appreciation from Acquired Fund pre-reorganization.

Other — On October 22, 2020, Goldman Sachs announced a settlement of matters involving 1Malaysia Development Bhd. (1MDB), a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund, with the United States Department of Justice as well as criminal and civil authorities in the UK, Singapore and Hong Kong. Further information regarding the 1MDB settlement can be found at https://www.goldmansachs.com/media-relations/press-releases/current/goldman-sachs-2020-10-22.html. The 1MDB settlement will not materially adversely affect GSAM’s ability to serve as investment manager.

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

Notes to Financial Statements (continued)

November 30, 2020

10. SUMMARY OF SHARE TRANSACTIONS

Share activity is as follows:


	MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund
	For the Fiscal Year Ended November 30, 2020					For the Fiscal Year Ended November 30, 2019
	Shares			Dollars		Shares		Dollars

Common Shares
Shares issued in connection with reorganization		8,361,480		$	67,864,483		—	$	—
Increase from reinvestment of distributions		262,801			777,286		—		—
Shares reduced due to reverse split*		(70,879,631	)		—		—		—

NET INCREASE (DECREASE)		(62,255,350	)	$	68,641,769		—	$	—

On April 13, 2020, the Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund effected a 9-for-1 reverse share split.

11. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

At a meeting held on December 2, 2020, the Board of Trustees of the Fund approved a share repurchase program effective from January 2, 2021 through December 31, 2021. Under the share repurchase program, the Fund is authorized to repurchase in the open market, up to $10 million of its outstanding common shares, if such shares are trading at a discount to NAV per share in excess of 10%, subject to certain conditions and in accordance with procedures approved by the Fund’s Board of Trustees. There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to repurchase shares in any particular amounts.

Other than the item noted above, subsequent events after the Statement of Assets and Liabilities date have been evaluated, and GSAM has concluded that there is no impact requiring adjustment or disclosure in the financial statements.

Report of Independent Registered Public

Accounting Firm

To the Board of Trustees and Shareholders of Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, including the schedule of investments, of Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund (referred to hereafter as the “Fund”) as of November 30, 2020, the related statement of operations and cash flows for the year ended November 30, 2020, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period ended November 30, 2020, including the related notes, and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period ended November 30, 2020 (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of November 30, 2020, the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period ended November 30, 2020 and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period ended November 30, 2020 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Fund’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits of these financial statements in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud.

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of November 30, 2020 by correspondence with the custodian, transfer agent and brokers; when replies were not received from brokers, we performed other auditing procedures. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Boston, Massachusetts

January 26, 2021

We have served as the auditor of one or more investment companies in the Goldman Sachs fund complex since 2000.

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

Statement Regarding Basis for Approval of Management Agreement (Unaudited)

Background

The Goldman Sachs Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund (the “Fund”) is a closed-end management investment companies that commenced investment operations on September 26, 2014. The Board of Trustees (the “Board” or the “Trustees”) oversees the management of the Fund and reviews the investment performance and expenses of the Fund at regularly scheduled meetings held throughout the year. In addition, the Board determines annually whether to approve the continuance of the Fund’s investment management agreement (the “Management Agreement”) with Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P. (the “Investment Adviser”).

At a special shareholder meeting on September 10, 2020, shareholders of the Goldman Sachs MLP Income Opportunities Fund (the “Acquired Fund”) and the Fund approved the reorganization of the Acquired Fund with and into the Fund (the “Reorganization”). The Reorganization was completed as of close of business on September 25, 2020.

The Management Agreement was most recently approved for continuation until September 30, 2021 by the Board, including those Trustees who are not parties to the Management Agreement or “interested persons” (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended) of any party thereto (the “Independent Trustees”), at a meeting held on September 22, 2020 (the “Annual Meeting”).

The review process undertaken by the Trustees spans the course of the year and culminates with the Annual Meeting. To assist the Trustees in their deliberations, the Trustees have established a Contract Review Committee (the “Committee”), comprised of the Independent Trustees. The Committee held two meetings over the course of the year since the Management Agreement was last approved in 2019. At the Committee meetings, regularly scheduled Board or other committee meetings, and/or the Annual Meeting, matters relevant to the renewal of the Management Agreement were considered by the Board, or the Independent Trustees, as applicable. The matters considered by the Board included:

(a)

the nature and quality of the advisory, administrative, and other services provided to the Fund by the Investment Adviser and its affiliates, including information about:

(i)

the structure, staff, and capabilities of the Investment Adviser and its portfolio management team;

(ii)

the groups within the Investment Adviser and its affiliates that support the portfolio management team or provide other types of necessary services, including fund services groups (e.g., accounting and financial reporting, tax, shareholder services, and operations); controls and risk management groups (e.g., legal, compliance, valuation oversight, credit risk management, internal audit, compliance testing, market risk analysis, and finance); and others (e.g., information technology and training);

(iii)

trends in employee headcount;

(iv)

the Investment Adviser’s financial resources and ability to hire and retain talented personnel and strengthen its operations; and

(v)

the parent company’s support of the Investment Adviser and its registered fund business, as expressed by the firm’s senior management;

(b)

information on the investment performance of the Fund in terms of both market price and net asset value (“NAV”), including comparisons to the performance of a group of similar closed-end funds prepared by a third-party data provider (the “Outside Data Provider”), a benchmark performance index, a composite of accounts with comparable investment strategies managed by the Investment Adviser, and general investment outlooks in the markets in which the Fund invests;

(c)

the terms of the Management Agreement and other agreements with service providers entered into by the Fund;

(d)

fee and expense information for the Fund, including:

(i)

the relative management fee and expense level of the Fund as compared to those of comparable funds managed by other advisers, as provided by the Outside Data Provider;

(ii)

comparative information on the advisory fees charged and services provided by the Investment Adviser to other types of accounts (such as private wealth management accounts and institutional separate accounts) managed by the Investment Adviser having investment objectives and policies similar to those of the Fund;

(e)

information relating to the profitability of the Management Agreement of the Fund to the Investment Adviser and its affiliates;

(f)

with respect to the investment performance and expense comparison data provided by the Outside Data Provider, its processes in producing that data for the Fund;

(g)

whether the Fund’s existing management fee schedule adequately addressed any economies of scale;

(h)

a summary of the “fall-out” benefits derived by the Investment Adviser and its affiliates from their relationships with the Fund, including the portfolio trading services;

(i)

a summary of potential benefits derived by the Fund as a result of its relationship with the Investment Adviser;

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

Statement Regarding Basis for Approval of Management Agreement (Unaudited) (continued)

(j)

information regarding commissions paid by the Fund and broker oversight, an update on the Investment Adviser’s soft dollars practices and other information regarding portfolio trading, and how the Investment Adviser carries out its duty to seek best execution;

(k)

portfolio manager ownership of Fund shares; the manner in which portfolio manager compensation is determined; and the number and types of accounts managed by the portfolio managers;

(l)

the nature and quality of the services provided to the Fund by its unaffiliated service providers, and the Investment Adviser’s general oversight and evaluation (including reports on due diligence) of those service providers as part of the administrative services provided under the Management Agreement; and

(m)

the Investment Adviser’s processes and policies addressing various types of potential conflicts of interest; its approach to risk management; the annual review of the effectiveness of the Fund’s compliance program; and periodic compliance reports.

In evaluating the Management Agreement at the Annual Meeting, the Trustees relied upon their knowledge, resulting from their meetings and other interactions throughout the year, of the Investment Adviser and its affiliates, their services, the Fund, and the other investment companies for which the Trustees have responsibility. In conjunction with these meetings, the Trustees received written materials and oral presentations on the topics covered, and were advised by their independent legal counsel regarding their responsibilities and other regulatory requirements related to the approval and continuation of investment management agreements under applicable law. In addition, the Investment Adviser and its affiliates provided the Independent Trustees with a written response to a formal request for information sent on behalf of the Independent Trustees by their independent legal counsel. During the course of their deliberations, the Independent Trustees met in executive sessions with their independent legal counsel, without representatives of the Investment Adviser or its affiliates present.

Nature, Extent, and Quality of the Services Provided Under the Management Agreement

As part of their review, the Trustees considered the nature, extent, and quality of the services provided to the Fund by the Investment Adviser. In this regard, they considered both the investment advisory services and non-advisory services that are provided to the Fund by the Investment Adviser and its affiliates. The Trustees also considered the Investment Adviser’s ongoing recruitment efforts aimed at bringing high quality investment talent to the firm. They also noted the significant resources that the Investment Adviser devotes to risk management and the control environment in which the Fund operates, as well as the Investment Adviser’s commitment to maintaining high quality systems and expending substantial resources to respond to ongoing changes to the market, regulatory and control environment in which the Fund and its service providers operate, including changes associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the efforts of the Investment Adviser and its affiliates to combat cyber security risks. The Trustees also considered information regarding the Investment Adviser’s business continuity planning and remote operations in the current environment. They concluded that the Investment Adviser continued to commit substantial financial and operational resources to the Fund and expressed confidence that the Investment Adviser would continue to do so in the future. The Trustees also recognized that the Investment Adviser had made significant commitments to address regulatory compliance requirements applicable to the Fund and the Investment Adviser.

Investment Performance

The Trustees considered the investment and market performance of the Fund in light of its investment objective and the market conditions for energy-related securities, including master limited partnerships (“MLPs”). In this regard, they noted that the Fund had experienced significant losses in recent periods, and particularly since the beginning of the current calendar year. The Trustees observed that this was attributable to a large degree to unfavorable market conditions for MLP investments and for the broader energy sector caused by the significant decline in energy demand resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and by global oil production increases. They further considered the inherent risks in employing leverage for investment purposes in such market conditions and observed that a significant part of the Fund’s negative performance was attributable to the contractual breakage costs resulted from the termination of the Fund’s leverage.

The Trustees also considered the investment performance of the Fund. In this regard, they compared the investment performance of the Fund to its peers using rankings and ratings compiled by the Outside Data Provider as of March 31, 2020. The information on the Fund’s investment performance was provided for the one-, three-, and five-year periods ended on March 31, 2020. The Trustees noted that on a NAV total return basis for the one-, three-, and five-year periods ended March 31, 2020, the Fund had placed in the fourth quartile of its peer group. They also reviewed information regarding the Fund’s performance, in terms of both market price and NAV as of June 30, 2020, as part of a group of comparable funds identified by the Investment Adviser and compiled using information provided by an additional third-party data provider. The Trustees observed that through June 30, 2020, the Fund ranked 20^th in terms of both market price and NAV total return out of the 23 funds in the group. The

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

Statement Regarding Basis for Approval of Management Agreement (Unaudited) (continued)

Trustees also compared the Fund’s performance on a NAV total return basis to the performance of certain benchmark indices using information provided by a third-party data provider.

Costs of Services Provided and Competitive Information

The Trustees considered the contractual terms of the Management Agreement and the fee rate payable by the Fund thereunder. In this regard, the Trustees considered information on the services rendered by the Investment Adviser to the Fund, which included both advisory and administrative services that were directed to the needs and operations of the Fund as a closed-end fund.

In particular, the Trustees reviewed information on the Fund’s total operating expense ratio and management fee rate (as a percentage of both managed and net assets), and compared those to similar information for the Peer Group Funds based on analyses prepared by the Outside Data Provider as of March 31, 2020. They noted that the Investment Adviser had provided a comparison of the Fund’s management fee with the median fees charged to separate accounts that invest primarily in MLPs and with the fees charged to two open-end funds that invest primarily in MLPs managed by the Investment Adviser. The Trustees also considered that services provided to the Fund differed in various significant respects from the services provided to the separately managed accounts, which, in many cases, operated under less stringent regulatory and financial reporting requirements, required fewer services from the investment adviser to a smaller number of client contact points, required less management of vendor relationships, and were less time-intensive.

The Trustees noted the competitive nature of the fund marketplace, and that many of the Fund’s shareholders would be investing in the Fund in part because of the Fund’s relationship with the Investment Adviser.

Profitability

The Trustees reviewed the Fund’s contribution to the Investment Adviser’s revenues and pre-tax profit margins. In this regard, they noted that they had received, among other things, profitability analyses and summaries, revenue and expense schedules for the Fund and by function (e.g., investment management and distribution and service), and information on the Investment Adviser’s expense allocation methodology. The Trustees observed that the profitability and expense figures are substantially similar to those used by the Investment Adviser for many internal purposes, including compensation decisions among various business groups, and are thus subject to a vigorous internal debate about how certain profits and expenses should be allocated. They also noted that the internal audit group within the Goldman Sachs organization periodically audits the expense allocation methodology and was satisfied with the reasonableness, consistency, and accuracy of the Investment Adviser’s expense allocation methodology. Profitability data for the Fund was provided for 2018 and 2019. The Trustees considered this information in relation to the Investment Adviser’s overall profitability.

The Trustees also took into account that the Fund is permitted to use leverage, which increases total assets and thus the amount of fees received by the Investment Adviser under the Management Agreement (because the fees are calculated based on total managed assets). In this regard, the Trustees took into account that the Investment Adviser has a financial incentive for the Fund to make continuous use of leverage, which may create a conflict of interest between the Investment Adviser, on the one hand, and the Fund’s shareholders, on the other. In this regard, the Trustees considered information provided by the Investment Adviser and the presentations by portfolio managers. They noted that while the Fund had traditionally used leverage to achieve its investment objective, the Fund had terminated its leverage in March 2020 and does not currently employ leverage for investment purposes. The Trustees further noted that the Fund may employ leverage in the future if the Investment Adviser believes it is favorable for the Fund to do so.

Economies of Scale

The Trustees noted that the Fund does not have management fee breakpoints. They considered the Fund’s asset levels and information comparing the contractual management fee rate charged by the Investment Adviser with fee rates charged to the Competitor Funds. The Trustees recognized that if the assets of the Fund increase over time, the Fund and its shareholders could realize economies of scale as certain Fund expenses become a smaller percentage of overall assets. They further recognized that, because the Fund is a closed-end fund with no current plans to increase its assets (other than incurring leverage for investment purposes), any other significant growth in its assets would generally occur through appreciation in the value of the Fund’s investment portfolio and dividend reinvestment, rather than through the continuous sale of Fund shares.

Other Benefits to the Investment Adviser and Its Affiliates

The Trustees also considered the other benefits derived by the Investment Adviser and its affiliates from their relationships with the Fund, including: (a) brokerage commissions earned by Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC (“Goldman Sachs”) for executing securities transactions on behalf of the Fund; (b) research received by the Investment Adviser from broker-dealers in exchange for

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

Statement Regarding Basis for Approval of Management Agreement (Unaudited) (continued)

executing certain transactions on behalf of the Fund; (c) trading efficiencies resulting from aggregation of orders of the Fund with those for other funds or accounts managed by the Investment Adviser; (d) the Investment Adviser’s ability to leverage the infrastructure designed to service the Fund on behalf of its other clients; (e) the Investment Adviser’s ability to cross-market other products and services to Fund shareholders; (f) the Investment Adviser’s ability to negotiate better pricing with custodians on behalf of its other clients, as a result of the relationship with the Fund; and (g) the possibility that the working relationship between the Investment Adviser and the Fund’s third party service providers may cause those service providers to be more likely to do business with other areas of Goldman Sachs. In the course of considering the foregoing, the Independent Trustees requested and received further information quantifying certain of these fall-out benefits.

Other Benefits to the Fund and Its Shareholders

The Trustees also noted that the Fund receives certain other potential benefits as a result of its relationship with the Investment Adviser, including: (a) trading efficiencies resulting from aggregation of orders of the Fund with those of other funds or accounts managed by the Investment Adviser; (b) enhanced servicing from vendors due to the volume of business generated by the Investment Adviser and its affiliates; (c) enhanced servicing from broker-dealers due to the volume of business generated by the Investment Adviser and its affiliates; (d) the Investment Adviser’s ability to negotiate favorable terms with derivatives counterparties on behalf of the Fund as a result of the size and reputation of the Goldman Sachs organization; (e) the advantages received from the Investment Adviser’s knowledge and experience gained from managing other accounts and products; (f) the Investment Adviser’s ability to hire and retain qualified personnel to provide services to the Fund because of the reputation of the Goldman Sachs organization; and (g) the Fund’s access, through the Investment Adviser, to certain firm-wide resources (e.g., proprietary risk management systems and databases), subject to certain restrictions. The Trustees noted the competitive nature of the closed-end fund marketplace, and considered that many of the Fund’s shareholders invested in the Fund in part because of the Fund’s relationship with the Investment Adviser and that those shareholders have a general expectation that the relationship will continue.

Conclusion

In connection with their consideration of the Management Agreement, the Trustees gave weight to each of the factors described above, but did not identify any one particular factor as controlling their decision. After deliberation and consideration of all of the information provided, including the factors described above, the Trustees concluded, in the exercise of their business judgment, that the management fees paid by the Fund were reasonable in light of the services provided to it by the Investment Adviser, the Investment Adviser’s costs and the Fund’s current and reasonably foreseeable asset levels. At the Annual Meeting, the Trustees unanimously concluded that the Investment Adviser’s continued management would likely benefit the Fund and its shareholders and that the Management Agreement should be approved and continued with respect to the Fund until September 30, 2021.

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

Investment Objective and Policies of the Fund (Unaudited)

The Fund’s investment objective is to seek a high level of total return with an emphasis on current distributions to shareholders. The Fund’s investment objective is not fundamental and may be changed without shareholder vote. Shareholders will be provided with at least 60 days’ prior written notice of any change in the investment objective.

Investment Policies

The Fund seeks a high level of total return with an emphasis on current distributions to shareholders. There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective or that the Fund investment program will be successful.

Under normal market conditions, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its Managed Assets in MLPs and other energy investments. “Managed Assets” means the total assets of the Fund (including any assets attributable to borrowings for investment purposes) minus the sum of the Fund’s accrued liabilities (other than liabilities representing borrowings for investment purposes). The Fund may also invest in securities and other instruments issued by income and royalty trusts and other issuers.

The Fund’s MLP investments may include, but are not limited to, MLPs structured as LPs or LLCs; MLPs that are organized as LPs or LLCs, but taxed as “C” corporations; equity securities that represent an indirect interest in an MLP issued by an MLP affiliate, including I-Units and MLP general partner or managing member interests; “C” corporations whose predominant assets are interests in MLPs; MLP equity securities, including MLP common units, MLP subordinated units, MLP convertible subordinated units and MLP preferred units; PIPEs issued by MLPs; MLP debt securities; and other U.S. and non-U.S. equity and fixed income securities and derivative instruments that provide exposure to the MLP market, including pooled investment vehicles that primarily hold MLP interests and ETNs. The Fund’s other energy investments may include equity and fixed income securities of U.S. and non-U.S. companies other than MLPs that (i) are classified by a third party as operating within the oil and gas storage, transportation, refining, marketing, drilling, exploration or production sub-industries or (ii) have at least 50% of their assets, income, sales or profits committed to, or derived from, the exploration, development, production, gathering, transportation (including marine), transmission, terminal operation, processing, storage, refining, distribution, mining or marketing of natural gas, natural gas liquids (including propane), crude oil, refined petroleum products, coal, electricity or other energy sources, energy-related equipment or services. The Fund’s MLP and other energy investments may also include companies that engage in owning, managing and transporting alternative energy assets, including alternative fuels such as ethanol, hydrogen and biodiesel. The Fund may invest in shares of IPOs, secondary market issuances and private transactions (including pre-acquisition and pre-IPO equity issuances and investments in private companies). The Fund does not intend to invest more than 30% of its Managed Assets in other energy investments.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its Managed Assets in U.S. and non-U.S. equity and fixed income securities and derivative instruments that are not MLP or other energy investments. Such issuers may be treated as corporations for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, therefore, may not offer the tax benefits of MLP investments.

The Fund currently expects to concentrate its investments in the energy sector, with an emphasis on midstream MLP investments. The Fund will invest in investments across the energy value chain, including upstream, midstream and downstream investments. At various times, the Fund may be more heavily invested in one segment of the energy value chain over another, and may not always be invested in all three segments, depending on market conditions. Midstream MLP investments include companies that are engaged in the treatment, gathering, compression, processing, transportation, transmission, fractionation, storage and terminalling of natural gas, natural gas liquids, crude oil, refined products or coal. Midstream MLPs may also operate ancillary businesses including marketing of energy products and logistical services. Upstream MLP investments include companies that are engaged in the exploration, recovery, development and production of crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. An upstream MLP’s cash flow and distributions are driven by the amount of oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids and crude oil produced and the demand for and price of such commodities. Downstream MLP investments include companies that are primarily engaged in the processing, treatment, and refining of natural gas liquids and crude oil, marketing and other “end-customer” distribution activities relating to refined energy sources. The Fund’s MLP investments may be of any capitalization size.

MLPs formed as LPs or LLCs are generally treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes. To be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, an MLP must derive at least 90% of its gross income for each taxable year from qualifying sources, including activities such as the exploration, development, mining, production, processing, refining, transportation, storage and certain marketing of mineral or natural resources. MLPs are generally publicly traded, are regulated by the SEC and must make public filings like any publicly traded entity. The Fund may also invest in privately placed securities of publicly traded MLPs.

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

Portfolio Securities and Techniques of the Fund:

Master Limited Partnerships. A MLP is generally an entity receiving partnership taxation treatment under the Code, and whose interests or “units” are traded on securities exchanges like shares of corporate stock. A typical MLP consists of a general partner and limited partners; however, some entities receiving partnership taxation treatment under the Code are established as limited liability companies. The general partner manages the partnership; has an ownership stake in the partnership; and is typically eligible to receive an incentive distribution. The limited partners provide capital to the partnership, have a limited (if any) role in the operation and management of the partnership, and receive cash distributions. Due to their partnership structure, MLPs generally do not pay income taxes.

Holders of MLP units could potentially become subject to liability for all of the obligations of an MLP, if a court determines that the rights of the unitholders to take certain action under the limited partnership agreement would constitute “control” of the business of that MLP, or if a court or governmental agency determines that the MLP is conducting business in a state without complying with the limited partnership statute of that state.

To be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, an MLP must derive at least 90% of its gross income for each taxable year from qualifying sources, including activities such as the exploration, development, mining, production, processing, refining, transportation, storage and certain marketing of mineral or natural resources. Many of the MLPs in which the Fund may invest operate oil, gas or petroleum facilities, or other facilities within the energy sector.

MLPs Structured as Limited Liability Companies. Some energy companies in which the Fund may invest have been organized as MLP LLCs. Such MLP LLCs are generally treated in the same manner as MLPs organized as LPs for federal income tax purposes. Consistent with its investment objective and policies, the Fund may invest in common units or other securities of such MLP LLCs. MLP LLC common units represent an equity ownership interest in an MLP LLC, entitling the holders to a share of the MLP LLC’s success through distributions and/or capital appreciation. Similar to MLPs, MLP LLCs typically do not pay federal income tax at the entity level and are required by their operating agreements to distribute a large percentage of their current operating earnings. MLP LLC common unitholders generally have first right to an MQD prior to distributions to subordinated unitholders and typically have arrearage rights if the MQD is not met. In the event of liquidation, MLP LLC common unitholders have first right to the MLP LLC’s remaining assets after bondholders, other debt holders and preferred unitholders, if any, have been paid in full. MLP LLC common units typically trade on a national securities exchange or OTC. In contrast to MLPs, MLP LLCs have no general partner and there are generally no incentives that entitle management or other unitholders to increased percentages of cash distributions as distributions reach higher target levels. In addition, MLP LLC common unitholders typically have voting rights with respect to the MLP LLC, whereas MLP common units have limited voting rights.

MLPs Taxed as “C” Corporations. Some MLPs are organized as LPs or LLCs but are taxed as “C” corporations that are subject to corporate income tax to the extent they recognize taxable income and are subject to U.S. federal income tax on their taxable income at the graduated rates applicable to corporations (currently a maximum rate of 21%) as well as state and local income taxes. Investments in units of MLPs that are taxed as “C” corporations may not offer the advantageous tax characteristics of investments in other MLPs.

MLP Affiliates and I-Units. The Fund may invest in equity and debt securities that represent an indirect interest in an MLP issued by affiliates of the MLP, including the general partners or managing members of MLPs and companies that own MLP general partner interests. Such issuers may be organized and/or taxed as “C” corporations and therefore may not offer the advantageous tax characteristics of MLP units. The Fund may purchase such other MLP equity securities through market transactions, but may also do so through direct placements.

I-Units. I-Units represent an indirect ownership interest in an MLP and are issued by an MLP affiliate. The MLP affiliate uses the proceeds from the sale of I-Units to purchase limited partnership interests in its affiliated MLP. Thus, I-Units represent an indirect interest in an MLP. I-Units have limited voting rights and are similar in that respect to MLP common units. I-Units differ from MLP common units primarily in that instead of receiving cash distributions, holders of I-Units will receive distributions of additional I-Units in an amount equal to the cash distributions received by common unit holders. I-Units are typically traded on the NYSE. Issuers of MLP I-Units are treated as corporations and not partnerships for tax purposes.

MLP General Partner or Managing Member Interests. The general partner or managing member interest in an MLP is typically retained by the original sponsors of an MLP, such as its founders, corporate partners and entities that sell assets to the MLP. The holder of the general partner or managing member interest can be liable in certain circumstances for amounts greater than the amount of the holder’s investment in the general partner or managing member. MLPs have liabilities, such as litigation, environmental liability, and regulatory proceedings related to their business operations or transactions. To the extent that actual outcomes differ from management’s estimates, earnings would be affected. If recorded liabilities are not adequate, earnings would

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be reduced. To the extent that an MLP incurs liability for which there was an inadequate offsetting liability recorded, or if reserves or insurance are not available to satisfy an MLP’s liabilities, the MLP’s general partner would be liable for those amounts, which could be in excess of its investment in the MLP. However, MLP general partners typically are structured as limited partnerships or limited liability companies in order to limit their liability to the creditors of the MLP to the amount of capital the general partner has invested in the MLP. The Fund may also invest in MLP general partner interests that are structured as corporations.

General partner or managing member interests often confer direct board participation rights in, and in many cases control over the operations of, the MLP. General partner or managing member interests can be privately held or owned by publicly traded entities. General partner or managing member interests receive cash distributions, typically in an amount of up to 2% of available cash, which is contractually defined in the partnership or limited liability company agreement. In addition, holders of general partner or managing member interests typically receive IDRs, which provide them with an increasing share of the entity’s aggregate cash distributions upon the payment of per common unit distributions that exceed specified threshold levels above the MQD. Incentive distributions to a general partner are designed to encourage the general partner, which controls and operates the partnership, to maximize the partnership’s cash flow and increase distributions to the limited partners. Due to the IDRs, general partners of MLPs have higher distribution growth prospects than their underlying MLPs, but quarterly incentive distribution payments would also decline at a greater rate than the decline rate in quarterly distributions to common and subordinated unit holders in the event of a reduction in the MLP’s quarterly distribution. The ability of the limited partners or members to remove the general partner or managing member without cause is typically very limited. In addition, some MLPs permit the holder of IDRs to reset, under specified circumstances, the incentive distribution levels and receive compensation in exchange for the distribution rights given up in the reset.

MLP Equity Securities. Equity securities issued by MLPs generally consist of common units, subordinated units and preferred units, as described more fully below.

MLP Common Units. The common units of many MLPs are listed and traded on U.S. securities exchanges, including the NYSE and the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations System (“NASDAQ”). The Fund will purchase such common units through open market transactions and underwritten offerings, but may also acquire common units through direct placements and privately negotiated transactions or PIPEs. Holders of MLP common units typically have very limited control and voting rights. Holders of such common units are typically entitled to receive a MQD from the issuer, and typically have a right, to the extent that an MLP fails to make a previous MQD, to recover in future distributions the amount by which the MQD was short (“arrearage rights”). Generally, an MLP must pay (or set aside for payment) the MQD to holders of common units before any distributions may be paid to subordinated unit holders. In addition, incentive distributions are typically not paid to the general partner or managing member unless the quarterly distributions on the common units exceed specified threshold levels above the MQD. In the event of a liquidation, common unit holders are intended to have a preference with respect to the remaining assets of the issuer over holders of subordinated units. MLPs issue different classes of common units that may have different voting, trading, and distribution rights. The Fund may invest in different classes of common units.

MLP Subordinated Units. Subordinated units, which, like common units, represent limited partner or member interests, are not typically listed or traded on an exchange. The Fund may purchase outstanding subordinated units through negotiated transactions directly with holders of such units or newly issued subordinated units directly from the issuer. Holders of such subordinated units are generally entitled to receive a distribution only after the MQD and any arrearages from prior quarters have been paid to holders of common units. Holders of subordinated units typically have the right to receive distributions before any incentive distributions are payable to the general partner or managing member. Subordinated units generally do not provide arrearage rights. Most MLP subordinated units are convertible into common units after the passage of a specified period of time or upon the achievement by the issuer of specified financial goals. MLPs issue different classes of subordinated units that may have different voting, trading, and distribution rights. The Fund may invest in different classes of subordinated units.

MLP Convertible Subordinated Units. MLP convertible subordinated units are typically issued by MLPs to founders, corporate general partners of MLPs, entities that sell assets to MLPs, and institutional investors. Convertible subordinated units increase the likelihood that, during the subordination period, there will be available cash to be distributed to common unitholders. MLP convertible subordinated units generally are not entitled to distributions until holders of common units have received their specified MQD, plus any arrearages, and may receive less than common unitholders in distributions upon liquidation. Convertible subordinated unitholders generally are entitled to MQD prior to the payment of incentive distributions to the general partner, but are not entitled to arrearage rights. Therefore, MLP convertible subordinated units generally entail greater risk than MLP common units. Convertible subordinated units are generally convertible automatically into senior common units of the same issuer at a one-to-one ratio upon the passage of time or the satisfaction of certain financial tests. Convertible subordinated units do not trade on a national exchange or OTC, and there is no active market for them. The value of a convertible subordinated unit is a function of its worth if

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converted into the underlying common units. Convertible subordinated units generally have similar voting rights as do MLP common units. Distributions may be paid in cash or in-kind.

MLP Preferred Units. MLP preferred units are not typically listed or traded on an exchange. The Fund may purchase MLP preferred units through negotiated transactions directly with MLPs, affiliates of MLPs and institutional holders of such units. Holders of MLP preferred units can be entitled to a wide range of voting and other rights, depending on the structure of each separate security. In most cases, holders of preferred units are entitled to receive distributions before distributions are made to common unitholders that are either equal to the MQD, or set at a fixed rate that is above the MLP’s current distribution. Preferred units are senior in the capital structure to common units, but are subordinate to debt holders.

“C” Corporations with Predominant Assets in MLP Interests. “C” corporations whose predominant assets are interests in MLPs must pay entity-level corporate taxes, and their shareholders are also subject to taxes on any dividends received. Investors in such “C” corporations have voting rights while, by contrast, unitholders of MLPs are “limited partners” and have no role in the organizations’ operations or management.

PIPEs. The Investment Adviser may elect to invest in PIPEs and other unregistered or otherwise restricted securities issued by public MLPs and similar entities, including unregistered MLP preferred units. The Investment Adviser expects most such private securities to be liquid within six to nine months of funding, but may also invest in other private securities with significantly longer or shorter restricted periods. PIPEs involve the direct placement of equity securities to a purchaser such as the Fund. Equity issued in this manner is often unregistered and therefore less liquid than equity issued through a public offering. Such private equity offerings provide issuers greater flexibility in structure and timing as compared to public offerings. The following highlights some of the reasons MLPs choose to issue equity through private placements:

Effective Acquisition Funding Vehicle. MLPs typically distribute all of their available cash at the end of each quarter, and therefore generally finance acquisitions through the issuance of additional equity and debt securities. PIPEs allow MLPs to structure the equity funding to close concurrently with an acquisition, thereby eliminating or reducing the equity funding risk. This avoids equity overhang issues (discussed below) and can ease rating agency concerns over interim excessive leverage associated with an acquisition.

Eliminates or Reduces Equity Overhang Issues. Generally an MLP’s unit price declines when investors know the MLP will be issuing public equity in the near term. An example of this is when an MLP closes a sizeable acquisition funded under its credit facility or with another form of debt financing. In this situation, equity investors will typically wait for the public offering to provide additional liquidity, and therefore the demand for units is reduced, and the unit price falls. Issuing units through a PIPE in conjunction with the acquisition eliminates this equity overhang.

Broadens Investor Base. Public equity offerings for MLPs are typically allocated primarily to retail investors. Private placements allow issuers to access new pools of equity capital. In addition, institutional investors, such as the Fund, that participate in PIPEs are potential investors for future equity financings.

Greater Structural Flexibility. Certain acquisitions and organic development projects require a more structured form of equity. For example, organic projects that require significant capital expenditures that do not generate near-term cash flow may require a class of equity that does not pay a distribution for a certain period. The public equity market is generally not an efficient venue to raise this type of specialized equity. Given the significant number of organic projects that have been announced by MLPs, the private placement of PIPEs are believed by the Investment Adviser to be likely to remain an important funding component in the MLP sector.

Avoided Cost and Uncertainty of Public Equity Issuance. Some issuers prefer the certainty of a private placement at a specified fixed discount, compared to the uncertainty of a public offering. The underwriting costs of a public equity issuance in the MLP space can significantly reduce gross equity proceeds, and the unit price of the issuance can decline during the marketing of a public deal, resulting in increased cost to an issuer. The cost of a PIPE can be competitive with that of a public issuance while providing greater certainty of funding.

More Expedient Process with Limited Marketing Requirements. Unlike public equity offerings, private placements are typically more time efficient for management teams, with negotiations, due diligence and marketing required only for a small targeted group of sophisticated institutional investors.

Monetizations. Financial sponsors, founding partners and/or parent companies typically own significant stakes in MLPs in the form of subordinated units. As these units are not registered, monetization alternatives are limited. PIPEs provide liquidity in these situations.

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Many MLPs rely on the private placement market as a source of equity capital. Given the limitations in raising equity from a predominantly retail investor base and the tax and administrative constraints to significant institutional participation, PIPEs have been a popular financing alternative with many MLPs.

MLP Debt Securities. Debt securities issued by MLPs may include those rated below investment grade (that is, rated Ba or lower by Moody’s, BB+ or lower by S&P or comparably rated by another NRSRO, or, if unrated, determined by the Investment Adviser to be of comparable credit quality). These securities are commonly called “high yield” or “junk” bonds. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its Managed Assets in below investment grade debt securities. The Fund may invest in MLP debt securities without regard to credit quality or maturity. Investments in such securities may not offer the tax characteristics of equity securities of MLPs.

Non-MLP Equity Securities. The Fund may invest in equity securities, including common or ordinary stocks, ADRs, GGDRs, EDRs, preferred stock, convertible securities, investment companies (including other mutual funds or ETFs), and rights and warrants.

Non-MLP Debt Securities. The Fund may invest in debt securities of other issuers, including debt securities rated below investment grade (that is, rated Ba or lower by Moody’s, BB+ or lower by S&P or comparably rated by another NRSRO, or, if unrated, determined by the Investment Adviser to be of comparable credit quality). These securities are commonly called “high yield” or “junk” bonds. The Fund may invest in debt securities without regard for their maturity.

Derivatives. Generally, derivatives are financial contracts whose value depends upon, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, reference rate or index, and may relate to individual debt or equity instruments, interest rates, currencies or currency exchange rates and related indexes. The Fund may invest up to 25% of its Managed Assets in derivative instruments including without limitation, options, futures, options on futures, forwards, swaps, options on swaps, structured securities and other derivatives for both hedging and nonhedging purposes (that is, to seek to increase total return), although suitable derivative instruments may not always be available to the Investment Adviser for these purposes for investment. To the extent that the security or index underlying the derivative or synthetic instrument is or is composed of MLP investments, the Fund will include such derivative and synthetic instruments for the purposes of the Fund’s 80% policy.

Greenfield Projects. Greenfield projects are energy-related projects built by private joint ventures formed by energy companies. Greenfield projects may include the creation of a new pipeline, processing plant or storage facility or other energy infrastructure asset that is integrated with the company’s existing assets. The Fund may invest in the equity of greenfield projects and also may invest in the secured debt of greenfield projects. However, an investment also may be structured as pay-in-kind securities with minimal or no cash interest or dividends until construction is completed, at which time interest payments or dividends would be paid in cash. The Investment Adviser believes that this niche leverages the organizational and operating expertise of large, publicly traded companies and provides the Fund with the opportunity to earn higher returns. Greenfield projects involve less investment risk than typical private equity financing arrangements. The primary risk involved with greenfield projects is execution risk or construction risk. Changing project requirements, elevated costs for labor and materials, and unexpected construction hurdles all can increase construction costs. Financing risk exists should changes in construction costs or financial markets occur. Regulatory risk exists should changes in regulation occur during construction or the necessary permits are not secured prior to beginning construction.

Income Trusts. The Fund may invest in income trusts, including business trusts and royalty trusts. Income trusts are operating businesses that have been put into a trust. They pay out the bulk of their free cash flow to unit holders. The businesses that are sold into these trusts are usually mature and stable income-producing companies that lend themselves to fixed (monthly or quarterly) distributions. These trusts are regarded as equity investments with fixed-income attributes or high-yield debt with no fixed maturity date. These trusts typically offer regular income payments and a significant premium yield compared to other types of fixed income investments.

Business Trusts. A business trust is an income trust where the principal business of the underlying corporation or other entity is in the manufacturing, service or general industrial sectors. It is anticipated that the number of businesses constituted or reorganized as income trusts will increase significantly in the future. Conversion to the income trust structure is attractive to many existing mature businesses with relatively high, stable cash flows and low capital expenditure requirements, due to tax efficiency and investor demand for high-yielding equity securities. One of the primary attractions of business trusts, in addition to their relatively high yield, is their ability to enhance diversification in the portfolio as they cover a broad range of industries and geographies, including public refrigerated warehousing, mining, coal distribution, sugar distribution, forest products, retail sales, food sales and processing, chemical recovery and processing, data processing, gas marketing and check printing. Each business represented is typically characterized by long life assets or businesses that have exhibited a high degree of stability. Investments in business trusts are

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subject to various risks, including risks related to the underlying operating companies controlled by such trusts. These risks may include lack of or limited operating histories and increased susceptibility to interest rate risks.

Royalty Trusts. A royalty trust typically controls an operating company which purchases oil and gas properties using the trust’s capital. The royalty trust then receives royalties and/or interest payments from its operating company, and distributes them as income to its unit holders. Units of the royalty trust represent an economic interest in the underlying assets of the trust. The Fund may invest in royalty trusts that are traded on stock exchanges. Royalty trusts are income trusts that own or control oil and gas operating companies. Royalty trusts pay out substantially all of the cash flow they receive from the production and sale of underlying crude oil and natural gas reserves to shareholders (unitholders) in the form of monthly dividends (distributions). As a result of distributing the bulk of their cash flow to unitholders, royalty trusts are effectively precluded from internally originating new oil and gas prospects. Therefore, these royalty trusts typically grow through acquisition of producing companies or those with proven reserves of oil and gas, funded through the issuance of additional equity or, where the trust is able, additional debt. Consequently, royalty trusts are considered less exposed to the uncertainties faced by a traditional exploration and production corporation. However, they are still exposed to commodity risk and reserve risk, as well as operating risk.

The operations and financial condition of royalty trusts, and the amount of distributions or dividends paid on their securities is dependent on oil and gas prices. Prices for commodities vary and are determined by supply and demand factors, including weather, and general economic and political conditions. A decline in oil or gas prices could have a substantial adverse effect on the operations and financial conditions of the trusts. Such trusts are also subject to the risk of an adverse change in the regulations of the natural resource industry and other operational risks relating to the energy sector. In addition, the underlying operating companies held or controlled by the trusts are usually involved in oil exploration; however, such companies may not be successful in holding, discovering, or exploiting adequate commercial quantities of oil, the failure of which will adversely affect their values. Even if successful, oil and gas prices have fluctuated widely during the most recent years and may continue to do so in the future. The Investment Adviser expects that the combination of global demand growth and depleting reserves, together with current geopolitical instability, will continue to support strong crude oil prices over the long term. However, recently, gas prices have been declining. Declining crude oil prices may cause the Fund to incur losses on its investments in royalty trusts. In addition, the demand in and supply to the developing markets could be affected by other factors such as restrictions on imports, increased taxation, and creation of government monopolies, as well as social, economic and political uncertainty and instability. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that non-conventional sources of natural gas will not be discovered which would adversely affect the oil industry.

Moreover, as the underlying oil and gas reserves are produced the remaining reserves attributable to the royalty trust are depleted. The ability of a royalty trust to replace reserves is therefore fundamental to its ability to maintain distribution levels and unit prices over time. Certain royalty trusts have demonstrated consistent positive reserve growth year-over-year and, as such, certain royalty trusts have been successful to date in this respect and are thus currently trading at unit prices significantly higher than those of five or ten years ago. Royalty trusts manage reserve depletion through reserve additions resulting from internal capital development activities and through acquisitions. When the Fund invests in foreign royalty trusts, it will also be subject to foreign securities risks.

Convertible Securities. The Fund may invest in convertible securities. Convertible securities are preferred stock or debt obligations that are convertible into common stock or other securities. Convertible securities generally offer lower interest or dividend yields than non-convertible securities of similar quality. Convertible securities in which the Fund invests are subject to the same rating criteria as its other investments in fixed income securities. Convertible securities have both equity and fixed income risk characteristics. Like all fixed income securities, the value of convertible securities is susceptible to the risk of market losses attributable to changes in interest rates. Generally, the market value of convertible securities tends to decline as interest rates increase and, conversely, to increase as interest rates decline. However, when the market price of the common stock or other security underlying a convertible security exceeds the conversion price of the convertible security, the convertible security tends to reflect the market price of the underlying common stock or other security. As the market price of the underlying common stock or other security declines, the convertible security, like a fixed income security, tends to trade increasingly on a yield basis, and thus may not decline in price to the same extent as the underlying common stock or other security.

Structured Securities. The Fund may invest in structured securities. Structured securities are securities whose value is determined by reference to changes in the value of specific currencies, securities, interest rates, commodities, indices or other financial indicators (the “Reference”) or the relative change in two or more References. Investments in structured securities may provide exposure to certain securities or markets in situations where regulatory or other restrictions prevent direct investments in such issuers or markets.

The interest rate or the principal amount payable upon maturity or redemption may be increased or decreased depending upon changes in the applicable Reference. Structured securities may be positively or negatively indexed, so that appreciation of the

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Reference may produce an increase or decrease in the interest rate or value of the security at maturity. In addition, changes in the interest rates or the value of the security at maturity may be a multiple of changes in the value of the Reference, effectively leveraging the Fund’s investment so that small changes in the value of the Reference may result in disproportionate gains or losses to the Fund. Consequently, structured securities may present a greater degree of market risk than many types of securities and may be more volatile, less liquid and more difficult to price accurately than less complex securities. Structured securities are also subject to the risk that the issuer of the structured securities may fail to perform its contractual obligations. Certain issuers of structured products may be deemed to be investment companies as defined in the 1940 Act. As a result, the Fund’s investments in structured securities may be subject to the limits applicable to investments in other investment companies.

Structured securities include, but are not limited to, equity linked notes. An equity linked note is a note whose performance is tied to a single stock, a stock index or a basket of stocks. Equity linked notes combine the principal protection normally associated with fixed income investments with the potential for capital appreciation normally associated with equity investments. Upon the maturity of the note, the holder generally receives a return of principal based on the capital appreciation of the linked securities. Depending on the terms of the note, equity linked notes may also have a “cap” or “floor” on the maximum principal amount to be repaid to holders, irrespective of the performance of the underlying linked securities. For example, a note may guarantee the repayment of the original principal amount invested (even if the underlying linked securities have negative performance during the note’s term), but may cap the maximum payment at maturity at a certain percentage of the issuance price or the return of the underlying linked securities. Alternatively, the note may not guarantee a full return on the original principal, but may offer a greater participation in any capital appreciation of the underlying linked securities. The terms of an equity linked note may also provide for periodic interest payments to holders at either a fixed or floating rate. The secondary market for equity linked notes may be limited, and the lack of liquidity in the secondary market may make these securities difficult to dispose of and to value. Equity linked notes will be considered equity securities for purposes of the Fund’s investment objective and policies.

Foreign Securities. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its Managed Assets in securities of foreign issuers, including securities quoted or denominated in a currency other than U.S. dollars. Investments in foreign securities may offer potential benefits not available from investments solely in U.S. dollar-denominated or quoted securities of domestic issuers. Such benefits may include the opportunity to invest in foreign issuers that appear, in the opinion of the Investment Adviser, to offer the potential for better long term growth of capital and income than investments in U.S. securities, the opportunity to invest in foreign countries with economic policies or business cycles different from those of the United States and the opportunity to reduce fluctuations in portfolio value by taking advantage of foreign securities markets that do not necessarily move in a manner parallel to U.S. markets. Investing in the securities of foreign issuers also involves, however, certain special risks, which are not typically associated with investing in U.S. dollar-denominated securities or quoted securities of U.S. issuers. Many of these risks are more pronounced for investments in emerging economies.

With respect to investments in certain foreign countries, there exist certain economic, political and social risks, including the risk of adverse political developments, nationalization, military unrest, social instability, war and terrorism, confiscation without fair compensation, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, limitations on the movement of funds and other assets between different countries, or diplomatic developments, any of which could adversely affect the Fund’s investments in those countries. Governments in certain foreign countries continue to participate to a significant degree, through ownership interest or regulation, in their respective economies. Action by these governments could have a significant effect on market prices of securities and dividend payments.

Many countries throughout the world are dependent on a healthy U.S. economy and are adversely affected when the U.S. economy weakens or its markets decline. Additionally, many foreign country economies are heavily dependent on international trade and are adversely affected by protective trade barriers and economic conditions of their trading partners. Protectionist trade legislation enacted by those trading partners could have a significant adverse effect on the securities markets of those countries. Individual foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments position.

Investments in foreign securities often involve currencies of foreign countries. Accordingly, the Fund may be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in currency rates and in exchange control regulations and may incur costs in connection with conversions between various currencies. The Fund may be subject to currency exposure independent of its securities positions. To the extent that the Fund is invested in foreign securities while also maintaining net currency positions, it may be exposed to greater combined risk. Currency exchange rates may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time. They generally are determined by the forces of supply and demand in the foreign exchange markets and the relative merits of investments in different countries, actual or anticipated changes in interest rates and other complex factors, as seen from an international perspective. Currency exchange rates

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also can be affected unpredictably by intervention (or the failure to intervene) by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks or by currency controls or political developments in the United States or abroad.

Because foreign issuers generally are not subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, practices and requirements comparable to those applicable to U.S. companies, there may be less publicly available information about a foreign company than about a U.S. company. Volume and liquidity in most foreign securities markets are less than in the United States and securities of many foreign companies are less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. companies. The securities of foreign issuers may be listed on foreign securities exchanges or traded in foreign OTC markets. Fixed commissions on foreign securities exchanges are generally higher than negotiated commissions on U.S. exchanges, although the Fund endeavors to achieve the most favorable net results on its portfolio transactions. There is generally less government supervision and regulation of foreign securities exchanges, brokers, dealers and listed and unlisted companies than in the United States, and the legal remedies for investors may be more limited than the remedies available in the United States. For example, there may be no comparable provisions under certain foreign laws to insider trading and similar investor protections that apply with respect to securities transactions consummated in the United States.

Foreign markets also have different clearance and settlement procedures, and in certain markets there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it difficult to conduct such transactions. Such delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when some of the Fund’s assets are uninvested and no return is earned on such assets. The inability of the Fund to make intended security purchases due to settlement problems could cause the Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities. Inability to dispose of portfolio securities due to settlement problems could result either in losses to the Fund due to subsequent declines in value of the portfolio securities or, if the Fund has entered into a contract to sell the securities, in possible liability to the purchaser.

The Fund may invest in foreign securities which take the form of sponsored and unsponsored ADRs, GDRs, EDRs or other similar instruments representing securities of foreign issuers (together, “Depositary Receipts”). ADRs represent the right to receive securities of foreign issuers deposited in a domestic bank or a correspondent bank. ADRs are traded on domestic exchanges or in the U.S. OTC market and, generally, are in registered form. EDRs and GDRs are receipts evidencing an arrangement with a non-U.S. bank similar to that for ADRs and are designed for use in the non-U.S. securities markets. EDRs and GDRs are not necessarily quoted in the same currency as the underlying security. To the extent the Fund acquires Depositary Receipts through banks which do not have a contractual relationship with the foreign issuer of the security underlying the Depositary Receipts to issue and service such unsponsored Depositary Receipts, there is an increased possibility that the Fund will not become aware of and be able to respond to corporate actions such as stock splits or rights offerings involving the foreign issuer in a timely manner. In addition, the lack of information may result in inefficiencies in the valuation of such instruments. Investment in Depositary Receipts does not eliminate all the risks inherent in investing in securities of non-U.S. issuers. The market value of Depositary Receipts is dependent upon the market value of the underlying securities and fluctuations in the relative value of the currencies in which the Depositary Receipts and the underlying securities are quoted. However, by investing in Depositary Receipts, such as ADRs, which are quoted in U.S. dollars, the Fund may avoid currency risks during the settlement period for purchases and sales.

The Fund may invest in countries with emerging economies or securities markets. Political and economic structures in many of such countries may be undergoing significant evolution and rapid development, and such countries may lack the social, political and economic stability characteristic of more developed countries. Certain of such countries have in the past failed to recognize private property rights and have at times nationalized or expropriated the assets of private companies. As a result, the risks described above, including the risks of nationalization or expropriation of assets, may be heightened.

Private Company Investments. The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in investments in a limited number of private company investments that the Fund may need to hold for several years. The Fund may invest in equity securities or debt securities, including debt securities issued with warrants to purchase equity securities or that are convertible into equity securities, of private companies. The Fund’s private company investments may include investments in entities formed to own and operate particular energy infrastructure assets.

Pre-IPO Investments. The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in shares of companies that it believes are likely to issue securities in IPOs. Although there is a potential the pre-IPO securities that the Fund buys may increase in value if the company does issue securities in an IPO, IPOs are risky and volatile and may cause the value of the Fund’s investments to decrease significantly. Also, because securities of pre-IPO companies are generally not freely or publicly tradeable, the Fund may not have access to purchase securities in these companies in the amounts or at the prices the Fund desires. Securities issued by these privately-held companies have no trading history, and information about such companies may be available for very limited periods. The companies that the Fund anticipates holding successful IPOs may not ever issues shares in an IPO and a liquid market for their securities may

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never develop, which may negatively affect the price at which the Fund can sell any such securities and make it more difficult to sell such securities, which could also adversely affect the Fund’s liquidity.

Initial Public Offerings. The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in shares of IPOs, if consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and policies. IPOs may have a magnified impact on the performance of a fund with a small asset base. The impact of IPOs on a fund’s performance likely will decrease as such fund’s asset size increases, which could reduce such fund’s returns. IPOs may not be consistently available to the Fund for investing. IPO shares frequently are volatile in price due to the absence of a prior public market, the small number of shares available for trading and limited information about the issuer. Therefore, the Fund may hold IPO shares for a very short period of time. This may increase turnover and may lead to increased expenses, such as commissions and transaction costs all of which will be borne indirectly by the common shareholder. In addition, IPO shares can experience an immediate drop in value if the demand for the securities does not continue to support the offering price.

Options on Securities and Securities Indices. A put option gives the purchaser of the option the right to sell, and the writer (seller) of the option the obligation to buy, the underlying instrument during the option period. A call option gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy, and the writer (seller) of the option the obligation to sell, the underlying instrument during the option period. The Fund may write (sell) covered call and put options and purchase put and call options on any securities in which the Fund may invest or on any securities index consisting of securities in which it may invest.

The writing and purchase of options is a highly specialized activity which involves special investment risks. Options may be used for either hedging or cross-hedging purposes, or to seek to increase total return (which presents additional risk). The successful use of options depends in part on the ability of the Investment Adviser to anticipate future price fluctuations and the degree of correlation between the options and securities markets. If the Investment Adviser is incorrect in its expectation of changes in market prices or determination of the correlation between the instruments or indices on which options are written and purchased and the instruments in the Fund’s investment portfolio, the Fund may incur losses that it would not otherwise incur. The use of options can also increase the Fund’s transaction costs. Options written or purchased by the Fund may be traded on either U.S. or foreign exchanges or OTC. Foreign and OTC options will present greater possibility of loss because of their greater illiquidity and credit risks.

In lieu of entering into “protective put” transactions, the Fund may engage in barrier options transactions as an alternative means to offset or hedge against a decline in the market value of the Fund’s securities. Barrier options are similar to standard options except that they become activated or are extinguished when the underlying asset reaches a predetermined level or barrier. “Down and out” barrier options are canceled or “knocked out” if the underlying asset falls to a pre-determined level. “Down and in” barrier options are activated or “knocked in” if the underlying asset falls to a pre-determined level. “Up and out” barrier options are extinguished or “knocked out” if the underlying asset rises to a predetermined level. “Up and in” barrier options are activated or “knocked in” if the underlying asset rises to a predetermined level. If the Investment Adviser sets too high or too low a barrier, and the option is either extinguished or “knocked out” or the options are never activated or “knocked in,” the benefits to the Fund of using a barrier option strategy may be limited and the costs associated with a barrier option strategy could be detrimental to the Fund’s performance. When writing an option, the Fund must “set aside” liquid assets, or engage in other appropriate measures to “cover” its obligation under the option contract.

Futures Contracts and Options and Swaps on Futures Contracts. Futures contracts are standardized, exchange-traded contracts that provide for the sale or purchase of a specified financial instrument or currency at a future time at a specified price. An option on a futures contract gives the purchaser the right (and the writer of the option the obligation) to assume a position in a futures contract at a specified exercise price within a specified period of time. A swap on a futures contract provides an investor with the ability to gain economic exposure to a particular futures market; however, unlike a futures contract that is exchange-traded, a swap on a futures contract is an OTC transaction. A futures contract may be based on particular securities, foreign currencies, securities indices and other financial instruments and indices. The Fund may engage in futures transactions on both U.S. and foreign exchanges.

The Fund may purchase and sell futures contracts, purchase and write call and put options on futures contracts and enter into swaps on futures contracts, in order to seek to increase total return or to hedge against changes in interest rates, securities prices or currency exchange rates, or to otherwise manage its term structure, sector selections and duration in accordance with its investment objective and policies. The Fund may also enter into closing purchase and sale transactions with respect to such contracts and options. The Investment Adviser has claimed an exclusion with respect to the Fund from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” under the CEA and, therefore, is not currently subject to registration or regulation as a pool operator under that CEA with respect to the Fund.

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Futures contracts and related options and swaps present the following risks:

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While the Fund may benefit from the use of futures and options and swaps on futures, unanticipated changes in interest rates, securities prices or currency exchange rates may result in poorer overall performance than if the Fund had not entered into any futures contracts, options transactions or swaps.

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Because perfect correlation between a futures position and a portfolio position that is intended to be protected is impossible to achieve, the desired protection may not be obtained and the Fund may be exposed to additional risk of loss.

•

The loss incurred by the Fund in entering into futures contracts and in writing call options and entering into swaps on futures is potentially unlimited and may exceed the amount of the premium received.

•

Futures markets are highly volatile and the use of futures may increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV.

•

As a result of the low margin deposits normally required in futures trading, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in substantial losses to the Fund.

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Futures contracts and options and swaps on futures may be illiquid, and exchanges may limit fluctuations in futures contract prices during a single day.

•

Foreign exchanges may not provide the same protection as U.S. exchanges.

Forward Contracts

Forward contracts involve the purchase or sale of a specific quantity of a commodity, government security, foreign currency, or other financial instrument at the current or spot price, with delivery and settlement at a specified future date.

Because it is a completed contract, a purchase forward contract can be a cover for the sale of a futures contract. The Fund may enter into forward contracts for hedging purposes and non-hedging purposes (i.e., to increase returns). Forward contracts may be used by the Fund for hedging purposes to protect against uncertainty in the level of future foreign currency exchange rates, such as when the Fund anticipates purchasing or selling a foreign security. For example, this technique would allow the Fund to “lock in” the U.S. dollar price of the security. Forward contracts may also be used to attempt to protect the value of the Fund’s existing holdings of foreign securities. There may be, however, an imperfect correlation between the Fund’s foreign securities holdings and the forward contracts entered into with respect to those holdings. Forward contracts may also be used for nonhedging purposes to pursue the Fund’s investment objective, such as when the Fund’s Investment Adviser anticipates that particular foreign currencies will appreciate or depreciate in value, even though securities denominated in those currencies are not then held in the Fund’s portfolio. There is no requirement that the Fund hedge all or any portion of its exposure to foreign currency risks.

Forward contracts and options thereon, unlike futures contracts, are not traded on exchanges and are not standardized; rather, banks and dealers act as principals in these markets, negotiating each transaction on an individual basis. Forward and “cash” trading is substantially unregulated; there is no limitation on daily price movements and speculative position limits are not applicable. The principals who deal in the forward markets are not required to continue to make markets in the currencies or commodities they trade and these markets can experience periods of illiquidity, sometimes of significant duration. There have been periods during which certain participants in these markets have refused to quote prices for certain currencies or commodities or have quoted prices with an unusually wide spread between the price at which they were prepared to buy and that at which they were prepared to sell. Disruptions can occur in any market traded by the Investment Adviser due to unusually high trading volume, political intervention or other factors. Arrangements to trade forward contracts may be made with only one or a few counterparties, and liquidity problems therefore might be greater than if such arrangements were made with numerous counterparties. The imposition of controls by governmental authorities might also limit such forward (and futures) trading to less than that which the Investment Adviser would otherwise recommend, to the possible detriment of the Fund. Market illiquidity or disruption could result in major losses to the Fund. In addition, the Fund will be exposed to credit risks with regard to counterparties with which it trades as well as risks relating to settlement default. Such risks could result in substantial losses to the Fund.

Equity Swaps and Index Swaps

The Fund may invest in equity swaps and index swaps. Equity swaps allow the parties to a swap agreement to exchange the dividend income or other components of return on an equity investment (for example, a group of equity securities or an index) for another payment stream. An equity swap may be used by the Fund to invest in a market without owning or taking physical custody of securities in circumstances in which direct investment may be restricted for legal reasons or is otherwise deemed impractical or disadvantageous. Index swaps allow the Fund to receive one or more payments based off of the return, performance or volatility of an index or of certain securities which comprise the index.

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

The value of swaps can be very volatile. To the extent that the Investment Adviser does not accurately analyze and predict the potential relative fluctuation of the components swapped with another party, or the creditworthiness of the counterparty, the Fund may suffer a loss, which may be substantial. The value of some components of a swap (such as the dividends on a common stock) may also be sensitive to changes in interest rates. Furthermore, swaps may be illiquid, and the Fund may be unable to terminate its obligations when desired.

Currently, certain standardized swap transactions are subject to mandatory central clearing. Although central clearing is expected to decrease counterparty risk and increase liquidity compared to bilaterally negotiated swaps, central clearing does not eliminate counterparty risk or illiquidity risk entirely.

In the case of swaps that do not cash settle, for example, the Fund must set aside liquid assets equal to the full notional amount of the swaps while the positions are open. With respect to swaps that are required to cash settle, however, the Fund may set aside liquid assets in an amount equal to the Fund’s daily marked-to-market net obligations (i.e. the Fund’s daily net liability) under the swaps, if any, rather than their full notional amount. The Fund reserves the right to modify its asset segregation policies in the future in its discretion. By setting aside assets equal to only its net obligations under cash settled swaps, the Fund will have the ability to employ leverage to a greater extent than if the Fund were required to segregate assets equal to the full notional amount of the swaps.

Interest Rate Swaps, Credit Swaps, Total Return Swaps, Options on Swaps and Interest Rate Caps, Floors and Collars

The Fund may enter into swap transactions and option agreements, including interest rate caps, floors and collars. Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by the Fund with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest, such as an exchange of fixed-rate payments for floating rate payments. Credit swaps involve the receipt of floating or fixed rate payments in exchange for assuming potential credit losses on an underlying security. Credit swaps give one party to a transaction (the buyer of the credit swap) the right to dispose of or acquire an asset (or group of assets), or the right to receive a payment from the other party, upon the occurrence of specified credit events. Total return swaps give the Fund the right to receive the appreciation in the value of a specified security, index or other instrument in return for a fee paid to the counterparty, which will typically be based on an agreed upon interest rate. If the underlying asset in a total return swap declines in value over the term of the swap, the Fund may also be required to pay the dollar value of that decline to the counterparty. The Fund may also purchase and write (sell) options contracts on swaps, commonly referred to as swaptions. A swaption is an option to enter into a swap agreement. Like other types of options, the buyer of a swaption pays a non-refundable premium for the option and obtains the right, but not the obligation, to enter into an underlying swap or to modify the terms of an existing swap on agreed-upon terms.

The seller of a swaption, in exchange for the premium, becomes obligated (if the option is exercised) to enter into or modify an underlying swap on agreed-upon terms, which generally entails a greater risk of loss than the Fund incurs in buying a swaption.

The purchase of an interest rate cap entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index exceeds a predetermined interest rate, to receive payment of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling such interest rate cap. The purchase of an interest rate floor entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index falls below a predetermined interest rate, to receive payments of interest on a notional principal amount from the party selling the interest rate floor. An interest rate collar is the combination of a cap and a floor that preserves a certain return within a predetermined range of interest rates.

The Fund may enter into the transactions described above for hedging purposes or to seek to increase total return. As an example, when the Fund is the buyer of a credit default swap (commonly known as buying protection), it may make periodic payments to the seller of the credit default swap to obtain protection against a credit default on a specified underlying asset (or group of assets). If a default occurs, the seller of a credit default swap may be required to pay the Fund the “notional value” of the credit default swap on a specified security (or group of securities). On the other hand, when the Fund is a seller of a credit default swap (commonly known as selling protection), in addition to the credit exposure the Fund has on the other assets held in its portfolio, the Fund is also subject to the credit exposure on the notional amount of the swap since, in the event of a credit default, the Fund may be required to pay the “notional value” of the credit default swap on a specified security (or group of securities) to the buyer of the credit default swap.

The use of interest rate, credit and total return swaps, options on swaps, and interest rate caps, floors and collars is a highly specialized activity which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. If the Investment Adviser is incorrect in its forecasts of market values and interest rates, or in its evaluation of the creditworthiness of swap counterparties (with respect to bilateral swap transactions) and the issuers of the underlying assets, the investment performance of the Fund would be less favorable than it would have been if these investment techniques were not used.

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

The Fund may be required to set aside liquid assets, or engage in other SEC approved measures to “cover” open swap positions. In the case of futures contracts that do not cash settle, for example, the Fund must set aside liquid assets equal to the full notional amount of the futures contracts while the positions are open. With respect to futures contracts that do cash settle, however, the Fund may set aside liquid assets in an amount equal to the Fund’s daily marked-to-market net obligations (i.e., the Fund’s daily net liability) under the futures contracts, if any, rather than their full notional amount. In the case of swaps that do not cash settle, for example, the Fund must set aside liquid assets equal to the full notional amount of the swaps while the positions are open. With respect to swaps that are required to cash settle, however, the Fund may set aside liquid assets in an amount equal to the Fund’s daily marked-to-market net obligations (i.e., the Fund’s daily net liability) under the swaps, if any, rather than their full notional amount. The Fund reserves the right to modify its asset segregation policies in the future in its discretion. By setting aside assets equal to only its net obligations under cash settled swaps, the Fund will have the ability to employ leverage to a greater extent than if the Fund were required to segregate assets equal to the full notional amount of the swaps.

When-Issued Securities and Forward Commitments

The Fund may purchase when-issued securities and make contracts to purchase or sell securities for a fixed price at a future date beyond customary settlement time. When-issued securities are securities that have been authorized, but not yet issued. When-issued securities are purchased in order to secure what is considered to be an advantageous price or yield to the Fund at the time of entering into the transaction. A forward commitment involves entering into a contract to purchase or sell securities for a fixed price at a future date beyond the customary settlement period.

The purchase of securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis involves a risk of loss if the value of the security to be purchased declines before the settlement date. Conversely, the sale of securities on a forward commitment basis involves the risk that the value of the securities sold may increase before the settlement date.

Although the Fund will generally purchase securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis with the intention of acquiring the securities for its portfolio, the Fund may dispose of when-issued securities or forward commitments prior to settlement if the Investment Adviser deems it appropriate. When purchasing a security on a when-issued basis or entering into a forward commitment, the Fund must identify on its books liquid assets, or engage in other appropriate measures to “cover” its obligations.

Repurchase Agreements

Repurchase agreements involve the purchase of securities subject to the seller’s agreement to repurchase them at a mutually agreed upon date and price. The Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with eligible counterparties which furnish collateral at least equal in value or market price to the amount of their repurchase obligation. The collateral may consist of any type of security in which the Fund is eligible to invest directly. Repurchase agreements involving obligations other than U.S. Government Securities may be subject to special risks and may not have the benefit of certain protections in the event of the counterparty’s insolvency.

If the other party or “seller” defaults, the Fund might suffer a loss to the extent that the proceeds from the sale of the underlying securities and other collateral held by the Fund are less than the repurchase price and the Fund’s costs associated with delay and enforcement of the repurchase agreement. In addition, in the event of bankruptcy of the seller, the Fund could suffer additional losses if a court determines that the Fund’s interest in the collateral is not enforceable.

The Fund, together with other registered investment companies having advisory agreements with the Investment Adviser or any of its affiliates, may transfer uninvested cash balances into a single joint account, the daily aggregate balance of which will be invested in one or more repurchase agreements.

Reverse Repurchase Agreements

Reverse repurchase agreements involve the sale of securities held by the Fund with an agreement by the Fund to repurchase the securities at a mutually agreed upon date and price (including interest). Reverse repurchase agreements may be entered into when the Investment Adviser expects that the return to be earned from the investment of the transaction proceeds will be greater than the related interest expense. Reverse repurchase agreements involve leveraging. If the securities held by the Fund decline in value while these transactions are outstanding, the NAV of the Fund’s outstanding shares will decline in value proportionately more than the decline in value of the securities. In addition, reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the investment return earned by the Fund (from the investment of the proceeds) will be less than the interest expense of the transaction, that the market value of the securities sold by the Fund will decline below the price the Fund is obligated to pay to repurchase the securities, and that the securities may not be returned to the Fund.

The Fund may “set aside” liquid assets, or engage in other appropriate measures to “cover” its obligations with respect to its transactions in reverse repurchase agreements. As a result of such segregation, the Fund’s obligations under such transactions will

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

not be considered senior securities representing indebtedness for purposes of the 1940 Act and the Fund’s use of leverage through reverse repurchase agreements will not be limited by the 1940 Act. The Fund’s use of leverage through reverse repurchase agreements may be limited by the availability of cash or liquid securities to earmark or segregate in connection with such transactions.

If the buyer of securities under a reverse repurchase agreement files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, such buyer or its trustee or receiver may receive an extension of time to determine whether to enforce the Fund’s obligation to repurchase the securities, and the Fund’s use of the proceeds of the reverse repurchase agreement may effectively be restricted pending such decision. Also, the Fund would bear the risk of loss to the extent that the proceeds of the reverse repurchase agreement are less than the value of the securities subject to such agreement.

With respect to any reverse repurchase agreement or similar transaction, the Fund’s Managed Assets shall include any proceeds from the sale of an asset of the Fund to a counterparty in such a transaction, in addition to the value of the underlying asset as of the relevant measuring date.

REITs

The Fund may invest in REITs. REITs are pooled investment vehicles that invest primarily in either real estate or real estate related loans. The value of a REIT is affected by changes in the value of the properties owned by the REIT or securing mortgage loans held by the REIT. REITs are dependent upon the ability of the REITs’ managers, and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, default by borrowers and the qualification of the REITs under applicable regulatory requirements for favorable income tax treatment. REITs are also subject to risks generally associated with investments in real estate including possible declines in the value of real estate, general and local economic conditions, environmental problems and changes in interest rates. To the extent that assets underlying a REIT are concentrated geographically, by property type or in certain other respects, these risks may be heightened. The Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any expenses, including management fees, paid by a REIT in which it invests.

Short Sales

The Fund may engage in short sales. Short sales are transactions in which the Fund sells a security it does not own in anticipation of a decline in the market value of that security. To complete such a transaction, the Fund must borrow the security to make delivery to the buyer. The Fund then is obligated to replace the security borrowed by purchasing it at the market price at the time of replacement. The price at such time may be more or less than the price at which the security was sold by the Fund. Until the security is replaced, the Fund is required to pay to the lender amounts equal to any dividend which accrues during the period of the loan. To borrow the security, the Fund also may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the cost of the security sold. There will also be other costs associated with short sales.

The Fund may use short sales, consistent with its investment objective, to gain exposure to the MLP market in various circumstances, including among others when the Investment Adviser determines that a specific MLP investment may be facing deteriorating fundamentals that could result in lower growth or the potential for lower distributions.

The Fund will incur a loss, which may be unlimited, as a result of the short sale if the price of the security increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which the Fund replaces the borrowed security. The Fund will realize a gain if the security declines in price between those dates. This result is the opposite of what one would expect from a cash purchase of a long position in a security. The amount of any gain will be decreased, and the amount of any loss increased, by the amount of any premium or amounts in lieu of interest the Fund may be required to pay in connection with a short sale, and will be also decreased by any transaction or other costs.

Until the Fund replaces a borrowed security in connection with a short sale, the Fund will (a) segregate cash or liquid assets at such a level that the segregated assets plus any amount deposited with the broker as collateral will equal the current value of the security sold short or (b) otherwise cover its short position in accordance with applicable law.

There is no guarantee that the Fund will be able to close out a short position at any particular time or at an acceptable price. During the time that the Fund is short a security, it is subject to the risk that the lender of the security will terminate the loan at a time when the Fund is unable to borrow the same security from another lender. If that occurs, the Fund may be “bought in” at the price required to purchase the security needed to close out the short position, which may be a disadvantageous price.

Short Sales Against the Box

The Fund may engage in short sales against the box. As noted above, a short sale is made by selling a security the seller does not own. A short sale is “against the box” to the extent that the seller contemporaneously owns or has the right to obtain, at no added

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

cost, securities identical to those sold short. The Fund may enter into a short sale against the box, for example, to lock in a sales price for a security the Fund does not wish to sell immediately. If the Fund sells securities short against the box, it may protect itself from loss if the price of the securities declines in the future, but will lose the opportunity to profit on such securities if the price rises. If the Fund effects a short sale of securities at a time when it has an unrealized gain on the securities, it may be required to recognize that gain as if it had actually sold the securities (as a “constructive sale”) on the date it effects the short sale. However, such constructive sale treatment may not apply if the Fund closes out the short sale with securities other than the appreciated securities held at the time of the short sale and if certain other conditions are satisfied. Uncertainty regarding the tax consequences of effecting short sales may limit the extent to which the Fund may effect short sales.

Preferred Stock, Warrants and Stock Purchase Rights

The Fund may invest in preferred stock, warrants and stock purchase rights (or “rights”). Preferred stocks are securities that represent an ownership interest providing the holder with claims on the issuer’s earnings and assets before common stock owners but after bond owners. Unlike debt securities, the obligations of an issuer of preferred stock, including dividend and other payment obligations, may not typically be accelerated by the holders of such preferred stock on the occurrence of an event of default or other non-compliance by the issuer of the preferred stock.

Other Investment Companies

The Fund may invest in securities of other investment companies, including ETFs, subject to statutory limitations prescribed by the 1940 Act. These limitations include in certain circumstances a prohibition on the Fund acquiring more than 3% of the voting shares of any other investment company, and a prohibition on investing more than 5% of the Fund’s total assets in securities of any one investment company or more than 10% of its total assets in securities of all investment companies. Many ETFs, however, have obtained exemptive relief from the SEC to permit unaffiliated funds to invest in the ETFs’ shares beyond these statutory limitations, subject to certain conditions and pursuant to a contractual arrangement between the ETFs and the investing funds. The Fund may rely on these exemptive orders to invest in unaffiliated ETFs.

The use of ETFs is intended to help the Fund match the total return of the particular market segments or indices represented by those ETFs, although that may not be the result. Most ETFs are passively-managed investment companies whose shares are purchased and sold on a securities exchange. An ETF represents a portfolio of securities designed to track a particular market segment or index. An investment in an ETF generally presents the same primary risks as an investment in a conventional fund (i.e., one that is not exchange-traded) that has the same investment objectives, strategies and policies. In addition, an ETF may fail to accurately track the market segment or index that underlies its investment objective. The price of an ETF can fluctuate, and the Fund could lose money investing in an ETF. Moreover, ETFs are subject to the following risks that do not apply to conventional open- end funds: (i) the market price of the ETF’s shares may trade at a premium or a discount to their NAV; (ii) an active trading market for an ETF’s shares may not develop or be maintained; and (iii) there is no assurance that the requirements of the exchange necessary to maintain the listing of an ETF will continue to be met or remain unchanged.

Under an exemptive rule adopted by the SEC, the Fund may invest in certain other investment companies and money market funds beyond the statutory limits described above.

The Fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any management fees and other expenses paid by such other investment companies, in addition to the fees and expenses regularly borne by the Fund.

ETNs

ETNs are a type of senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt security issued by financial institutions that combines both aspects of bonds and ETFs. An ETN’s returns are based on the performance of a market index minus fees and expenses. Similar to ETFs, ETNs are listed on an exchange and traded in the secondary market. However, unlike an ETF, an ETN can be held until the ETN’s maturity, at which time the issuer is obligated to pay a return linked to the performance of the market index to which the ETN is linked minus certain fees. Unlike regular bonds, ETNs do not make periodic interest payments and principal is not protected. ETNs are subject to credit risk and the value of an ETN may drop due to a downgrade in the issuer’s credit rating, despite the underlying market benchmark or strategy remaining unchanged. The value of an ETN may also be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying assets, changes in applicable interest rates, changes in the issuer’s credit rating, and economic, legal, political, or geographic events that affect the referenced underlying asset. When the Fund invests in ETNs it will bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses borne by the ETN. The Fund’s decision to sell its ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market. In addition, although an ETN may be listed on an exchange, the issuer may not be required to maintain the listing and there can be no assurance that a secondary market will exist for an ETN.

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

Unseasoned Companies

The Fund may invest in companies which (together with their predecessors) have operated less than three years. The securities of such companies may have limited liquidity, which can result in their being priced higher or lower than might otherwise be the case. In addition, investments in unseasoned companies are more speculative and entail greater risk than investments in companies with an established operating record.

Corporate Debt Obligations

Corporate debt obligations include bonds, notes, debentures, commercial paper and other obligations of corporations to pay interest and repay principal. The Fund may invest in corporate debt obligations issued by U.S. and certain non-U.S. issuers, which issue securities denominated in the U.S. dollar (including Yankee and Euro obligations as well as other non-U.S. dollar currencies). In addition to obligations of corporations, corporate debt obligations include securities issued by banks and other financial institutions and supranational entities (i.e., the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, etc.).

Bank Obligations

The Fund may invest in obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. or foreign banks. Bank obligations, including without limitation, time deposits, bankers’ acceptances and certificates of deposit, may be general obligations of the parent bank or may be limited to the issuing branch by the terms of the specific obligations or by government regulations. Banks are subject to extensive but different governmental regulations which may limit both the amount and types of loans which may be made and interest rates which may be charged. In addition, the profitability of the banking industry is largely dependent upon the availability and cost of funds for the purpose of financing lending operations under prevailing money market conditions. General economic conditions as well as exposure to credit losses arising from possible financial difficulties of borrowers play an important part in the operation of this industry.

U.S. Government Securities

The Fund may invest in U.S. Government Securities. U.S. Government Securities include U.S. Treasury obligations and obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises. U.S. Government Securities may be supported by (i) the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury; (ii) the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; (iii) the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the issuer; or (iv) only the credit of the issuer. U.S. Government Securities also include Treasury receipts, zero coupon bonds and other stripped U.S. Government Securities, where the interest and principal components are traded independently. U.S. Government Securities may also include Treasury inflation-protected securities whose principal value is periodically adjusted according to the rate of inflation.

U.S. Government Securities are deemed to include (i) securities for which the payment of principal and interest is backed by an irrevocable letter of credit issued by the U.S. government, its agencies, authorities or instrumentalities; and (ii) participations in loans made to foreign governments or their agencies that are so guaranteed. Certain of these participations may be regarded as illiquid.

U.S. Government Securities have historically involved little risk of loss of principal if held to maturity. However, no assurance can be given that the U.S. government will be able or willing to repay the principal or interest when due, or will provide financial support to U.S. government agencies, authorities, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises if it is not obligated to do so by law.

Custodial Receipts and Trust Certificates

The Fund may invest in custodial receipts and trust certificates representing interests in securities held by a custodian or trustee. The securities so held may include U.S. Government Securities or other types of securities in which the Fund may invest. The custodial receipts or trust certificates may evidence ownership of future interest payments, principal payments or both on the underlying securities, or, in some cases, the payment obligation of a third party that has entered into an interest rate swap or other arrangement with the custodian or trustee. For certain securities laws purposes, custodial receipts and trust certificates may not be considered obligations of the U.S. government or other issuer of the securities held by the custodian or trustee. If for tax purposes the Fund is not considered to be the owner of the underlying securities held in the custodial or trust account, the Fund may suffer adverse tax consequences. As a holder of custodial receipts and trust certificates, the Fund will bear its proportionate share of the fees and expenses charged to the custodial account or trust. The Fund may also invest in separately issued interests in custodial receipts and trust certificates.

Non-Investment Grade Securities

Non-investment grade securities and unrated securities of comparable credit quality (commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) are considered speculative. In some cases, these obligations may be highly speculative and have poor prospects for reaching investment

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

grade standing. Non-investment grade securities are subject to the increased risk of an issuer’s inability to meet principal and interest obligations. These securities, also referred to as high yield securities, may be subject to greater price volatility due to such factors as specific corporate or municipal developments, interest rate sensitivity, negative perceptions of the junk bond markets generally and less secondary market liquidity.

Non-investment grade securities are often issued in connection with a corporate reorganization or restructuring or as part of a merger, acquisition, takeover or similar event. They are also issued by less established companies seeking to expand. Such issuers are often highly leveraged and generally less able than more established or less leveraged entities to make scheduled payments of principal and interest in the event of adverse developments or business conditions. Non-investment grade securities are also issued by governmental bodies that may have difficulty in making all scheduled interest and principal payments.

The market value of non-investment grade securities tends to reflect individual corporate or municipal developments to a greater extent than that of higher rated securities which react primarily to fluctuations in the general level of interest rates. As a result, the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective may depend to a greater extent on the Investment Adviser’s judgment concerning the creditworthiness of issuers than funds which invest in higher-rated securities. Issuers of non-investment grade securities may not be able to make use of more traditional methods of financing and their ability to service debt obligations may be affected more adversely than issuers of higher-rated securities by economic downturns, specific corporate or financial developments or the issuer’s inability to meet specific projected business forecasts. Negative publicity about the junk bond market and investor perceptions regarding lower rated securities, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may depress the prices for such securities.

A holder’s risk of loss from default is significantly greater for non-investment grade securities than is the case for holders of other debt securities because such non-investment grade securities are generally unsecured and are often subordinated to the rights of other creditors of the issuers of such securities. Investment by the Fund in defaulted securities poses additional risk of loss should nonpayment of principal and interest continue in respect of such securities. Even if such securities are held to maturity, recovery by the Fund of its initial investment and any anticipated income or appreciation is uncertain.

The secondary market for non-investment grade securities is concentrated in relatively few market makers and is dominated by institutional investors, including mutual funds, insurance companies and other financial institutions. Accordingly, the secondary market for such securities is not as liquid as, and is more volatile than, the secondary market for higher-rated securities. In addition, market trading volume for high yield securities is generally lower and the secondary market for such securities could shrink or disappear suddenly and without warning as a result of adverse market or economic conditions, independent of any specific adverse changes in the condition of a particular issuer. The lack of sufficient market liquidity may cause the Fund to incur losses because it will be required to effect sales at a disadvantageous time and then only at a substantial drop in price. These factors may have an adverse effect on the market price and the Fund’s ability to dispose of particular portfolio investments. A less liquid secondary market also may make it more difficult for the Fund to obtain precise valuations of the high yield securities in its portfolio.

Credit ratings issued by credit rating agencies are designed to evaluate the safety of principal and interest payments of rated securities. They do not, however, evaluate the market value risk of non-investment grade securities and, therefore, may not fully reflect the true risks of an investment. In addition, credit rating agencies may or may not make timely changes in a rating to reflect changes in the economy or in the conditions of the issuer that affect the market value of the security. Consequently, credit ratings are used only as a preliminary indicator of investment quality.

Restricted Securities

The Fund may purchase securities and other financial instruments that are not registered or that are offered in an exempt non-public offering (“Restricted Securities”) under the 1933 Act, including securities eligible for resale to “qualified institutional buyers” pursuant to Rule 144A under the 1933 Act.

The purchase price and subsequent valuation of Restricted Securities may reflect a discount from the price at which such securities trade when they are not restricted, because the restriction makes them less liquid. The amount of the discount from the prevailing market price is expected to vary depending upon the type of security, the character of the issuer, the party who will bear the expenses of registering the Restricted Securities and prevailing supply and demand conditions.

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

Investment Restrictions (Unaudited)

The investment restrictions set forth below have been adopted by the Fund as fundamental policies that cannot be changed without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund. The investment objective of the Fund and all other investment policies or practices of the Fund are considered by the Fund not to be fundamental and accordingly may be changed without shareholder approval. For purposes of the 1940 Act, a “majority” of the outstanding voting securities means the lesser of the vote of (i) 67% or more of the shares of the Fund present at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of the shares of the Fund.

For purposes of the following limitations (except for the asset coverage requirement with respect to borrowings), any limitation which involves a maximum percentage shall not be considered violated unless an excess over the percentage occurs immediately after, and is caused by, an acquisition or encumbrance of securities or assets of, or borrowings by, the Fund. In applying fundamental investment restriction number (1) below to derivative transactions or instruments, including, without limitation, futures, swaps, forwards, options and structured notes, the Fund will look to the industry of the reference asset(s) and not to the counterparty or issuer. With respect to the Fund’s fundamental investment restriction number (2) below, asset coverage of at least 300% (as defined in the 1940 Act), inclusive of any amounts borrowed, must be maintained at all times.

Fundamental Investment Restrictions (Unaudited)

As a matter of fundamental policy, the Fund may not:

(1)

Invest 25% or more of its Managed Assets in the securities of one or more issuers conducting their principal business activities in the same industry (excluding the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities); except that the Fund will invest more than 25% of its Managed Assets in companies conducting their principal business in industries within the energy sector;

(2)

Borrow money, except as permitted by the 1940 Act, or interpretations or modifications by the SEC, SEC staff or other authority with appropriate jurisdiction;

The following interpretation applies to, but is not part of, this fundamental policy:

In determining whether a particular investment in portfolio instruments or participation in portfolio transactions is subject to this borrowing policy, the accounting treatment of such instrument or participation shall be considered, but shall not by itself be determinative. Whether a particular instrument or transaction constitutes a borrowing shall be determined by the Board, after consideration of all of the relevant circumstances.

(3)

Make loans, except through (a) the purchase of debt obligations in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective and policies, (b) repurchase agreements with banks, brokers, dealers and other financial institutions, (c) loans of securities as permitted by applicable law, and (d) loans to affiliates of the Fund to the extent permitted by law;

(4)

Underwrite securities issued by others, except to the extent that the sale of portfolio securities by the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriting;

(5)

Purchase, hold or deal in real estate, although the Fund may purchase and sell securities or instruments that are secured by real estate or interests therein or that reflect the return of an index of real estate values, securities of real estate investment trusts and mortgage-related securities, and may hold and sell real estate acquired by the Fund as a result of the ownership of securities;

(6)

Invest in physical commodities, except that the Fund may invest in currency and financial instruments and contracts in accordance with its investment objective and policies, including, without limitation, structured notes, futures contracts, swaps, options on commodities, currencies, swaps and futures, ETFs, investment pools and other instruments, regardless of whether such instrument is considered to be a commodity;

(7)

Issue senior securities to the extent such issuance would violate applicable law.

In addition to the fundamental policies mentioned above, the Trustees have adopted the following non-fundamental policies which can be changed or amended by action of the Trustees without approval of shareholders. Again, for purposes of the following limitations, any limitation which involves a maximum percentage shall not be considered violated unless an excess over the percentage occurs immediately after, and is caused by, an acquisition of securities by the Fund.

The Fund may not invest in companies for the purpose of exercising control or management.

For purposes of the Fund’s industry concentration policy, the Investment Adviser may analyze the characteristics of a particular issuer and instrument and may assign an industry classification consistent with those characteristics. The Investment Adviser may, but need not, consider industry classifications provided by third parties, and the classifications applied to Fund investments will be informed by applicable law.

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

PRINCIPAL RISKS OF THE FUND (Unaudited)

The Fund is not intended to be a complete investment program and, due to the uncertainty inherent in all investments, there can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Investors should consider their long-term investment goals and financial needs when making an investment decision with respect to the Fund. An investment in the Fund is intended to be a long-term investment, and you should not view the Fund as a trading vehicle. Your shares at any point in time may be worth less than your original investment, even after taking into account the reinvestment of Fund dividends and distributions, if applicable.

Investment Risk — The value of the instruments in which the Fund invests may go up or down in response to the prospects of individual companies, particular sectors or governments and/or general economic conditions throughout the world due to increasingly interconnected global economies and financial markets. Price changes may be temporary or last for extended periods. The Fund’s investments may be overweighted from time to time in one or more sectors or countries, which will increase the Fund’s exposure to risk of loss from adverse developments affecting those sectors or countries. The Fund may use leverage, which will magnify the Fund’s investment, market and certain other risks.

Market Risk — An investment in the shares of the Fund represents an indirect investment in the securities owned by the Fund, a significant portion of which are traded on a national securities exchange or in the over-the-counter (“OTC”) markets. The value of these securities, like other investments, may move up or down, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably in response to the prospects of individual companies, particular sectors or governments and/or general economic conditions throughout the world due to increasingly interconnected global economies and financial markets. Events such as war, acts of terrorism, social unrest, natural disasters, the spread of infectious illness or other public health threats could also significantly impact the Fund and its investments. Your shares at any point in time may be worth less than what you invested, even after taking into account the reinvestment of Fund dividends and distributions. The Fund may utilize leverage, which magnifies the market risk.

Market Discount Risk — Shares of closed-end investment companies frequently trade at a discount from their NAV. This characteristic is a risk separate and distinct from the risk that the Fund’s NAV per share could decrease as a result of its investment activities and may be greater for investors expecting to sell their shares in a relatively short period of time following completion of the Reorganization. Although the value of the Fund’s net assets is generally considered by market participants in determining whether to purchase or sell shares, whether investors will realize gains or losses upon the sale of the shares will depend entirely upon whether the market price of the shares at the time of sale is above or below the investor’s purchase price for the shares. Because the market price of the shares will be determined by factors such as (i) NAV, (ii) dividend and distribution levels and their stability (which will in turn be affected by levels of distributions, dividend and interest payments by the Fund’s portfolio holdings, the timing and success of the Fund’s investment strategies, regulations affecting the timing and character of Fund distributions, Fund expenses and other factors), (iii) supply of and demand for the shares, (iv) trading volume of the shares, (v) general market, interest rate and economic conditions and (vi) other factors that may be beyond the control of the Fund.

Master Limited Partnership Risk — Investments in securities of MLPs involve risks that differ from investments in common stocks including risks related to limited control and limited rights to vote on matters affecting MLPs, risks related to potential conflicts of interest between an MLP and the MLP’s general partner, cash flow risks, dilution risks and risks related to the general partner’s right to require unit-holders to sell their common units at an undesirable time or price. Many of the Fund’s investments in MLPs will be subject to legal and other restrictions on resale or will otherwise be less liquid than publicly traded securities. Certain MLP securities may trade in lower volumes due to their smaller capitalizations. Accordingly, those MLPs may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements and may lack sufficient market liquidity to enable the Fund to effect sales at an advantageous time or without a substantial drop in price. Investment in those MLPs may restrict the Fund’s ability to take advantage of other investment opportunities. If the Fund is one of the largest investors in certain MLPs, it may be more difficult for the Fund to buy and sell significant amounts of such investments without an unfavorable impact on prevailing market prices. Larger purchases or sales of MLP investments by the Fund in a short period of time may cause abnormal movements in the market price of these investments. As a result, these investments may be difficult to dispose of at a fair price at the times when the Fund believes it is desirable to do so. MLPs are generally considered interest-rate sensitive investments that generally rely on capital markets to finance capital expenditures and growth opportunities. During periods of interest rate volatility, limited capital markets access and/or low commodities pricing, these investments may not provide attractive returns, which may adversely impact the overall performance of the Fund.

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

The Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective will depend largely on the amount of the distributions it receives from the MLPs (in relation to the taxable income, gains, losses, and deductions allocated to it). The amount and tax characterization of cash available for distribution by an MLP depends upon the amount of cash generated by such entity’s operations. Cash available for distribution by MLPs will vary widely from quarter to quarter and is affected by various factors affecting the entity’s operations. In addition to the risks described herein, operating costs, capital expenditures, acquisition costs, construction costs, exploration costs and borrowing costs may reduce the amount of cash that an MLP has available for distribution in a given period. MLPs have the ability to modify their distribution policies from time to time without input from or approval of the Fund.

Conflicts of interest may arise from incentive distribution payments paid to the general partner, or referral of business opportunities by the general partner or one of its affiliates to an entity other than the MLP. Holders of general partner or managing member interests typically receive incentive distribution rights, which provide them with an increasing share of the entity’s aggregate cash distributions upon the payment of per common unit distributions that exceed specified threshold levels above the minimum quarterly distribution (the “MQD”). Due to the incentive distribution rights, general partners of MLPs have higher distribution growth prospects than their underlying MLPs, but quarterly incentive distribution payments would also decline at a greater rate than the decline rate in quarterly distributions to common and subordinated unit holders in the event of a reduction in the MLP’s quarterly distribution. The ability of the limited partners or members to remove the general partner or managing member without cause is typically very limited. In addition, some MLPs permit the holder of incentive distribution rights to reset, under specified circumstances, the incentive distribution levels and receive compensation in exchange for the distribution rights given up in the reset.

MLPs are subject to various risks related to the underlying operating companies they control, including dependence upon specialized management skills and the risk that those operating companies may lack or have limited operating histories. The success of the Fund’s investments in an MLP will vary depending on the underlying industry represented by the MLP’s portfolio. Certain MLPs in which the Fund may invest depend upon their parent or sponsor entities for the majority of their revenues. If the parent or sponsor entities fail to make payments or satisfy their obligations to an MLP, the revenues and cash flows of that MLP and ability of that MLP to make distributions to unit holders such as the Fund would be adversely affected.

To the extent a distribution received by the Fund from an MLP is treated as a return of capital, the Fund’s adjusted tax basis in the interests of the MLP may be reduced, which will result in an increase in an amount of income or gain (or decrease in the amount of loss) that will be recognized by the Fund for tax purposes upon the sale of any such interests or upon subsequent distributions in respect of such interests. Furthermore, any return of capital distribution received from the MLP may require the Fund to restate the character of its distributions and amend any shareholder tax reporting previously issued. Moreover, a change in current tax law, or a change in the underlying business mix of a given MLP, could result in an MLP being treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, which could result in a reduction of the value of the Fund’s investment in the MLP and lower income to the Fund.

Certain MLPs in which the Fund may invest depend upon a limited number of customers for substantially all of their revenue. Similarly, certain MLPs in which the Fund may invest depend upon a limited number of suppliers of goods or services to continue their operations. The loss of those customers or suppliers could have a material adverse effect on an MLP’s results of operations and cash flow, and on its ability to make distributions to unit holders such as the Fund.

The Fund is not responsible for operating MLPs and similar entities and cannot control or monitor their compliance with applicable tax, securities and other laws and regulations necessary for the profitability of such investments. Holders of MLP units could potentially become subject to liability for all of the obligations of an MLP, if a court determines that the rights of the unitholders to take certain action under the limited partnership agreement would constitute “control” of the business of that MLP, or if a court or governmental agency determines that the MLP is conducting business in a state without complying with the limited partnership statute of that state. Furthermore, the structures and terms of the MLPs and other entities described in this Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus may not be indicative of the structure and terms of every entity in which the Fund invests. Although the MLP sector has grown significantly in recent years, such market trends may not continue due to economic conditions, which are not predictable, or other factors.

Market prices generally will be unavailable for some of the Fund’s investments, including MLP subordinated units, direct ownership of general partner or managing member interests and restricted or unregistered securities of certain MLPs and private companies. The value of such securities will be determined by fair valuations determined by the Board of Trustees or its designee in accordance with procedures governing the valuation of portfolio securities adopted by the Board of Trustees. Proper valuation of such securities may require more reliance on the judgment of GSAM than for valuation of securities for which an active trading market exists.

Equity Securities Risk — A substantial percentage of the Fund’s assets are invested in equity securities, including MLP common units, MLP subordinated units, MLP preferred units, equity securities of MLP affiliates, including I-Units, and common stocks of other issuers. Equity risk is the risk that MLP units or other equity securities held by the Fund will fall due to general market or

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

economic conditions, perceptions regarding the industries in which the issuers of securities held by the Fund participate, changes in interest rates, and the particular circumstances and performance of particular companies whose securities the Fund holds. The price of an equity security of an issuer may be particularly sensitive to general movements in the stock market, or a drop in the stock market may depress the price of most or all of the equity securities held by the Fund. In addition, MLP units or other equity securities held by the Fund may decline in price if the issuer fails to make anticipated distributions or dividend payments because, among other reasons, the issuer experiences a decline in its financial condition. Prices and volatilities of I-Units tend to correlate to the price of MLP common units. Holders of I-Units are subject to the same risks as holders of MLP common units.

Energy Sector Risk — Many MLPs and other entities in which the Fund may invest operate oil, gas or petroleum facilities, or other facilities within the energy sector. As a result, the Fund will be concentrated in the energy sector, and will therefore be susceptible to adverse economic, business, social, political, environmental, regulatory or other developments affecting that sector. A downturn in the energy sector could have a larger impact on the Fund than on funds that are broadly diversified across many sectors and industries. At times, the performance of securities of companies in the energy sector may lag behind the performance of other sectors or industries or the broader market as a whole. MLPs and other companies operating in the energy sector are subject to specific risks, including, but not limited to, the following:

Commodity Pricing Risk. MLPs and other companies operating in the energy sector may be affected by fluctuations in the prices of energy commodities, including, for example, natural gas, natural gas liquids, crude oil and coal in the short-term and long-term. Fluctuations in energy commodity prices would impact directly companies that own such energy commodities and could impact indirectly companies that engage in transportation, storage, processing, distribution or marketing of such energy commodities. Fluctuations in energy commodity prices can result from changes in general economic conditions or political circumstances (especially of key energy producing and consuming countries); market conditions; weather patterns; domestic production levels; volume of imports; energy conservation; domestic and foreign governmental regulation; international politics; policies of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (“OPEC”); taxation; tariffs; and the availability and costs of local, intrastate and interstate transportation methods. The energy sector as a whole may also be impacted by the perception that the performance of energy sector companies is directly linked to commodity prices. High commodity prices may drive further energy conservation efforts, and a slowing economy may adversely impact energy consumption, which may adversely affect the performance of MLPs and other companies operating in the energy sector.

Supply and Demand Risk. MLPs and other companies operating in the energy sector may be impacted by the levels of supply and demand for energy commodities. The volume of production of energy commodities and the volume of energy commodities available for transportation, storage, processing or distribution could be affected by a variety of factors, including depletion of resources; depressed commodity prices; catastrophic events; labor relations; increased environmental or other governmental regulation; equipment malfunctions and maintenance difficulties; import volumes; international politics, policies of OPEC; and increased competition from alternative energy sources. Alternatively, a decline in demand for energy commodities could result from factors such as adverse economic conditions (especially in key energy-consuming countries); increased taxation; increased environmental or other governmental regulation; increased fuel economy; increased energy conservation or use of alternative energy sources; legislation intended to promote the use of alternative energy sources; or increased commodity prices.

Depletion Risk. Energy reserves naturally deplete as they are consumed over time. MLPs and other companies operating in the energy sector rely on the expansion of reserves through exploration of new sources of supply or the development of existing sources in order to grow or maintain their revenues. The financial performance of MLPs and other companies operating in the energy sector may be adversely affected if they, or the companies to which they provide services, are unable to cost-effectively acquire additional energy deposits sufficient to replace the natural decline of existing reserves. If an energy company is not able to raise capital on favorable terms, it may not be able to add to or maintain its reserves.

Environmental and Regulatory Risk. The energy sector is highly regulated. MLPs and other companies operating in the energy sector are subject to significant regulation of nearly every aspect of their operations by federal, state and local governmental agencies. Such regulation can change over time in both scope and intensity. For example, a particular by-product may be declared hazardous by a regulatory agency and unexpectedly increase production costs. Various governmental authorities have the power to enforce compliance with these regulations and the permits issued under them, and violators are subject to administrative, civil and criminal penalties, including civil fines, injunctions or both.

There is an inherent risk that MLPs and other companies operating in the energy sector may incur environmental costs and liabilities due to the nature of their businesses and the substances they handle. For example, an accidental release from wells or energy assets could subject an MLP to substantial liabilities for environmental cleanup and restoration costs, claims made by neighboring landowners and other third parties for personal injury and property damage, and fines or penalties for related violations of environmental laws or regulations.

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

Specifically, the operations of wells, gathering systems, pipelines, refineries and other facilities are subject to stringent and complex federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations. These include, for example: the Federal Clean Air Act and comparable state laws and regulations that impose obligations related to air emissions; the Federal Clean Water Act and comparable state laws and regulations that impose obligations related to discharges of pollutants into regulated bodies of water; the Federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and comparable state laws and regulations that impose requirements for the handling and disposal of waste from facilities; and the Federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, also known as “Superfund,” and comparable state laws and regulations that regulate the cleanup of hazardous substances that may have been released at properties currently or previously owned or operated by MLPs or at locations to which they have sent waste for disposal.

Pipeline MLPs and other pipeline companies are subject to regulation by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) with respect to tariff rates these companies may charge for interstate pipeline transportation services. An adverse determination by FERC with respect to the tariff rates of a pipeline MLP could have a material adverse effect on the business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and prospects of that pipeline MLP and its ability to make cash distributions to its equity owners. Moreover, the possibility exists that stricter laws, regulations or enforcement policies could be enacted in the future that would significantly increase compliance costs and remediation costs, thus adversely affecting the financial performance of MLPs. MLPs may not be able to recover remediation costs from insurance.

Hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” is a technique for releasing and extracting oil and natural gas trapped in underground shale formations. The fracking sector is facing allegations from environmentalists and some landowners that the technique may cause serious difficulties, which has led to uncertainty about the nature, extent, and cost of the environmental regulation to which it may ultimately be subject.

Voluntary initiatives and mandatory controls have been adopted or are being discussed both in the United States and worldwide to reduce emissions of “greenhouse gases” such as carbon dioxide, a by-product of burning fossil fuels, and methane, the major constituent of natural gas, which many scientists and policymakers believe contribute to global climate change. These measures and future measures could result in increased costs to certain MLPs and other companies in which the Fund may invest to operate and maintain facilities and administer and manage a greenhouse gas emissions program and may reduce demand for fuels that generate green house gases and that are managed or produced by MLPs and other companies in which the Fund may invest.

In the wake of a Supreme Court decision holding that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) has legal authority to deal with climate change under the Clean Air Act, the EPA and the U.S. Department of Transportation jointly wrote regulations to cut gasoline use and control greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks. The EPA has also taken action to require certain entities to measure and report greenhouse gas emissions, and certain facilities may be required to control emissions of greenhouse gases pursuant to EPA air permitting and other regulatory programs. These measures, and other programs addressing greenhouse gas emissions, could reduce demand for energy and/or raise prices, which may adversely affect the total return of certain of the Fund’s investments.

Weather Risk. Weather plays a role in the seasonality of some MLPs’ cash flows. MLPs and other companies in the propane sector, for example, rely on the winter season to generate almost all of their earnings. In an unusually warm winter season, propane MLPs experience decreased demand for their product. Although most MLPs can reasonably predict seasonal weather demand based on normal weather patterns, extreme weather conditions, such as hurricanes, can adversely affect performance and cash flows of MLPs.

Cyclical Industry Risk. The energy industry is cyclical and from time to time may experience a shortage of drilling rigs, equipment, supplies, or qualified personnel, or due to significant demand, such services may not be available on commercially reasonable terms. An MLP’s ability to successfully and timely complete capital improvements to existing or other capital projects is contingent upon many variables. Should any such efforts be unsuccessful, an MLP could be subject to additional costs and/or the write-off of its investment in the project or improvement. The marketability of oil and gas production depends in large part on the availability, proximity and capacity of pipeline systems owned by third parties. Oil and gas properties are subject to royalty interests, liens and other burdens, encumbrances, easements or restrictions, all of which could impact the production of a particular MLP. Oil and gas MLPs operate in a highly competitive and cyclical industry, with intense price competition. A significant portion of their revenues may depend on a relatively small number of customers, including governmental entities and utilities.

Catastrophic Event Risk. MLPs and other companies operating in the energy sector are subject to many dangers inherent in the production, exploration, management, transportation, processing and distribution of natural gas, natural gas liquids, crude oil, refined petroleum and petroleum products and other hydrocarbons. These dangers include leaks, fires, explosions, damage to facilities and equipment resulting from natural disasters, inadvertent damage to facilities and equipment and terrorist acts.

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

Since the September 11 terrorist attacks, the U.S. government has issued warnings that energy assets, specifically U.S. pipeline infrastructure, may be targeted in future terrorist attacks. These dangers give rise to risks of substantial losses as a result of loss or destruction of commodity reserves; damage to or destruction of property, facilities and equipment; pollution and environmental damage; and personal injury or loss of life. Any occurrence of such catastrophic events could bring about a limitation, suspension or discontinuation of the operations of MLPs and other companies operating in the energy sector. MLPs and other companies operating in the energy sector may not be fully insured against all risks inherent in their business operations and therefore accidents and catastrophic events could adversely affect such companies’ financial conditions and ability to pay distributions to shareholders.

Acquisition Risk. MLPs owned by the Fund may depend on their ability to make acquisitions that increase adjusted operating surplus per unit in order to increase distributions to unit holders. The ability of such MLPs to make future acquisitions is dependent on their ability to identify suitable targets, negotiate favorable purchase contracts, obtain acceptable financing and outbid competing potential acquirers. To the extent that MLPs are unable to make future acquisitions, or such future acquisitions fail to increase the adjusted operating surplus per unit, their growth and ability to make distributions will be limited. There are risks inherent in any acquisition, including erroneous assumptions regarding revenues, acquisition expenses, operating expenses, cost savings and synergies; assumption of unknown liabilities; indemnification; customer losses; key employee defections; distraction from other business operations; and unanticipated difficulties in operating or integrating new product areas and geographic regions.

Volatility Risk. During periods of heightened volatility, energy producers that are burdened with debt may seek bankruptcy relief. Bankruptcy laws may permit the revocation or renegotiation of contracts between energy producers and MLPs/energy infrastructure companies, which could have a dramatic impact on the ability of MLPs/energy infrastructure companies to pay distributions to its investors, including the Fund, which in turn could impact the ability of the Fund to pay dividends and dramatically impact the value of the Fund’s investments.

Furthermore, even if an MLP does consummate an acquisition that it believes will be accretive, the acquisition may instead result in a decrease in free cash flow.

Industry Specific Risks — MLPs and other companies operating in the energy sector are also subject to risks that are specific to the industry in which they operate.

Pipeline. Pipeline companies are subject to many risks, including varying demand for crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids or refined products in the markets served by the pipeline; changes in the availability of products for gathering, transportation, processing or sale due to natural declines in reserves and production in the supply areas serviced by the companies’ facilities; sharp decreases in crude oil or natural gas prices that cause producers to curtail production or reduce capital spending for exploration activities; and environmental regulation. Specifically, demand for gasoline, which accounts for a substantial portion of refined product transportation, depends on price, prevailing economic conditions in the markets served, and demographic and seasonal factors.

Gathering and processing. Gathering and processing companies are subject to natural declines in the production of oil and natural gas fields, which utilize their gathering and processing facilities as a way to market their production, prolonged declines in the price of natural gas or crude oil, which curtails drilling activity and therefore production, and declines in the prices of natural gas liquids and refined petroleum products, which cause lower processing margins. In addition, some gathering and processing contracts subject the gathering or processing company to direct commodities price risk.

Midstream. Midstream MLPs and other companies that provide crude oil, refined product and natural gas services are subject to supply and demand fluctuations in the markets they serve which may be impacted by a wide range of factors including fluctuating commodity prices, weather, increased conservation or use of alternative fuel sources, increased governmental or environmental regulation, depletion, rising interest rates, declines in domestic or foreign production, accidents or catastrophic events, and economic conditions, among others.

Upstream. Exploration, development and production companies are particularly vulnerable to declines in the demand for and prices of crude oil and natural gas. Reductions in prices for crude oil and natural gas can cause a given reservoir to become uneconomic for continued production earlier than it would if prices were higher, resulting in the plugging and abandonment of, and cessation of production from, that reservoir. In addition, lower commodity prices not only reduce revenues but also can result in substantial downward adjustments in reserve estimates. The accuracy of any reserve estimate is a function of the quality of available data, the accuracy of assumptions regarding future commodity prices and future exploration and development costs and engineering and geological interpretations and judgments. Different reserve engineers may make different estimates of reserve quantities and related revenue based on the same data. Actual oil and gas prices, development

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

expenditures and operating expenses will vary from those assumed in reserve estimates, and these variances may be significant. Any significant variance from the assumptions used could result in the actual quantity of reserves and future net cash flow being materially different from those estimated in reserve reports. In addition, results of drilling, testing and production and changes in prices after the date of reserve estimates may result in downward revisions to such estimates. Substantial downward adjustments in reserve estimates could have a material adverse effect on a given exploration and production company’s financial position and results of operations. In addition, due to natural declines in reserves and production, exploration and production companies must economically find or acquire and develop additional reserves in order to maintain and grow their revenues and distributions.

Downstream. Downstream companies are businesses engaged in refining, marketing and other “end-customer” distribution activities relating to refined energy sources, such as: customer-ready natural gas, propane and gasoline; the production and manufacturing of petrochemicals including olefins, polyolefins, ethylene and similar co-products as well as intermediates and derivatives; and the generation, transmission and distribution of power and electricity. In addition to the other risks described herein, downstream companies may be more susceptible to risks associated with reduced customer demand for the products and services they provide.

Oil. In addition to the risks applicable to pipeline companies described above, gathering and processing companies and exploration and production companies, companies involved in the transportation, gathering, processing, exploration, development or production of crude oil or refined petroleum products may be adversely affected by increased regulations, increased operating costs and reductions in the supply of and/or demand for crude oil and refined petroleum products. Increased regulation may result in a decline in production and/or increased cost associated with offshore oil exploration in the United States and around the world, which may adversely affect certain MLPs and the oil industry in general.

Oilfield Services. The oilfield services business involves a variety of operating risks, including the risk of fire, explosions, blow-outs, pipe failure, abnormally pressured formations and environmental hazards such as oil spills, natural gas leaks, ruptures or discharges of toxic gases. If any of these should occur, such companies could incur legal defense costs and could suffer substantial losses due to injury or loss of life, severe damage to or destruction of property, natural resources and equipment, pollution or other environmental damage, clean-up responsibilities, regulatory investigation and penalties, and suspension of operations. Any horizontal and deep drilling activities involve greater risk of mechanical problems than vertical and shallow drilling operations. Adverse developments affecting the oil and natural gas industry or drilling activity, including sustained low natural gas prices, a decline in oil or natural gas liquids prices, reduced demand for oil and natural gas products and increased regulation of drilling and production, could have a material adverse effect on a company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.

Fracturing Services. Changes in laws or government regulations regarding hydraulic fracturing could increase a company’s costs of doing business, limit the areas in which it can operate and reduce oil and natural gas production by the company. Hydraulic fracturing involves the injection of water, sand or an alternative proppant and chemicals under pressure into target geological formations to fracture the surrounding rock and stimulate production. Recently, there has been increased public concern regarding an alleged potential for hydraulic fracturing to adversely affect drinking water supplies, and proposals have been made to enact separate federal, state and local legislation that would increase the regulatory burden imposed on hydraulic fracturing. Congress has in recent legislative sessions considered legislation to amend the Safe Water Drinking Act (the “SDWA”), including legislation that would repeal the exemption for hydraulic fracturing from the definition of “underground injection” and require federal permitting and regulatory control of hydraulic fracturing, as well as legislative proposals to require disclosure of the chemical constituents of the fluids used in the fracturing process, were proposed in recent sessions of Congress. The U.S. Congress may consider similar SDWA legislation in the future. In addition, the EPA has asserted federal regulatory authority pursuant to the SDWA over certain hydraulic fracturing activities involving the use of diesel fuels and published permitting guidance on February 11, 2014 addressing the performance of such activities using diesel fuels in those states where EPA is the permitting authority.

Presently, hydraulic fracturing is regulated primarily at the state level, typically by state oil and natural gas commissions and similar agencies. Several states, such as Texas and Pennsylvania, have either adopted or proposed laws and/or regulations to require oil and natural gas operators to disclose chemical ingredients and water volumes used to hydraulically fracture wells, in addition to more stringent well construction and monitoring requirements. The availability of information regarding the constituents of hydraulic fracturing fluids could make it easier for third parties opposing the hydraulic fracturing process to initiate legal proceedings based on allegations that specific chemicals used in the fracturing process could adversely affect groundwater. Disclosure of proprietary chemical formulas to third parties or to the public, even if inadvertent, could diminish the value of those formulas and could result in competitive harm to companies. Various federal, state and local limitations may

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prohibit or restrict drilling and hydraulic fracturing operations in certain locales including geographic locales considered environmentally sensitive such as wetlands, endangered species habitats, floodplains, and the like. If hydraulic fracturing becomes regulated at the federal level as a result of federal legislation or regulatory initiatives by the EPA, fracturing activities could become subject to additional permitting requirements, and also to attendant permitting delays and potential increases in cost, which could adversely affect a company’s business.

Oil Rig Services. The April 20, 2010 blowout and oil spill at the BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig has prompted the federal government to impose heightened regulation of oil and gas exploration and production on the outer continental shelf (“OCS”) to improve offshore safety systems and environmental protection regulations have been issued which have increased the complexity of the drilling permit process and may limit the opportunity for some operators to continue deepwater drilling in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, which could adversely affect a company’s financial operations. For example, the U.S. government has indicated that before any recipient of a deepwater drilling permit may resume drilling, (i) the operator must demonstrate that containment resources are available promptly in the event of a deepwater blowout, (ii) the chief executive officer of the operator seeking to perform deepwater drilling must certify that the operator has complied with all applicable regulations and (iii) the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (“BOEM”) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (“BSEE”) will conduct inspections of such deepwater drilling operation for compliance with the applicable regulations. Oil rig companies cannot predict when the applicable government agency will determine that any deepwater driller is in compliance with the new regulations.

Propane. Propane companies are subject to earnings variability based upon weather patterns in the locations where they operate and increases in the wholesale price of propane which reduce profit margins. In addition, propane companies are facing increased competition due to the growing availability of natural gas, fuel oil and alternative energy sources for residential heating.

Coal. Coal companies are subject to declines in the demand for and prices of coal. Demand variability can be based on weather conditions, the strength of the domestic economy, the level of coal stockpiles in their customer base, and the prices of competing sources of fuel for electric generation. They are also subject to supply variability based on geological conditions that reduce the productivity of mining operations, the availability of regulatory permits for mining activities and the availability of coal that meets the standards of the Clean Air Act of 1990, as amended.

Power Infrastructure. Power infrastructure companies are subject to many risks, including earnings variability based upon weather patterns in the locations where the company operates, the change in the demand for electricity, the cost to produce power, and the regulatory environment. Further, share prices are partly based on the interest rate environment, the sustainability and potential growth of the dividend, and the outcome of various rate cases undertaken by the company or a regulatory body.

Marine Transportation. Marine transportation (or “tanker”) companies are exposed to the highly cyclical nature of the tanker industry and may be subject to volatile changes in charter rates and vessel values, which may adversely affect the earnings of tanker companies. Fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values result from changes in the supply and demand for tanker capacity and changes in the supply and demand for oil and oil products. Changes in demand for transportation of oil over longer distances and the supply of tankers to carry that oil may materially affect the revenues, profitability and cash flows of tanker companies. The successful operation of vessels in the charter market depends upon, among other things, obtaining profitable spot charters and minimizing time spent waiting for charters and traveling unladen to pick up cargo. The value of tanker vessels may fluctuate and could adversely affect the value of tanker company securities in the Fund’s portfolio. Declining tanker values could affect the ability of tanker companies to raise cash by limiting their ability to refinance their vessels, thereby adversely impacting tanker company liquidity. Tanker company vessels are at risk of damage or loss because of events such as mechanical failure, collision, human error, war, terrorism, piracy, cargo loss and bad weather. In addition, changing economic, regulatory and political conditions in some countries, including political and military conflicts, have from time to time resulted in attacks on vessels, mining of waterways, piracy, terrorism, labor strikes, boycotts and government requisitioning of vessels. These sorts of events could interfere with shipping lanes and result in market disruptions and a significant loss of tanker company earnings.

PIPEs Risk — The Fund may make private investments in public equities (“PIPE”). PIPE transactions typically involve the purchase of securities directly from a publicly traded company or its affiliates in a private placement transaction, typically at a discount to the market price of the company’s common stock. In a PIPE transaction, the Fund may bear the price risk from the time of pricing until the time of closing. Equity issued in this manner is often subject to transfer restrictions and is therefore less liquid than equity issued through a registered public offering. The Fund may be subject to lock-up agreements that prohibit transfers for a fixed period of time. In addition, because the sale of the securities in a PIPE transaction is not registered under the Securities Act, the securities are

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“restricted” and cannot be immediately resold into the public markets. The Fund may enter into a registration rights agreement with the issuer pursuant to which the issuer commits to file a resale registration statement allowing the Fund to publicly resell its securities. However, the ability of the Fund to freely transfer the shares is conditioned upon, among other things, the SEC’s preparedness to declare the resale registration statement effective and the issuer’s right to suspend the Fund’s use of the resale registration statement if the issuer is pursuing a transaction or some other material non-public event is occurring. Accordingly, PIPE securities may be subject to risks associated with illiquid investments.

Small Capitalization MLP Risk — The Fund may invest in securities of MLPs and other issuers that have comparatively smaller capitalizations relative to issuers whose securities are included in major benchmark indexes, which presents unique investment risks. These companies often have limited product lines, markets, distribution channels or financial resources, and the management of such companies may be dependent upon one or a few key people. The market movements of equity securities issued by MLPs with smaller capitalizations may be more abrupt or erratic than the market movements of equity securities of larger, more established companies or the stock market in general. Historically, smaller capitalization companies have sometimes gone through extended periods when they did not perform as well as larger companies. In addition, equity securities of smaller capitalization companies generally are less liquid than those of larger companies. This means that the Fund could have greater difficulty selling such securities at the time and price that the Fund would like.

Derivatives Risk — The Fund may invest in derivative instruments including without limitation, options, futures, options on futures, forwards, swaps, options on swaps, structured securities and other derivatives. Investments in derivative instruments may be for both hedging and nonhedging purposes (that is, to seek to increase total return), although suitable derivative instruments may not always be available to the Investment Adviser for these purposes. Derivative instruments can be illiquid, may disproportionately increase losses, and may have a potentially large impact on Fund performance. Losses from investments in derivative instruments can result from a lack of correlation between changes in the value of derivative instruments and the portfolio assets (if any) being hedged, the potential illiquidity of the markets for derivative instruments, the failure of the counterparty to perform its contractual obligations, or the risks arising from margin requirements and related leverage factors associated with such transactions. Losses may also arise if the Fund receives cash collateral under the transactions and some or all of that collateral is invested in the market. To the extent that cash collateral is so invested, such collateral will be subject to market depreciation or appreciation, and the Fund may be responsible for any loss that might result from its investment of the counterparty’s cash collateral. The use of these management techniques also involves the risk of loss if the Investment Adviser is incorrect in its expectation of the timing or level of fluctuations in securities prices, interest rates or currency prices. Investments in derivative instruments may be harder to value, subject to greater volatility and more likely subject to changes in tax treatment than other investments. For these reasons, the Investment Adviser’s attempts to hedge portfolio risks through the use of derivative instruments may not be successful, and the Investment Adviser may choose not to hedge certain portfolio risks. Investing for nonhedging purposes is considered a speculative practice and presents even greater risk of loss.

The use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with investments in more traditional securities and instruments, and there is no guarantee that the use of derivatives will achieve their intended result. If the Investment Adviser is incorrect in its expectation of the timing or level of fluctuation in securities prices, interest rates, currency prices or other variables, the use of derivatives could result in losses, which in some cases may be significant. A lack of correlation between changes in the value of derivative instruments and the value of the portfolio assets (if any) being hedged could also result in losses. In addition, there is a risk that the performance of the derivatives or other investments used by the Investment Adviser to replicate the performance of a particular asset class may not accurately track the performance of that asset class. Derivatives are also subject to liquidity risk and risks arising from margin requirements. There is also risk of loss if the Investment Adviser is incorrect in its expectation of the timing or level of fluctuation in securities prices, interest rates, currency prices or other variables.

As an investment company registered with the SEC, the Fund must identify on its books (often referred to as “asset segregation”) liquid assets, or engage in other SEC- or SEC staff-approved or other appropriate measures, to “cover” open positions with respect to certain kinds of derivative instruments. On October 28, 2020, the SEC adopted a final rule related to the use of derivatives, short sales, reverse repurchase agreements and certain other transactions by registered investment companies. In connection with the final rule, the SEC and its staff will rescind and withdraw applicable guidance and relief regarding asset segregation and coverage transactions reflected in the Fund’s asset segregation and cover practices discussed therein.

Leverage Risk — The use of leverage creates an opportunity for increased net investment income dividends, but also creates risks for shareholders. There is no assurance that the Fund’s intended leveraging strategy will be successful. Leverage involves risks and special considerations for common shareholders, including the likelihood of greater volatility of NAV, market price and dividend rate of the shares than a comparable portfolio without leverage; the risk that fluctuations in interest rates on borrowings and short-term debt or in the interest or dividend rates on any leverage that the Fund must pay will reduce the return to the common

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shareholders; the effect of leverage in a declining market, which is likely to cause a greater decline in the NAV of the shares than if the Fund were not leveraged, which may result in a greater decline in the market price of the shares; when the Fund uses financial leverage, the investment advisory fees payable to the Investment Adviser will be higher than if the Fund did not use leverage; and leverage may increase operating costs, which may reduce total return. In addition, in the event of an early termination of any fixed rate borrowing, the Fund may have to pay any loss associated with the lender’s interest rate hedge, which could be material in certain circumstances, as well as any related termination costs.

Certain types of leverage used by the Fund may result in the Fund being subject to covenants relating to asset coverage and portfolio composition requirements, or being subject to segregation requirements under the 1940 Act. These coverage, composition and segregation requirements could result in the Fund maintaining securities positions that it would otherwise liquidate, segregating assets at a time when it might be disadvantageous to do so or otherwise restricting portfolio management. Such segregation and coverage requirements will not limit or offset losses on related positions. The Fund may be subject to certain restrictions on investments imposed by guidelines of one or more rating agencies, which may issue ratings for fixed income securities or Preferred Shares issued by the Fund. These guidelines may impose asset coverage or portfolio composition requirements that are more stringent than those imposed by the 1940 Act. The Investment Adviser does not believe that these covenants or guidelines will impede it from managing the Fund’s portfolio in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective and policies.

The Fund may also engage in reverse repurchase agreements and short sales, which would create similar risks as leveraging the Fund’s investment portfolio.

Counterparty Risk — Many of the protections afforded to participants on some organized exchanges and cleared transactions, such as the performance guarantee of an exchange clearing house, might not be available in connection with OTC transactions. Therefore, in those instances in which the Fund enters into uncleared OTC transactions, the Fund will be subject to the risk that its direct counterparty will not perform its obligations under the transactions and that the Fund will sustain losses.

Risks Related to the Fund’s Clearing Broker and Central Clearing Counterparty — The Commodity Exchange Act (the “CEA”) requires swaps and futures clearing brokers registered as “futures commission merchants” to segregate all funds received from customers with respect to any orders for the purchase or sale of U.S. domestic futures contracts and cleared swaps from the brokers’ proprietary assets. Similarly, the CEA requires each futures commission merchant to hold in separate secure accounts all funds received from customers with respect to any orders for the purchase or sale of foreign futures contracts and cleared swaps and segregate any such funds. However, all funds and other property received by a clearing broker from its customers are held by the clearing broker on a commingled basis in an omnibus account and may be invested in certain instruments permitted under applicable regulations. There is a risk that assets deposited by the Fund with any swaps or futures clearing broker as margin for futures contracts or cleared swaps may, in certain circumstances and to varying degrees for swaps and futures and options contracts, be used to satisfy losses of other clients of the Fund’s clearing broker. In addition, for both cleared swaps and futures and options contracts, the assets of the Fund might not be fully protected in the event of the Fund’s clearing broker’s bankruptcy, as the Fund would be limited to recovering only a pro rata share of all available funds segregated on behalf of the clearing broker’s customers for the relevant account class.

Similarly, the CEA requires a clearing organization approved by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) as a derivatives clearing organization to segregate all funds and other property received from a clearing member’s clients in connection with domestic cleared derivative contracts from any funds held at the clearing organization to support the clearing member’s proprietary trading. Nevertheless, all customer funds held at a clearing organization in connection with any futures contracts are held in a commingled omnibus account and are not identified to the name of the clearing member’s individual customers. All customer funds held at a clearing organization with respect to cleared swaps of customers of a clearing broker are also held in an omnibus account, but CFTC rules require that the clearing broker notify the clearing organization of the amount of the initial margin provided by the clearing broker to the clearing organization that is attributable to each customer.

With respect to futures and options contracts, a clearing organization may use assets of a non-defaulting customer held in an omnibus account of a clearing member at the clearing organization to satisfy payment obligations to the clearing organization of a defaulting customer of the clearing member that also defaults on its payment obligations to the clearing organization. With respect to cleared swaps, a clearing organization generally cannot do so, but may do so if the clearing member does not provide accurate reporting to the clearing organization as to the attribution of margin among its clients. Also, since clearing brokers generally provide to clearing organizations the net amount of variation margin required for cleared swaps for all of its customers in the aggregate, rather than the gross amount of each customer, the Fund is subject to the risk that a clearing organization will not make variation margin payments owed to the Fund if another customer of the clearing member has suffered a loss and is in default. As a result, in the event of a default of the clearing broker’s other clients or the clearing broker’s failure to extend its own funds in connection with any such default, the Fund may not be able to recover the full amount of assets deposited by the clearing broker on behalf of the Fund with the clearing organization.

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Convertible Securities Risk — The market value of convertible securities tends to decline as interest rates increase and, conversely, tends to increase as interest rates decline. In addition, because of the conversion feature, the market value of convertible securities tends to vary with fluctuations in the market value of the underlying common stock or other security. A unique feature of convertible securities is that as the market price of the underlying security declines, convertible securities tend to trade increasingly on a yield basis, and so may not experience market value declines to the same extent as the underlying security. When the market price of the underlying security increases, the prices of the convertible securities tend to rise as a reflection of the value of the underlying security.

Restricted and Illiquid Securities Risk — The Fund may invest up to 30% of its Managed Assets in illiquid securities which cannot be disposed of in seven days in the ordinary course of business at fair value. The Fund may purchase Rule 144A securities for which there is a secondary market of qualified institutional buyers, as defined in Rule 144A promulgated under the 1933 Act. Rule 144A provides an exemption from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act for the resale of certain restricted securities to qualified institutional buyers. Investing in 144A Securities may decrease the liquidity of the Fund’s portfolio to the extent that qualified institutional buyers become for a time uninterested in purchasing these restricted securities. The purchase price and subsequent valuation of restricted and illiquid securities normally reflect a discount, which may be significant, from the market price of comparable securities for which a liquid market exists.

Investments purchased by the Fund, particularly debt securities and over-the-counter traded instruments that are liquid at the time of purchase, may subsequently become illiquid due to events relating to the issuer of the securities, markets events, economic conditions or investor perceptions. Domestic and foreign markets are becoming more and more complex and interrelated, so that events in one sector of the market or the economy, or in one geographical region, can reverberate and have negative consequences for other market, economic or regional sectors in a manner that may not be reasonably foreseen. With respect to over-the-counter traded securities, the continued viability of any over-the-counter secondary market depends on the continued willingness of dealers and other participants to purchase the instruments.

In cases where no clear indication of the value of the Fund’s portfolio instruments is available, the portfolio instruments will be valued at their fair value according to the valuation procedures approved by the Board of Trustees. These cases include, among others, situations where a security or other asset or liability does not have a price source.

From time to time, the Fund may serve as an “anchor” investor by purchasing a significant portion of the shares offered in a SPAC’s initial public offering and may also enter into a forward purchase agreement or similar arrangement through which the Fund makes a non-binding commitment to purchase additional shares of the SPAC in the future and, in exchange, receives certain private

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rights and warrants issued by the SPAC (commonly referred to as “founder shares”). Founder shares are subject to all of the risks described above and are also subject to restrictions on transferability, which significantly reduces their liquidity. In addition, the Fund may be required to forfeit all or a portion of any founders shares it holds to the extent the Fund (i) does not purchase additional shares of the SPAC pursuant to the terms of any forward purchase agreement it enters into or (ii) sells shares that it purchased in the initial public offering prior to the SPAC effecting a merger or acquisition. Further, because the money raised through the sale of founder shares is typically used as working capital to finance a SPAC’s operations prior to effecting an acquisition or merger, a significant portion of the capital invested in founder shares may be expended prior to any acquisition or merger.

Tax Risk — Tax risks associated with investments in the Fund include but are not limited to the following:

MLP Tax Risk. Much of the benefit that the Fund may derive from its investment in equity securities of MLPs is a result of MLPs generally being treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Partnerships do not pay U.S. federal income tax at the partnership level. Rather, each partner is allocated a share of the partnership’s income, gains, losses, deductions and expenses. A change in current tax law or a change in the underlying business mix of a given MLP could result in an MLP being treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, which would result in the MLP being required to pay U.S. federal income tax (as well as state and local income taxes) on its taxable income. Furthermore, an MLP could elect to reorganize as a taxable entity or corporation. There can be no guarantee that each MLP in which the Fund invests will remain structured as an MLP. A restructuring by an MLP in which the Fund invests could alter the tax status of the Fund’s investment. The classification of an MLP as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes would have the effect of reducing the amount of cash available for distribution by the MLP. If any MLP in which the Fund invests were treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, it could result in a reduction of the value of the Fund’s investment in the MLP and lower income to the Fund.

To the extent that the Fund invests in the equity securities of an MLP classified as a partnership, the Fund will be required to include in its taxable income the Fund’s allocable share of the income, gains, losses and deductions recognized by each such MLP and take into account its allocable share of the MLP’s tax credits, regardless of whether the MLP distributes cash to the Fund. MLPs will provide such information to the Fund on a delayed basis. In addition, sales of MLP investments will result in allocations to the Fund of taxable ordinary income or loss and capital gain or loss, each in amounts that will not be reported to the Fund until the following year, in magnitudes often not readily estimable before such reporting is made. Based upon a review of the historic results of the type of MLPs in which the Fund intends to invest, the Fund expects that the cash distributions it will receive with respect its investments in equity securities of MLPs will exceed the taxable income allocated to the Fund from such MLPs. No assurance, however, can be given in this regard. If this expectation is not realized, the Fund will have a larger corporate income tax expense than expected, which will result in less cash available to distribute to shareholders.

The portion of an MLP’s distributions to the Fund which are not derived from the MLP’s taxable income (return of capital distributions) generally will not be taxable to the Fund unless the amount distributed exceeds the Fund’s basis in its interest in the MLP. Distributions received by the Fund from an MLP will reduce the Fund’s adjusted basis in its interest in the MLP, but not below zero. A reduced basis generally will result in an increase in the amount of gain (or decrease in the amount of loss) that will be recognized by the Fund for tax purposes on the sale of its interest in the MLP. Distributions from an MLP to the Fund in excess of the Fund’s basis in the MLP generally will be taxable to the Fund as capital gain. The Fund will not benefit from current favorable federal income tax rates on long-term capital gains because it will be taxed as a corporation for federal income tax purposes. Furthermore, any return of capital distribution received from the MLP may require the Fund to restate the character of its distributions and amend any shareholder tax reporting previously issued.

Historically, energy and certain other MLPs have been able to offset a significant portion of their taxable income with tax deductions. The Fund will incur a current income tax liability on the portion of its share of the income and gain from each MLP investment that is not offset by its share of the MLP’s tax deductions, by its share of the MLPs’ tax credits or by the Fund’s net operating losses or net operating loss carryforwards, if any. The percentage of an MLP’s income that is offset by the MLP’s tax deductions will fluctuate over time. For example, new acquisitions of depreciable property by MLPs tend to generate accelerated depreciation and other tax deductions, and therefore a decline in acquisition activity by such MLPs owned by the Fund could increase the Fund’s current tax liability. If the percentage of the income allocated to the Fund that is offset by tax deductions declines, the Fund receives taxable dividends from “C” corporations that are not offset by deductions and/or by the Fund’s allocable share of net ordinary losses with respect to investments in MLPs, any MLPs held convert to “C” corporations in taxable conversion or the Fund’s portfolio turnover increases, the Fund could incur increased tax liabilities and the portion of the distributions paid by the Fund that is treated as tax-deferred return of capital would be reduced and the portion treated as taxable dividend income would be increased. This generally would result in lower after-tax distributions to shareholders. If the amount of the Fund’s distributions to U.S. shareholders exceeds the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, such excess will be treated first as a tax-free return of capital to the extent of, and in reduction of, U.S. shareholders’ tax basis in the shares, and thereafter as capital gain. Any such capital gain will be long-term capital gain if such U.S. shareholder has held the applicable shares for more than one year. The

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portion of the distribution received by the U.S. shareholder from the Fund that constitutes a return of capital will decrease the U.S. Shareholder’s tax basis in his or her Fund shares (but not below zero), which will result in an increase in the amount of gain (or decrease in the amount of loss) that will be recognized by the U.S. shareholder for tax purposes on the later sale of such Fund shares.

Depreciation or other cost recovery deductions passed through to the Fund from investments in MLPs in a given year generally will reduce the Fund’s taxable income (and earnings and profits), but those deductions may be recaptured in the Fund’s taxable income (and earnings and profits) in subsequent years when the MLPs dispose of their assets or when the Fund disposes of its interests in the MLPs. When deductions are recaptured, distributions to the Fund’s shareholders may be taxable, even though the shareholders at the time of the distribution might not have held shares in the Fund at the time the deductions were taken by the Fund, and even though the Fund’s shareholders at the time of the distribution will not have corresponding economic gain on their shares at the time of the distribution.

The portion of the distributions received by the Fund each year that is considered a return of capital for tax purposes from the MLPs will not be known until the Fund receives a schedule K-1 for that year with respect to each of its MLP investments. The Fund’s tax liability will not be known until the Fund completes its annual tax return. The Fund’s tax estimates could vary substantially from the actual liability and therefore the determination of the Fund’s actual tax liability may have a material impact on the Fund’s NAV. The payment of corporate income taxes imposed on the Fund will decrease cash available for distribution to shareholders.

Investment in MLP C Corporations. As discussed above, the Fund may invest in MLPs taxed as C corporations. Such MLPs are obligated to pay federal income tax on their taxable income at the corporate tax rate and the amount of cash available for distribution by such MLPs would generally be reduced by any such tax. Additionally, distributions received by the Fund would be taxed under federal income tax laws applicable to corporate dividends (as dividend income, potentially subject to the corporate dividends received deduction, return of capital, or capital gain). Thus, investment in MLPs taxed as C corporations could result in a reduction of the value of your investment in the Fund and lower income, as compared to investments in MLPs that are classified as partnerships for tax purposes.

Fund Structure Risk. Unlike traditional mutual funds that are structured as regulated investment companies for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Fund will be taxable as a regular corporation, or “C” corporation, for U.S. federal income tax purposes. This means the Fund generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on its taxable income at the rates applicable to corporations (currently a maximum rate of 21%), and will also be subject to state and local income taxes.

Over the long term, the Fund intends to distribute substantially all of the Fund’s distributable cash flow received as cash distributions from MLPs, interest payments received on debt securities owned by the Fund and other payments on securities owned by the Fund, less Fund expenses. The Fund currently anticipates making distributions to its shareholders each fiscal quarter out of legally available funds. Consequently, the Fund may maintain cash reserves, borrow or may be required to sell certain investments at times when it would not otherwise be desirable to do so in order to pay the expenses of the Fund. Such sales could result in the Fund’s recognition of taxable income and gains, could result in the imposition of U.S. federal, state and local corporate income taxes on the Fund, and may increase the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits, which would result in a greater portion of distributions to Fund shareholders being treated as dividends. This practice also could require the Fund to sell an investment at a price lower than the price at which it is valued, or lower than the price the Fund could have obtained if it were able to sell the investment at a more advantageous time.

Unlike the MLP investments in which it invests, the Fund is not a pass-through vehicle. Consequently, the tax characterization of the distributions paid by the Fund, as dividend income or return of capital, may differ greatly from those of the underlying MLPs.

Changes in tax laws or regulations, or future interpretations of such laws or regulations, could adversely affect the Fund or the MLPs in which the Fund invests. Legislation could also negatively impact the amount and tax characterization of dividends received by the Fund’s shareholders. For example, Congress could take action which would eliminate the tax benefits of depreciation, depletion and amortization deductions realized by MLPs. Alternatively, Congress could impose a tax on pass-through entities such as MLPs or eliminate the use of pass-through taxation entirely. The tax benefits of depreciation, depletion and amortization deductions realized by MLPs effectively defer the income of the MLPs and, in turn, the taxable income of the Fund. Without these benefits the Fund would be subject to current U.S. federal, state and local corporate income taxes on a greater proportion of its allocable share of the income and gains of MLPs in which it invests, and the Fund’s ability to pay distributions treated as return-of-capital distributions (for tax purposes) or as capital gains would be reduced. Imposing a tax on pass-through entities and/or eliminating the use of pass-through taxation entirely could result in three levels of tax—at the MLP level, the Fund level and the shareholder level.

Tax Estimation/NAV Risk. Because the Fund is treated as a regular corporation, or a “C” corporation, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Fund will incur tax expenses. In calculating the Fund’s NAV, the Fund will account for its current taxes and deferred tax liability and/or asset balances.

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The Fund will accrue a deferred income tax liability balance at the rates applicable to corporations, plus an estimated state and local income tax rate, for its future tax liability associated with the capital appreciation of its investments and the distributions received by the Fund on equity securities of MLPs considered to be return of capital and for any net operating gains. Any deferred tax liability balance will reduce the Fund’s NAV which could have an effect on the market price of the shares. Upon the Fund’s sale of its interest in an MLP, the Fund may be liable for previously deferred taxes. The Fund may also accrue a deferred tax asset balance, which reflects an estimate of the Fund’s future tax benefit associated with net operating losses and unrealized losses. Deferred tax assets may constitute a relatively high percentage of the Fund’s NAV, thereby increasing the Fund’s NAV which could have an effect on the market price of the shares. To the extent the Fund has a deferred tax asset balance, the Fund will assess whether a valuation allowance, which would offset the value of some or all of the Fund’s deferred tax asset balance, is required, considering all positive and negative evidence related to the realization of the Fund’s deferred tax asset. To the extent a valuation allowance differs from the estimates of the Fund used in calculating the Fund’s NAV, the application of such valuation allowance could have a material impact on the Fund’s NAV which could have an effect on the market price of the shares.

An estimate of current taxes and deferred tax liability and/or asset balances is dependent upon the Fund’s net investment income and unrealized gains on investments and such expenses may vary greatly from year to year depending on the nature of the Fund’s investments, the performance of those investments and general market conditions. Therefore, any estimate of current taxes and deferred income tax liability and/or asset balances cannot be reliably predicted from year to year.

The Fund’s deferred tax liability and/or asset balances are estimated using estimates of effective tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years such balances are realized. The Fund will rely to some extent on information provided by MLPs regarding the tax characterization of the distributions made by such MLPs, which may not be provided to the Fund on a timely basis, to estimate the Fund’s current taxes and deferred tax liability and/or asset balances for purposes of financial statement reporting and determining its NAV. The Fund’s estimates regarding its current taxes and deferred tax liability and/or asset balances are made in good faith; however, the daily estimate of the Fund’s current taxes and deferred tax liability and/or asset balances used to calculate the Fund’s NAV could vary dramatically from the Fund’s actual tax liability or benefit, and, as a result, the determination of the Fund’s actual tax liability or benefit may have a material impact on the Fund’s NAV. From time to time, the Fund may modify its estimates or assumptions regarding its current taxes and deferred tax liability and/or asset balances as new information becomes available. Modifications of the Fund’s estimates or assumptions regarding its current taxes and deferred tax liability and/or asset balances and any applicable valuation allowance, changes in generally accepted accounting principles or related guidance or interpretations thereof, limitations imposed on net operating losses (if any) and changes in applicable tax law could result in increases or decreases in the Fund’s NAV, which could be material. Unexpected significant decreases in cash distributions from the Fund’s MLP investments or significant declines in the fair value of its investments may change the Fund’s assessment regarding the recoverability of its deferred tax assets and may result in a valuation allowance. If a valuation allowance is required to reduce any deferred tax asset in the future, it could have a material impact on the Fund’s NAV and results of operations with respect to the Fund’s shareholders in the period it is recorded, even though the shareholders at such time might not have held shares in the Fund at the time the deferred tax asset had been established.

The Fund may acquire its target assets in varying increments at different prices over time, and the tax basis of each security may vary depending on the Fund’s receipt of one or more distributions characterized as returns of capital during the Fund’s holding period of that security. The tax basis of a security may differ significantly from the original cost or the current market value of the security, which if sold, may subject the Fund to taxation on the value received in excess of the adjusted tax basis, even if the sale price of the security is lower than its original acquisition cost. Additionally, distributions of earnings realized by the Fund from the sale of the security would generally be treated as taxable dividend income, as opposed to a non-taxable return of capital. It will be difficult for you to monitor the adjusted tax basis of each individual security in the portfolio, and therefore difficult to estimate the potential for embedded taxable gains if a security were to be sold at the current market price.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Act”) reduced the general statutory U.S. federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%, limited the use of net operating losses to offset future taxable income, placed limitations on the deductibility of interest expense, repealed the corporate alternative minimum tax, and made other changes which may have effects on the Fund and on the MLPs in which the Fund invests.

Foreign Investments Risk — The Fund may make foreign investments. Foreign investments involve special risks that are not typically associated with U.S. dollar denominated or quoted securities of U.S. issuers. Foreign investments may be affected by changes in currency rates, changes in foreign or U.S. laws or restrictions applicable to such investments and changes in exchange control regulations (e.g., currency blockage). A decline in the exchange rate of the currency (i.e., weakening of the currency against the U.S. dollar) in which a portfolio security is quoted or denominated relative to the U.S. dollar would reduce the value of the portfolio security. In addition, if the currency in which the Fund receives dividends, interest or other payments declines in value against the U.S. dollar before such income is distributed as dividends to shareholders or converted to U.S. dollars, the Fund may have to sell portfolio securities to obtain sufficient cash to pay such dividends.

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Certain foreign markets may rely heavily on particular industries or foreign capital and are more vulnerable to diplomatic developments, the imposition of economic sanctions against a particular country or countries, organizations, entities and/or individuals, changes in international trading patterns, trade barriers, and other protectionist or retaliatory measures. International trade barriers or economic sanctions against foreign countries, organizations, entities and/or individuals may adversely affect the Fund’s foreign holdings or exposures.

Brokerage commissions, custodial services and other costs relating to investment in international securities markets generally are more expensive than in the United States. In addition, clearance and settlement procedures may be different in foreign countries and, in certain markets, such procedures have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, thus making it difficult to conduct such transactions. Foreign issuers are generally subject to less uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, less stringent investor protections and disclosure standards comparable to those applicable to U.S. issuers. There may be less publicly available information about a foreign issuer than about a U.S. issuer. In addition, there is generally less government regulation of foreign markets, companies and securities dealers than in the United States, and the legal remedies for investors may be more limited than the remedies available in the United States and the ability of U.S. authorities (e.g., SEC and the U.S. Department of Justice) to bring actions against bad actors may be limited. Foreign securities markets may have substantially less volume than U.S. securities markets and securities of many foreign issuers are less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable domestic issuers. Furthermore, with respect to certain foreign countries, there is a possibility of nationalization, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, imposition of withholding or other taxes on dividend or interest payments (or, in some cases, capital gains distributions), limitations on the removal of funds or other assets from such countries, and risks of political or social instability or diplomatic developments which could adversely affect investments in those countries.

Certain foreign investments may become less liquid in response to social, political or market developments or adverse investor perceptions, or become illiquid after purchase by the Fund, particularly during periods of market turmoil. Certain foreign investments may become illiquid when, for instance, there are few, if any, interested buyers and sellers or when dealers are unwilling to make a market for certain securities. When the Fund holds illiquid investments, its portfolio may be harder to value, especially in changing markets.

Concentration of the Fund’s assets in one or a few countries and currencies will subject the Fund to greater risks than if the Fund’s assets were not geographically concentrated.

Investments in foreign securities may take the form of sponsored and unsponsored American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”), European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) or other similar instruments representing securities of foreign issuers. ADRs, GDRs and EDRs represent the right to receive securities of foreign issuers deposited in a bank or other depository. ADRs and certain GDRs are traded in the United States. GDRs may be traded in either the United States or in foreign markets. EDRs are traded primarily outside the United States. Prices of ADRs are quoted in U.S. dollars. EDRs and GDRs are not necessarily quoted in the same currency as the underlying security.

Private Company Investments Risk — Private companies are not subject to SEC reporting requirements, are not required to maintain their accounting records in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and are not required to maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting. As a result, the Investment Adviser may not have timely or accurate information about the business, financial condition and results of operations of the private companies in which the Fund invests. There is risk that the Fund may invest on the basis of incomplete or inaccurate information, which may adversely affect the Fund’s investment performance. Private companies in which the Fund may invest may have limited financial resources, shorter operating histories, more asset concentration risk, narrower product lines and smaller market shares than larger businesses, which tend to render them more vulnerable to competitors’ actions and market conditions, as well as general economic downturns. These companies generally have less predictable operating results, may from time to time be parties to litigation, may be engaged in rapidly changing businesses with products subject to a substantial risk of obsolescence, and may require substantial additional capital to support their operations, finance expansion or maintain their competitive position. These companies may have difficulty accessing the capital markets to meet future capital needs, which may limit their ability to grow or to repay their outstanding indebtedness upon maturity. In addition, the Fund’s investment also may be structured as pay-in-kind securities with minimal or no cash interest or dividends until the company meets certain growth and liquidity objectives. The securities of private portfolio companies are illiquid, making it difficult for the Fund to sell such investments.

Pre-IPO Investments Risk — Pre-IPO companies typically have limited operating histories, narrower, less established product lines and smaller market shares than larger businesses, which tend to render them more vulnerable to competitors’ actions, market conditions and consumer sentiment in respect of their products or services, as well as general economic downturns. Such companies may experience operating losses, which may be substantial, and there can be no assurance when or if such companies will operate at a profit. At the time of the Fund’s investment, there is generally little publicly available information about these businesses since they are primarily privately owned and the Fund may only have access to the company’s actual financial results as of and for the

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most recent quarter end or, in certain cases, the quarter end preceding the most recent quarter end. There can be no assurance that the information that the Fund does obtain with respect to any investment is reliable. Pre-IPO companies may have limited financial resources and may be unable to meet their obligations under their existing credit facilities (to the extent that such facilities exist), which may lead to equity financings, possibly at discounted valuations, in which the Fund could be substantially diluted if the Fund does not or cannot participate, bankruptcy or liquidation and the corresponding reduction in value or loss of the Fund’s investment. Pre-IPO companies are more likely to depend on the management talents and efforts of a small group of persons; therefore, the death, disability, resignation or termination of one or more of these persons could have a material adverse impact on the company and, in turn, on the Fund. Continued global economic uncertainty could also result in investors becoming more risk-averse, which in turn could reduce the amount of growth capital available to the companies from both existing and new investors, could adversely affect their operating performance, and could delay liquidity paths (for example, an IPO or strategic sale/merger) for the companies. The securities of private portfolio companies are illiquid, and the inability of these portfolio companies to complete an IPO within the targeted time frame will extend the holding period of the Fund’s investments and may adversely affect the value of these investments.

Initial Public Offering Risk — An IPO is a company’s first offering of stock to the public. IPO risk is the risk that the market value of IPO shares will fluctuate considerably due to factors such as the absence of a prior public market, unseasoned trading, the small number of shares available for trading and limited information about the issuer. The purchase of IPO shares may involve high transaction costs. IPO shares are subject to market risk and liquidity risk. When the Fund’s asset base is small, a significant portion of the Fund’s performance could be attributable to investments in IPOs, because such investments would have a magnified impact on the Fund. As the Fund’s assets grow, the effect of the Fund’s investments in IPOs on the Fund’s performance probably will decline, which could reduce the Fund’s performance. Because of the price volatility of IPO shares, the Fund may choose to hold IPO shares for a very short period of time. This may increase the turnover of the Fund’s portfolio and may lead to increased expenses to the Fund, such as commissions and other transaction costs. The Fund will generally be subject to tax on the sale of IPO shares at a gain. In addition, the market for IPO shares can be speculative and/or inactive for extended periods of time. There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to obtain allocable portions of IPO shares. The limited number of shares available for trading in some IPOs may make it more difficult for the Fund to buy or sell significant amounts of shares without an unfavorable impact on prevailing prices. Investors in IPO shares can be affected by substantial dilution in the value of their shares, by sales of additional shares and by concentration of control in existing management and principal shareholders.

Interest Rate Risk — When interest rates increase, fixed income securities or instruments held by the Fund, including MLPs, will generally decline in value. Long-term fixed income securities or instruments will normally have more price volatility because of this risk than short-term fixed income securities or instruments. Rising interest rates could increase the costs of capital thereby increasing operating costs and reducing the ability of MLPs and other companies operating in the energy sector to carry out acquisitions or expansions in a cost-effective manner. As a result, rising interest rates could negatively affect the financial performance of MLPs and other companies operating in the energy sector. Rising interest rates may also impact the price of the securities of MLPs and other companies operating in the energy sector as the yields on alternative investments increase.

Interest rates in the United States are currently at historically low levels. Certain countries have experienced negative interest rates on certain fixed-income instruments. Very low or negative interest rates may magnify interest rate risk. Changing interest rates, including rates that fall below zero, may have unpredictable effects on markets, may result in heightened market volatility and may detract from Fund performance to the extent the Fund is exposed to such interest rates and/or volatility.

The Fund may enter into a swap or cap transaction to attempt to protect itself from increasing dividend or interest expenses resulting from increasing short-term rates. A decline in interest rates may result in a decline in the value of the swap or cap, which may result in a decline in the NAV of the Fund. A sudden and dramatic decline in interest rates may result in a significant decline in the NAV of the Fund.

Liquidity Risk — Although the equity securities of the MLPs in which the Fund invests generally trade on major stock exchanges, certain securities may trade less frequently, particularly those of MLPs and other issuers with smaller capitalizations. Securities with limited trading volumes may display volatile or erratic price movements. Also, the Fund may make investments that may become less liquid in response to market developments or adverse investor perceptions. In addition, the Fund may be one of the largest investors in certain sub-sectors of the energy or natural resource sectors. Thus, it may be more difficult for the Fund to buy and sell significant amounts of such securities without an unfavorable impact on prevailing market prices. Larger purchases or sales of these securities by the Fund in a short period of time may cause abnormal movements in the market price of these securities. When there is no willing buyer and investments cannot be readily sold at the desired time or price, the Fund may have to accept a lower price or may not be able to sell the security or instrument at all. An inability to sell one or more portfolio positions can adversely affect the Fund’s value or prevent the Fund from being able to take advantage of other investment opportunities. During certain periods the liquidity of particular issuers or industries, or all securities within particular investment categories, may shrink or disappear suddenly

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and without warning as a result of adverse economic, market or political events, or adverse investor perceptions, whether or not accurate.

The Fund may make investments that are illiquid or that may become less liquid in response to market developments or adverse investor perceptions. Illiquid investments may be more difficult to value. Liquidity risk may also refer to the risk that the Fund will not be able to pay redemption proceeds within the allowable time period because of unusual market conditions, an unusually high volume of redemption requests, or other reasons. To meet redemption requests, the Fund may be forced to sell securities at an unfavorable time and/or under unfavorable conditions. Redemptions by large shareholders may have a negative impact on the Fund’s liquidity.

Valuation Risk — Market prices may not be readily available for some of the Fund’s investments, including MLP subordinated units, direct ownership of general partner or managing member interests and restricted or unregistered securities of certain MLPs and private companies. The value of such securities is determined by fair valuations determined by the Board of Trustees or its designee pursuant to procedures governing the valuation of portfolio securities adopted by the Board of Trustees. Proper valuation of such securities may require more reliance on the judgment of the Investment Adviser than for valuation of securities for which an active trading market exists. As a limited partner in MLPs, the Fund includes its allocable share of the MLPs, taxable income in computing its own taxable income. Deferred income taxes in the financial statements of the Fund reflect (i) taxes on unrealized gains/losses, which are attributable to the temporary difference between fair market value and the tax basis of the Fund’s assets, (ii) the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of such assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes and (iii) the net tax benefit of accumulated net operating losses. To the extent the Fund has a deferred tax asset, consideration is given as to whether or not a valuation allowance is required. In the assessment for a valuation allowance, consideration is given to all positive and negative evidence related to the realization of the deferred tax asset. This assessment considers, among other matters, the nature, frequency and severity of current and cumulative losses, forecasts of future profitability (which are highly dependent on future MLP cash distributions), the duration of statutory carryforward periods and the associated risk that operating loss carryforwards may expire unused.

Natural Resources Risk — The Fund may invest in MLPs and companies principally engaged in owning or developing non-energy natural resources (including timber and minerals) and industrial materials, or supplying goods or services to such companies. The Fund’s investments in natural resources issuers (including MLPs) will be subject to the risk that prices of these investments may fluctuate widely in response to the level and volatility of commodity prices; exchange rates; import controls; domestic and global competition; environmental regulation and liability for environmental damage; mandated expenditures for safety or pollution control; the success of exploration projects; depletion of resources; tax policies; and other governmental regulation. Investments in natural resources issuers can be significantly affected by changes in the supply of or demand for natural resources. The value of investments in natural resources issuers may be adversely affected by a change in inflation.

Mid-Cap and Small-Cap Risk — Investments in mid- and small-capitalization companies involve greater risk and portfolio price volatility than investments in larger capitalization stocks. Among the reasons for the greater price volatility of these investments are the less certain growth prospects of smaller firms and the lower degree of liquidity in the markets for such securities. Mid- and small-capitalization companies may be thinly traded and may have to be sold at a discount from current market prices or in small lots over an extended period of time. In addition, these securities are subject to the risk that during certain periods the liquidity of particular issuers or industries, or all securities in particular investment categories, will shrink or disappear suddenly and without warning as a result of adverse economic or market conditions, or adverse investor perceptions whether or not accurate. Because of the lack of sufficient market liquidity, the Fund may incur losses because it will be required to effect sales at a disadvantageous time and only then at a substantial drop in price. Mid- and small-capitalization companies include “unseasoned” issuers that do not have an established financial history; often have limited product lines, markets or financial resources; may depend on or use a few key personnel for management; and may be susceptible to losses and risks of bankruptcy.

Mid- and small-capitalization companies may be operating at a loss or have significant variations in operating results; may be engaged in a rapidly changing business with products subject to a substantial risk of obsolescence; may require substantial additional capital to support their operations, to finance expansion or to maintain their competitive position; and may have substantial borrowings or may otherwise have a weak financial condition. In addition, these companies may face intense competition, including competition from companies with greater financial resources, more extensive development, manufacturing, marketing, and other capabilities, and a larger number of qualified managerial and technical personnel. Transaction costs for these investments are often higher than those of larger capitalization companies. Investments in mid- and small-capitalization companies may be more difficult to price precisely than other types of securities because of their characteristics and lower trading volumes.

Cash Flow Risk — The Fund expects that a substantial portion of the cash flow it receives will be derived from its investments in equity securities of MLPs. The amount and tax characterization of cash available for distribution by an MLP depends upon the

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amount of cash generated by such entity’s operations. Cash available for distribution by MLPs will vary widely from quarter to quarter and is affected by various factors affecting the entity’s operations. In addition to the risks described herein, operating costs, capital expenditures, acquisition costs, construction costs, exploration costs and borrowing costs may reduce the amount of cash that an MLP has available for distribution in a given period.

Capital Market Risk — Global financial markets and economic conditions have been, and continue to be, volatile due to a variety of factors. The cost of raising capital in the debt and equity capital markets has increased substantially while the ability to raise capital from those markets has diminished significantly. In particular, as a result of concerns about the general stability of financial markets and specifically the solvency of lending counterparties, the cost of raising capital from the credit markets generally has increased as many lenders and institutional investors have increased interest rates, enacted tighter lending standards, refused to refinance debt on existing terms or at all and reduced, or in some cases ceased to provide, funding to borrowers. In addition, lending counterparties under existing revolving credit facilities and other debt instruments may be unwilling or unable to meet their funding obligations. Due to these factors, MLPs may be unable to obtain new debt or equity financing on acceptable terms or at all and therefore MLPs may not be able to meet their obligations as they come due. Moreover, without adequate funding, MLPs may be unable to execute their growth strategies, complete future acquisitions, take advantage of other business opportunities or respond to competitive pressures, any of which could have a material adverse effect on their revenues and results of operations.

Competition Risk — A number of alternatives exist for investing in a portfolio of MLPs and their affiliates, including other publicly traded investment companies, structured notes, private funds, open-end funds and indexed products. These competitive conditions may adversely impact the Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective, which in turn could adversely impact our ability to make distributions or interest or Preferred Share distribution payments.

Royalty Trust Risk — Royalty trusts are exposed to many of the same risks as other MLPs. The value of the equity securities of the royalty trusts in which the Fund invests may fluctuate in accordance with changes in the financial condition of those royalty trusts, the condition of equity markets generally, commodity prices, and other factors. Distributions on royalty trusts in which the Fund may invest will depend upon the declaration of distributions from the constituent royalty trusts, but there can be no assurance that those royalty trusts will pay distributions. Typically royalty trusts own the rights to royalties on the production and sales of a natural resource, including oil, gas, minerals and timber. As these deplete, production and cash flows steadily decline, which may decrease distributions. The declaration of such distributions generally depends upon various factors, including the operating performance and financial condition of the royalty trust and general economic conditions.

In many circumstances, the royalty trusts in which the Fund may invest may have limited operating histories. The value of royalty trust securities depends on factors that are not within the Fund’s control, including the financial performance of the respective issuers, interest rates, exchange rates and commodity prices (which will vary and are determined by supply and demand factors including weather and general economic and political conditions), the hedging policies employed by such issuers, issues relating to the regulation of the energy industry and operational risks relating to the energy industry.

Credit/Default Risk — An issuer or guarantor of fixed income securities or instruments held by the Fund (which may have low credit ratings) may default on its obligation to pay interest and repay principal or default on any other obligation. The credit quality of the Fund’s portfolio securities or instruments may meet the Fund’s credit quality requirements at the time of purchase but then deteriorate thereafter, and such a deterioration can occur rapidly. In certain instances, the downgrading or default of a single holding or guarantor of the Fund’s holding may impair the Fund’s liquidity and have the potential to cause significant NAV deterioration.

Debt securities rated BBB– or higher by Standard & Poor’s or Baa3 or higher by Moody’s or having a comparable credit rating by another NRSRO are considered “investment grade.” Securities rated BBB– or Baa3 are considered medium-grade obligations with speculative characteristics, and adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances may weaken their issuers’ capacity to pay interest and repay principal. For the purpose of determining compliance with any credit rating requirement, the Fund assigns a security, at the time of purchase, the highest rating by an NRSRO if the security is rated by more than one NRSRO. Therefore, a security will be deemed to have met a rating requirement if it receives the minimum required rating from at least one such rating organization even though it has been rated below the minimum rating by one or more other rating organizations, or if unrated by such rating organizations, the security is determined by the Investment Adviser to be of comparable credit quality.

Strategy Risk — The Fund’s strategy of investing significantly in MLPs, resulting in its being taxed as a regular corporation, or a “C” corporation, rather than as a regulated investment company for U.S. federal income tax purposes, is a relatively new investment strategy for funds. This strategy involves complicated and in some cases unsettled accounting, tax and valuation issues that may result in unexpected and potentially significant consequences for the Fund and its shareholders. In addition, accounting, tax and valuation procedures in this area are still developing, and there may not always be a clear consensus among industry participants as to the most appropriate approach. This may result in changes over time in the Fund’s accounting, tax and valuation practices, which, in turn, could have material adverse consequences on the Fund and its shareholders.

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Other Investment Company Risk — Subject to the limitations set forth in the 1940 Act and the Fund’s governing documents or as otherwise permitted by the SEC, the Fund may acquire shares in other investment companies. By investing in other investment companies (including ETFs) indirectly through the Fund, investors will incur a proportionate share of the expenses of the other investment companies held by the Fund (including operating costs and investment management fees) in addition to the fees regularly borne by the Fund. In addition, the Fund will be affected by the investment policies, practices and performance of such investment companies in direct proportion to the amount of assets the Fund invests therein.

ETNs Risk — ETNs are senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities issued by a sponsoring financial institution. The returns on an ETN are linked to the performance of particular securities, market indices, or strategies, minus applicable fees. ETNs are traded on an exchange (e.g., the New York Stock Exchange) during normal trading hours; however, investors may also hold an ETN until maturity. At maturity, the issuer of an ETN pays to the investor a cash amount equal to the principal amount, subject to application of the relevant securities, index or strategy factor. Similar to other debt securities, ETNs have a maturity date and are backed only by the credit of the sponsoring institution. ETNs are subject to credit risk. The value of an ETN may be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying assets, changes in the applicable interest rates, changes in the issuer’s credit rating, and economic, legal, political or geographic events that affect the underlying assets. When the Portfolio invests in ETNs, it will bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses borne by the ETN. Although an ETN is a debt security, it is unlike a typical bond, in that there are no periodic interest payments and principal is not protected. The timing and character of income and gains from ETNs may be affected by future legislation.

Non-Diversification Risk — The Fund is non-diversified, meaning that the Fund is permitted to invest more of its assets in fewer issuers than “diversified” funds. Thus, the Fund may be more susceptible to adverse developments affecting any single issuer held in its portfolio, and may be more susceptible to greater losses because of these developments.

Anti-Takeover Provisions Risk — The Fund’s Declaration of Trust and Amended and Restated Bylaws include provisions that could limit the ability of other entities or persons to acquire control of the Fund or convert the Fund to open-end status or to change the composition of the Board. Such provisions could limit the ability of shareholders to sell their shares at a premium over prevailing market prices by discouraging a third party from seeking to obtain control of the Fund.

Temporary Defensive Strategies Risk — When the Investment Adviser anticipates unusual market or other conditions, the Fund may temporarily depart from its primary investment strategy as a defensive measure and invest all or a portion of its assets in obligations of the U.S. Government; commercial paper rated at least A-2 by S&P, P-2 by Moody’s or having a comparable rating by another NRSRO (or, if unrated, determined by the Investment Adviser to be of comparable credit quality); certificates of deposit; bankers’ acceptances; repurchase agreements; non-convertible preferred stocks and non-convertible corporate bonds with a remaining maturity of less than one year; ETFs; other investment companies; cash items; or any other fixed income securities that the Investment Adviser considers consistent with this strategy. To the extent that the Fund invests defensively, it may not achieve its investment objective.

REIT Risk — Risks associated with investments such as REITs, pooled investment vehicles that invest primarily in either real estate or real estate related loans, in the real estate industry include, among others: possible declines in the value of real estate; risks related to general and local economic conditions; possible lack of availability of mortgage financing, variations in rental income, neighborhood values or the appeal of property to tenants; interest rates; overbuilding; extended vacancies of properties; increases in competition, property taxes and operating expenses; and changes in zoning laws. REITs whose underlying properties are concentrated in a particular industry or geographic region are subject to risks affecting such industries and regions. The securities of REITs involve greater risks than those associated with larger, more established companies and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements because of interest rate changes, economic conditions and other factors. Securities of such issuers may lack sufficient market liquidity to enable the Fund to effect sales at an advantageous time or without a substantial drop in price.

Market Disruption and Geopolitical Risk — The aftermath of the war in Iraq, instability in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Russia, Ukraine and the Middle East, possible terrorist attacks in the United States and around the world, growing social and political discord in the United States, the European debt crisis, the response of the international community—through economic sanctions and otherwise — to Russia’s annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine and posture vis-a-vis Ukraine, increasingly strained relations between the United States and a number of foreign countries, including traditional allies, such as certain European countries, and historical adversaries, such as North Korea, Iran, China and Russia, and the international community generally, new and continued political unrest in various countries, such as Venezuela and Spain, the United Kingdom’s pending withdrawal from the EU and the resulting profound and uncertain impacts on the economic and political future of the United Kingdom, the exit or potential exit of one or more countries from the EU or the EMU, the EU and global financial markets, further downgrade of U.S. Government securities, the change in the U.S. president and the new administration, global pandemics, disease outbreak or other public health concerns, such as outbreaks of novel coronavirus, and other similar events, may have long-term

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effects on the U.S. and worldwide financial markets and may cause further economic uncertainties in the United States and worldwide. The Fund does not know and cannot predict how long the securities markets may be affected by these events and the effects of these and similar events in the future on the U.S. economy and securities markets. The Fund may be adversely affected by abrogation of international agreements and national laws which have created the market instruments in which the Fund may invest, failure of the designated national and international authorities to enforce compliance with the same laws and agreements, failure of local, national and international organization to carry out their duties prescribed to them under the relevant agreements, revisions of these laws and agreements which dilute their effectiveness or conflicting interpretation of provisions of the same laws and agreements. The Fund may be adversely affected by uncertainties such as terrorism, international political developments, and changes in government policies, taxation, restrictions on foreign investment and currency repatriation, currency fluctuations and other developments in the laws and regulations of the countries in which it is invested.

U.S. Government Securities Risk — The U.S. government may not provide financial support to U.S. government agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises if it is not obligated to do so by law. U.S. Government Securities issued by those agencies, instrumentalities and sponsored enterprises, including those issued by the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”) and the Federal Home Loan Banks, are neither issued nor guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury and, therefore, are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. The maximum potential liability of the issuers of some U.S. Government Securities held by the Fund may greatly exceed their current resources, including any legal right to support from the U.S. Treasury. It is possible that issuers of U.S. Government Securities will not have the funds to meet their payment obligations in the future. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been operating under conservatorship, with the Federal Housing Finance Administration (“FHFA”) acting as their conservator, since September 2008. The entities are dependent upon the continued support of the U.S. Department of the Treasury and FHFA in order to continue their business operations. These factors, among others, could affect the future status and role of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and the value of their securities and the securities which they guarantee. Additionally, the U.S. government and its agencies and instrumentalities do not guarantee the market values of their securities, which may fluctuate.

Potential Conflicts of Interest Risk — The Investment Adviser’s investment team is often responsible for managing the Fund as well as one or more funds and other accounts, including proprietary accounts, separate accounts and other pooled investment vehicles, such as unregistered hedge funds. A portfolio manager may manage a separate account or other pooled investment vehicle which may have materially higher fee arrangements than the Fund and may also have a performance-based fee. The side-by-side management of these funds may raise potential conflicts of interest relating to cross trading, the allocation of investment opportunities and the aggregation and allocation of trades. See “Activities of Goldman Sachs and its Affiliates and Other Accounts Managed by Goldman Sachs.”

The Investment Adviser has a fiduciary responsibility to manage all client accounts in a fair and equitable manner. The Investment Adviser seeks to provide best execution of all securities transactions and aggregate and then allocate securities to client accounts in a fair and timely manner. To this end, the Investment Adviser has developed policies and procedures designed to mitigate and manage the potential conflicts of interest that may arise from side-by-side management. In addition, the Investment Adviser and the Fund have adopted policies limiting the circumstances under which cross-trades may be effected between the Fund and another client account. The Investment Adviser conducts periodic reviews of trades for consistency with these policies.

Dividend-Paying Investments Risk — The Fund’s investments in dividend-paying securities could cause the Fund to underperform other funds that invest in similar asset classes but employ a different investment style. Securities that pay dividends, as a group, can fall out of favor with the market, causing such securities to underperform securities that do not pay dividends. Depending upon market conditions and political and legislative responses to such conditions, dividend-paying securities that meet the Fund’s investment criteria may not be widely available and/or may be highly concentrated in only a few market sectors. For example, in response to the outbreak of a novel strain of coronavirus (known as COVID-19), the U.S. Government passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act in March 2020, which established loan programs for certain issuers impacted by COVID-19. Among other conditions, borrowers under these loan programs are generally restricted from paying dividends. The adoption of new legislation could further limit or restrict the ability of issuers to pay dividends. To the extent that dividend-paying securities are concentrated in only a few market sectors, the Fund may be subject to the risks of volatile economic cycles and/or conditions or developments that may be particular to a sector to a greater extent than if its investments were diversified across different sectors. In addition, issuers that have paid regular dividends or distributions to shareholders may not continue to do so at the same level or at all in the future. A sharp rise in interest rates or an economic downturn could cause an issuer to abruptly reduce or eliminate its dividend. This may limit the ability of the Fund to produce current income.

Non-Investment Grade Securities Risk — The Fund may invest in securities that are rated, at the time of investment, non-investment grade quality (rated “Ba/BB” or below), or securities that are unrated but determined to be of comparable quality by the Investment Adviser. Securities of non-investment grade quality are regarded as having predominantly speculative characteristics

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal, and are commonly referred to as “junk bonds.” Non-investment grade securities and unrated securities of comparable credit quality are subject to the increased risk of an issuer’s inability to meet principal and interest payment obligations. The value of high yield, lower quality bonds is affected by the creditworthiness of the issuers of the securities and by general economic and specific industry conditions. These securities may be subject to greater price volatility due to such factors as specific corporate or municipal developments, interest rate sensitivity, negative perceptions of the junk bond markets generally and less secondary market liquidity. Issuers of high yield bonds are not as strong financially as those with higher credit ratings. These issuers are more vulnerable to financial setbacks and recession than more creditworthy issuers, which may impair their ability to make interest and principal payments. Non-investment grade securities may be particularly susceptible to economic downturns, specific corporate or municipal developments, interest rate sensitivity, negative perceptions of the junk bond markets generally and less secondary market liquidity. An economic recession could disrupt severely the market for such securities and may have an adverse impact on the value of such securities. In addition, any such economic downturn could adversely affect the ability of the issuers of such securities to repay principal and pay interest thereon and increase the incidence of default for such securities. Non-investment grade securities, though higher yielding, are characterized by high risk. They may be subject to certain risks with respect to the issuing entity and to greater market fluctuations than certain lower yielding, higher rated securities. The retail secondary market for non-investment grade securities may be less liquid than that for higher rated securities. Adverse conditions could make it difficult at times for the Fund to sell certain securities or could result in lower prices than those used in calculating the Fund’s NAV. Because of the substantial risks associated with investments in non-investment grade securities, you could lose money on your investment in shares of the Fund, both in the short-term and the long-term.

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

Trustees and Officers (Unaudited)

Independent Trustees


Name and Age¹	Position(s) Held with the Fund	Term of Office and Length of Time Served²	Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years	Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee³	Other Directorships Held by Trustee⁴

Lawrence W. Stranghoener Age: 66	Chairman of the Board of Trustees	Class III; Since 2015; Chairman of the Board of Trustees; Since 2017	Mr. Stranghoener is retired. He is Chairman, Kennametal, Inc. (a global manufacturer and distributor of tooling and industrial materials) (2003-Present); and was formerly Director, Aleris Corporation and Aleris International, Inc. (a producer of aluminum rolled products) (2011-2020); Interim Chief Executive Officer (2014); and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (2004-2014), Mosaic Company (a fertilizer manufacturing company). Chairman of the Board of Trustees — Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund; Goldman Sachs ETF Trust; Goldman Sachs Credit Income Fund; and Goldman Sachs Real Estate Diversified Income Fund.	40	Kennametal Inc. (a global manufacturer and distributor of tooling and industrial materials)

Caroline Dorsa Age: 61	Trustee	Class III; Since 2016	Ms. Dorsa is retired. She is Director, Biogen Inc. (a biotechnology company) (2010-Present); Director, Intellia Therapeutics Inc. (a gene-editing company) (2015-Present); and Director, Illumina, Inc. (a life sciences company) (2017-Present). She was formerly Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Public Service Enterprise Group, Inc. (a generation and energy services company) (2009-2015); Senior Vice President, Merck & Co, Inc. (a pharmaceutical company) (2008-2009 and 1987-2007); Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Gilead Sciences, Inc. (a pharmaceutical company) (2007-2008); and Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Avaya, Inc. (a technology company) (2007). Trustee — Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund; Goldman Sachs ETF Trust; Goldman Sachs Credit Income Fund; and Goldman Sachs Real Estate Diversified Income Fund.	40	Biogen Inc. (a biotechnology company); Intellia Therapeutics Inc. (a gene-editing company); Illumina, Inc. (a life sciences company)

Linda A. Lang Age: 62	Trustee	Class II; Since 2016	Ms. Lang is retired. She was formerly Chair of the Board of Directors, (2016-2019) and Member of the Board of Directors, WD-40 Company (a global consumer products company) (2004-2019); Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (2005-2014); and Director, President and Chief Operating Officer, Jack in the Box, Inc. (a restaurant company) (2003-2005). Previously, Ms. Lang served as an Advisory Board Member of Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund (February 2016-March 2016). Trustee — Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund; Goldman Sachs ETF Trust; Goldman Sachs Credit Income Fund; and Goldman Sachs Real Estate Diversified Income Fund.	40	None

Michael Latham Age: 55	Trustee	Class I; Since 2015	Mr. Latham is retired. Formerly, he held senior management positions with the iShares exchange-traded fund business, including Chairman (2011-2014); Global Head (2010 -2011); U.S. Head (2007-2010); and Chief Operating Officer (2003-2007). Trustee — Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund; Goldman Sachs ETF Trust; Goldman Sachs Credit Income Fund; and Goldman Sachs Real Estate Diversified Income Fund.	40	None

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

Trustees and Officers (Unaudited) (continued)

Independent Trustees


Name and Age¹	Position(s) Held with the Fund	Term of Office and Length of Time Served²	Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years	Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee³	Other Directorships Held by Trustee⁴

James A. McNamara* Age: 58	President and Trustee	Class II; Since 2014	Advisory Director, Goldman Sachs (January 2018-Present); Managing Director, Goldman Sachs (January 2000-December 2017); Director of Institutional Fund Sales, GSAM (April 1998-December 2000); and Senior Vice President and Manager, Dreyfus Institutional Service Corporation (January 1993-April 1998). President and Trustee — Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund; Goldman Sachs Trust; Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust; Goldman Sachs Trust II; Goldman Sachs ETF Trust; Goldman Sachs Credit Income Fund; and Goldman Sachs Real Estate Diversified Income Fund.	164	None

Mr. McNamara is considered to be an “Interested Trustee” because he holds positions with Goldman Sachs and/or owns securities issued by The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. He also holds comparable positions with certain other companies of which Goldman Sachs, GSAM or an affiliate thereof is the investment adviser, administrator and/or distributor.

Each Trustee may be contacted by writing to the Trustee, c/o Goldman Sachs, 200 West Street, New York, New York, 10282, Attn: Caroline Kraus.

After a Trustee’s initial term, each Trustee is eligible to serve for successive three-year terms concurrent with the class of Trustees in which he or she serves, subject to such policies as may be adopted by the Board from time-to-time.

∎

Class I Trustee currently serves a three-year term ending in 2022.

∎

Class II Trustees currently serve a three-year term ending in 2023.

∎

Class III Trustees currently serve a three-year term ending in 2021.

The Board has adopted polices which provide that each Independent Trustee shall retire as of December 31st of the calendar year in which he or she reaches (a) his or her 74th birthday or (b) the 15th anniversary of the date he or she became a Trustee, whichever is earlier, unless a waiver of such requirements shall have been adopted by a majority of the other Trustees. These policies may be changed by the Trustees without shareholder vote.

The Goldman Sachs Fund Complex includes certain other companies listed above for each respective Trustee. As of November 30, 2020, Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund consisted of one portfolio; Goldman Sachs ETF Trust consisted of 37 portfolios (20 of which offered shares to the public); Goldman Sachs Trust consisted of 92 portfolios (90 of which offered shares to the public); Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust consisted of 13 portfolios; Goldman Sachs Trust II consisted of 19 portfolios (17 of which offered shares to the public); and Goldman Sachs Credit Income Fund and Goldman Sachs Real Estate Diversified Income Fund each consisted of one portfolio. Goldman Sachs Credit Income Fund did not offer shares to the public.

⁴

This column includes only directorships of companies required to report to the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (i.e., “public companies”) or other investment companies registered under the Act.

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

Trustees and Officers (Unaudited) (continued)

Officers of the Fund*


Name, Address and Age¹	Position(s) Held With the Fund	Term and Length of Time Served²	Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years

James A. McNamara Age: 58 200 West Street New York, NY 10282	Trustee and President	Since 2014	Advisory Director, Goldman Sachs (January 2018-Present); Managing Director, Goldman Sachs (January 2000-December 2017); Director of Institutional Fund Sales, GSAM (April 1998-December 2000); and Senior Vice President and Manager, Dreyfus Institutional Service Corporation (January 1993-April 1998). President and Trustee — Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund; Goldman Sachs Trust; Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust; Goldman Sachs Trust II; Goldman Sachs ETF Trust; Goldman Sachs Credit Income Fund; and Goldman Sachs Real Estate Diversified Income Fund.

Caroline L. Kraus Age: 43 200 West Street New York, NY 10282	Secretary	Since 2014	Managing Director, Goldman Sachs (January 2016-Present); Vice President, Goldman Sachs (August 2006-December 2015); Senior Counsel, Goldman Sachs (January 2020-Present); Associate General Counsel, Goldman Sachs (2012-December 2019); Assistant General Counsel, Goldman Sachs (August 2006-December 2011); and Associate, Weil, Gotshal & Manges, LLP (2002-2006). Secretary — Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund; Goldman Sachs Trust (previously Assistant Secretary (2012)); Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust (previously Assistant Secretary (2012)); Goldman Sachs Trust II; Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc.; Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit LLC; Goldman Sachs Private Middle Market Credit II LLC; Goldman Sachs Middle Market Lending Corp.; Goldman Sachs ETF Trust; Goldman Sachs Credit Income Fund; and Goldman Sachs Real Estate Diversified Income Fund.

Joseph F. DiMaria Age: 52 30 Hudson Street Jersey City, NJ 07302	Treasurer, Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer	Since 2017 (Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer since 2019)	Managing Director, Goldman Sachs (November 2015-Present) and Vice President — Mutual Fund Administration, Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (May 2010-October 2015). Treasurer, Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer — Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund (previously Assistant Treasurer (2017)); Goldman Sachs Trust (previously Assistant Treasurer (2016)); Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust (previously Assistant Treasurer (2016)); Goldman Sachs Trust II (previously Assistant Treasurer (2017)); Goldman Sachs ETF Trust (previously Assistant Treasurer (2017)); Goldman Sachs Credit Income Fund; and Goldman Sachs Real Estate Diversified Income Fund.

Represents a partial list of officers of the Fund. Additional information about all the officers is available in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information, which can be obtained from Goldman Sachs free of charge by calling this toll-free number (in the United States): 1-800-292-4726.

Officers hold office at the pleasure of the Board until the next election of officers or until his or her successor is elected and qualified or in each case, until his or her sooner death, resignation or removal from office.

Each officer holds comparable positions with certain other companies of which Goldman Sachs, GSAM or an affiliate thereof is the investment adviser, administrator and/or distributor.

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (Unaudited)

A. Dividend Reinvestment Plan — Under the Dividend Reinvestment Plan (the “Plan”) for the Fund, dividends and/or distributions to a shareholder will automatically be reinvested in additional shares of the Fund. Each registered shareholder may elect to have dividends and distributions distributed in cash (i.e., “opt-out”) rather than participate in the Plan. For any registered shareholder that does not so elect (each, a “Participant” and collectively, “Participants”), dividends and/or distributions on such shareholder’s shares will be reinvested by the Computershare Trust Company, N.A (the “Plan Agent”), as agent for shareholders in administering the Plan, in additional shares, as set forth below. Participation in the Plan is completely voluntary, and may be terminated or resumed at any time without penalty by Internet, telephone or written notice if received and processed by the Plan Agent prior to the dividend record rate; otherwise such termination or resumption will be effective with respect to any subsequently declared dividend or other distribution. Participants who hold their shares through a broker or other nominee and who wish to elect to receive any dividends and distributions in cash must contact their broker or nominee.

The Plan Agent will open an account for each shareholder under the Plan in the same name in which such shareholder is registered. Whenever the Fund declares a dividend or other distribution (together, a “Dividend”) payable in cash, non-participants in the Plan will receive cash and Participants will receive the equivalent in shares. The shares will be acquired by the Plan Agent for the Participants’ accounts, depending upon the circumstances described below, either through (i) receipt of additional unissued but authorized shares from the Fund (“Newly Issued Shares”) or (ii) by purchase of outstanding shares on the open market (“Open-Market Purchases”) on the NYSE or elsewhere.

If, on the payment date for any Dividend (the “Dividend Payment Date”), the NAV per share is equal to or less than the closing market price plus estimated per share fees (which include any applicable brokerage commissions the Plan Agent is required to pay) (such condition often referred to as a “premium”), the Plan Agent will invest the Dividend amount in Newly Issued Shares on behalf of the Participants. The number of Newly Issued Shares to be credited to each Participant’s account will be determined by dividing the dollar amount of the Dividend by the NAV per share on the Dividend Payment Date, provided that, if the NAV is less than or equal to 95% of the closing market price on the Dividend Payment Date, the dollar amount of the Dividend will be divided by 95% of the closing market price per share on the Dividend Payment Date. If, on the Dividend Payment Date, the NAV per share is greater than the closing market price per share plus per share fees (such condition referred to as a “market discount”), the Plan Agent will invest the Dividend amount in shares acquired on behalf of the Participants in Open-Market Purchases. During the Open Market Purchase Period (as defined below), the Plan Agent will purchase shares only if the market price of the shares plus estimated per share fees (which include any applicable brokerage commissions the Plan Agent is required to pay) is lower than the NAV per share as of the previous business day. Such Open-Market Purchases shall continue on each successive business day until the entire Dividend amount has been invested pursuant to Open-Market Purchases; provided, however, that if (a) the market discount shifts to a market premium, or (b) the Open Market Purchases have not been completed by the “Last Purchase Date” (as defined below), the Plan Agent will cease making Open-Market Purchases and shall invest the entire uninvested portion of the Dividend amount in Newly Issued Shares in the manner contemplated above.

The term “Last Purchase Date” shall mean the last business day before the next date on which the shares trade on an “ex-dividend” basis or 30 days after the Dividend Payment Date, whichever is sooner.

Open-market purchases may be made on any securities exchange where shares are traded, in the over-the-counter market or in negotiated transactions, and may be on such terms as to price, delivery and otherwise as the Plan Agent shall determine. It is contemplated that the Fund will pay quarterly Dividends.

The Plan Agent maintains all Participants’ accounts in the Plan and furnishes written confirmation of all transactions in the accounts, including information needed by Participants for tax records. Shares in the account of each Participant will be held by the Plan Agent on behalf of the Participant in book entry form in the Plan Agent’s name or the Plan Agent’s nominee. Each shareholder proxy will include those shares purchased or received pursuant to the Plan. The Plan Agent will forward all proxy solicitation materials to Participants and vote proxies for shares held under the Plan in accordance with the instructions of the Participants.

In the case of shareholders such as banks, brokers or nominees which hold shares for others who are the beneficial owners, the Plan Agent will administer the Plan on the basis of the number of shares certified from time to time by the record shareholder and held for the account of beneficial owners who participate in the Plan.

Any stock dividends or split of shares distributed by the Fund on shares held by the Plan Agent for Participants will be credited to their accounts. In the event that the Fund makes available to its shareholders rights to purchase additional shares or other securities, the shares held for each Participant under the Plan will be added to other shares held by the Participant in calculating the number of rights to be issued to each Participant.

The Plan Agent’s fees for the handling of the reinvestment of dividends and distributions will be paid by the Fund. However, each Participant will pay a per share (currently $0.05) fee incurred in connection with Open Market Purchases. If a Participant elects by telephone, Internet or written notice to the Plan Agent to have the Plan Agent sell all or a part of his or her shares and remit the

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

proceeds to the Participant, the Plan Agent is authorized to deduct a $15 sales transaction fee per trade and a per share fee of $0.12 from such proceeds. All per share fees include any applicable brokerage commissions the Plan Agent is required to pay.

If a Participant elects by telephone, Internet or written notice to the Plan Agent to have the Plan Agent sell all or a part of his or her shares and remit the proceeds to the Participant, the Plan Agent will process all sale instructions received no later than five (5) business days after the date on which the order is received. Such sale will be made through the Plan Agent’s broker on the relevant market and the sale price will not be determined until such time as the broker completes the sale. In each case, the price to each Participant shall be the weighted average sale price obtained by the Plan Agent’s broker net of fees for each aggregate order placed by the Plan Agent and executed by the broker. To maximize cost savings, the Plan Agent will seek to sell shares in round lot transactions. For this purpose, the Plan Agent may combine a Participant’s shares with those of other selling Participants.

Each Participant may withdraw shares or terminate his or her account under the Plan by so notifying the Plan Agent by telephone, through the internet or in writing prior to the dividend record date (each such notification, a “Termination Notice”). Such Termination Notice will be effective immediately so long as the Plan Agent receives a Termination Notice prior to any dividend or distribution record date; otherwise such termination or resumption will be effective with respect to any subsequently declared dividend or other distribution. Upon any withdrawal or termination, the Plan Agent will cause to be delivered to each terminating Participant a statement of holdings for the appropriate number of the Fund’s whole book-entry shares and a check for the cash adjustment of any fractional share at the market value per share as of the close of business on the day the termination is effective less any applicable fee.

Upon receipt of a Dividend by a Participant, the Participant will be treated for federal income tax purposes as receiving a taxable distribution. As such, the automatic reinvestment of Dividends does not relieve Participants of any taxes which may be payable (or required to be withheld) on Dividends, even though no cash is received by the Participants. Participants will receive tax information annually for their personal records and to help them prepare their federal income tax return. For further information as to tax consequences of participation in the Plan, Participants should consult with their own tax advisors.

The Fund reserves the right to amend or terminate the Plan upon notice in writing to each Participant at least 30 days prior to any record date for the payment of any dividend or distribution by the Fund. There is no direct transaction fee to Participants with regard to purchases in the Plan; however, the Fund reserves the right to amend the Plan to include a transaction fee payable by the Participants. Notice will be sent to Participants of any amendments as soon as practicable after such action by the Fund.

All correspondence from a registered owner of shares concerning the Plan should be directed to the Plan Agent at Computershare Trust Company, N.A, P.O. 505000, Louisville, KY 40233, with overnight correspondence being directed to the Plan Agent at Computershare Trust Company, N.A, 462 South 4^th Street, Suite 1600, Louisville, KY 40202; by calling 855-807-2742; or through the Plan Agent’s website at www.computershare.com/investor. Participants who hold their shares through a broker or other nominee should direct correspondence or questions concerning the Plan to their broker or nominee.

Fund Certification — The Fund is listed for trading on the NYSE. The Fund will continue to file their annual chief executive officer certifications regarding compliance with the NYSE’s listing standards no more than 30 days after the Fund’s annual shareholder meeting.

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

PRIVACY NOTICE

(Applicable only to individual, joint, and individual retirement account (IRA) investors)

The Goldman Sachs financial services companies endeavor to maintain the highest standards of confidentiality and to respect the privacy of our client relationships. In that regard, we are providing this Privacy Notice to our clients in accordance with Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999 and its implementing regulations. This notice supplements any privacy policies or statements that we may provide in connection with specific products or services.

The Information We Collect About You. The non-public personal information we collect about you (your “Information”) comes primarily from the account applications or other forms you submit to us. We may also collect Information about your transactions and experiences with us, our affiliates, or others relating to the products or services we provide. Also, depending on the products or services you require, we may obtain additional Information from consumer reporting agencies.

Our Disclosure Policies. We do not disclose your Information to anyone, except as permitted by law. This may include sharing your Information with non-affiliated companies that perform support services for your account or process your transactions with us or our affiliates. It may also include sharing your Information with our affiliates to bring you the full range of services and products available from the Goldman Sachs family of financial services companies, including our U.S. and international brokerage, asset management, advisory, and trust services companies. Additionally, it may include disclosing your Information pursuant to your express consent, to fulfill your instructions, or to comply with applicable laws and regulations.

Our Information Security Policies. We limit access to your Information to those of our employees and service providers who are involved in offering or administering the products or services that we offer. We maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that are designed to comply with federal standards to safeguard your Information. If our relationship ends, we will continue to treat your Information as described in this Privacy Notice.

This notice is being provided on behalf of the following affiliates of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.:

Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P.

Goldman Sachs Asset Management International

GS Investment Strategies, LLC

Goldman Sachs Hedge Fund Strategies, LLC

The family of funds managed by the affiliates listed above.

GOLDMAN SACHS MLP AND ENERGY RENAISSANCE FUND

Voting Results of Annual Meeting of Shareholders (Unaudited)

The Annual Meeting (the “Annual Meeting”) of the Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund was held on March 26, 2020 to consider and act upon the proposals below. At the Annual Meeting, Linda A. Lang and James A. McNamara were elected Class II Trustees to the Board of Trustees of the Fund.

The shareholders of the Fund voted as follows:


Proposal — Election of Trustees	For		Against/Withhold		Abstain

Linda A. Lang (Class II)		67,541,463		2,980,652		0

James A. McNamara (Class II)		67,661,946		2,860,169		0

In addition to the individuals named above, Caroline Dorsa, Michael Latham and Lawrence W. Stranghoener continued to serve on the Board of Trustees of the Fund.

Voting Results of Joint Special Meeting of Shareholders (Unaudited)

The joint Special Meeting (the “Special Meeting”) of the Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund (“GER”) and Goldman Sachs MLP Income Opportunities Fund (“GMZ”) was held on September 10, 2020 to consider and act upon the proposals below. At the Special Meeting, shareholders of GMZ approved an Agreement and Plan of Reorganization providing for the reorganization of GMZ with and into GER (the “Reorganization”) and shareholders of GER approved the issuance of additional common shares of GER in connection with the Reorganization. Shareholders of each of GMZ and GER also ratified the selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as each Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending November 30, 2020 at the Special Meeting.

The shareholders of GER voted as follows:


Proposal 1 — GER	For		Against/Withhold		Abstain		Broker Non-Votes

To consider and approve the issuance of additional common shares of the Fund in connection with the reorganization of Goldman Sachs MLP Income Opportunities Fund into the Fund		2,644,645		277,617		62,365		4,955,603

Proposal 2 — GER	For		Against/Withhold		Abstain		Broker Non-Votes

To consider and ratify the selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending November 30, 2020		7,760,427		107,027		72,776		0

The shareholders of GMZ voted as follows:


Proposal 1 — GMZ	For		Against/Withhold		Abstain		Broker Non-Votes

To consider and approve an Agreement and Plan of Reorganization providing for the reorganization of the Fund with and into Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund		1,854,768		195,144		116,876		3,549,005

Proposal 2 — GMZ	For		Against/Withhold		Abstain		Broker Non-Votes

To consider and ratify the selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending November 30, 2020		5,550,958		56,863		107,972		0

On April 13, 2020, GER and GMZ effected a 9-for-1 reverse share split and a 7-for-1 reverse share split, respectively.

FUNDS PROFILE

Goldman Sachs Closed-End Funds

Goldman Sachs is a premier financial services firm, known since 1869 for creating thoughtful and customized investment solutions in complex global markets.

Today, the Consumer and Investment Management Division of Goldman Sachs serves a diverse set of clients worldwide, including private institutions, public entities and individuals. With approximately $1.86 trillion in assets under management as of September 30, 2020, Goldman Sachs Asset Management (“GSAM”) has portfolio management teams located around the world and our investment professionals bring firsthand knowledge of local markets to every investment decision. GSAM’s assets under management includes assets managed by Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P. and its Investment Advisory Affiliates.

GOLDMAN SACHS CLOSED-END FUND

MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund

LOGO


TRUSTEES Lawrence W. Stranghoener, Chairman Caroline Dorsa Linda A. Lang Michael Latham James A. McNamara		OFFICERS James A. McNamara, President Joseph F. DiMaria, Principal Financial Officer, Principal Accounting Officer and Treasurer Caroline L. Kraus, Secretary

Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P. Investment Adviser		Dechert LLP Legal Counsel

Computershare Trust Company, N.A. and Computershare Inc. Transfer Agent, Registrar and Dividend Reinvestment Plan Agent		State Street Bank and Trust Company Custodian PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P., 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282

The reports concerning the Funds included in this shareholder report may contain certain forward-looking statements about the factors that may affect the performance of the Funds in the future. These statements are based on Fund management’s predictions and expectations concerning certain future events and their expected impact on the Funds, such as performance of the economy as a whole and of specific industry sectors, changes in the levels of interest rates, the impact of developing world events, and other factors that may influence the future performance of the Funds. Management believes these forward-looking statements to be reasonable, although they are inherently uncertain and difficult to predict. Actual events may cause adjustments in portfolio management strategies from those currently expected to be employed.

A description of the policies and procedures that the Funds use to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities and information regarding how a Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities for the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, are available (I) without charge, upon request by calling 1-855-807-2742; and (II) on the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC’’) web site at http://www.sec.gov.

The Funds will file their portfolio holdings for each month in a fiscal quarter within 60 days after the end of the relevant fiscal quarter on Form N-PORT. Portfolio holdings information for the third month of each fiscal quarter will be made available on the SEC’s web site at http://www.sec.gov. Portfolio holdings information may be obtained upon request and without charge by calling 1-855-807-2742.

Fund holdings and allocations shown are as of November 30, 2020 and may not be representative of future investments. Fund holdings should not be relied on in making investment decisions and should not be construed as research or investment advice regarding particular securities. Current and future holdings are subject to risk.

The portfolio risk management process includes an effort to monitor and manage risk, but does not imply low risk.

Views and opinions expressed are for informational purposes only and do not constitute a recommendation by GSAM to buy, sell, or hold any security. Views and opinions are current as of the date of this presentation and may be subject to change, they should not be construed as investment advice.

Economic and market forecasts presented herein reflect a series of assumptions and judgments as of the date of this presentation and are subject to change without notice. These forecasts do not take into account the specific investment objectives, restrictions, tax and financial situation or other needs of any specific client. Actual data will vary and may not be reflected here. These forecasts are subject to high levels of uncertainty that may affect actual performance.

Accordingly, these forecasts should be viewed as merely representative of a broad range of possible outcomes. These forecasts are estimated, based on assumptions, and are subject to significant revision and may change materially as economic and market conditions change. Goldman Sachs has no obligation to provide updates or changes to these forecasts. Case studies and examples are for illustrative purposes only. This communication is not an offer to sell these securities and is not a solicitation to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

“Alerian MLP Index”, and “AMZ” are trademarks of Alerian and their use is granted under a license from Alerian.

Notice is hereby given in accordance with Section 23(c) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, that from time to time, each Fund may purchase, at market prices, shares of its common stock in the open market.

The Cushing^® MLP High Income Index (the “Index”) is the exclusive property of Swank Capital, LLC, which has contracted with S&P Opco, LLC (a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC) (“S&P Dow Jones Indices”) to maintain and calculate the Index. S&P^® is a registered trademark of Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC (“SPFS”); Dow Jones^® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (“Dow Jones”); and these trademarks have been licensed to S&P Dow Jones Indices. “Calculated by S&P Dow Jones Indices” and its related stylized mark(s) have been licensed for use by Swank Capital, LLC. Neither S&P Dow Jones Indices, SPFS, Dow Jones S&P nor any of their affiliates sponsor and promote the Index and none shall be liable for any errors or omissions in calculating the Index.

This report is transmitted to Funds’ shareholders only. It is not a prospectus. Investors should consider their investment goals, time horizons and risk tolerance before investing in a Fund. An investment in a Fund is not appropriate for all investors, and the Funds are not intended to be complete investment programs. Investors should carefully review and consider a Fund’s investment objective, risks, charges and expenses before investing.

ITEM 2.

CODE OF ETHICS.

(a)

As of the end of the period covered by this report, the Registrant has adopted a code of ethics that applies to the Registrant’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions, regardless of whether these individuals are employed by the Registrant or a third party (the “Code of Ethics”).

(b)

Not applicable.

(c)

During the period covered by this report, no amendments were made to the provisions of the Code of Ethics.

(d)

During the period covered by this report, the Registrant did not grant any waivers, including an implicit waiver, from any provision of the Code of Ethics.

(e)

Not applicable.

(f)

A copy of the Code of Ethics is available as provided in Item 13(a)(1) of this report.

ITEM 3.

AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT.

The Registrant’s board of trustees has determined that the Registrant has at least one “audit committee financial expert” (as defined in Item 3 of Form N-CSR) serving on its audit committee. Caroline Dorsa is the “audit committee financial expert” and is “independent” (as each term is defined in Item 3 of Form N-CSR).

ITEM 4.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES.

Table 1 — Items 4(a) - 4(d). The accountant fees below reflect the aggregate fees billed by the Registrant during the fiscal years ended November 30, 2019 and November 30, 2020.


	2020		2019		Description of Services Rendered
Audit Fees:
• PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (“PwC”)	$	66,300	$	63,500	Financial Statement audits.
Audit-Related Fees:
• PwC	$	3,757	$	—	Other attest services.
Tax Fees:
• PwC	$	82,500	$	170,688	Tax compliance services provided in connection with the preparation and review of Registrant’s tax returns.

Table 2 — Items 4(b)(c) & (d). Non-Audit Services to the Registrant’s service affiliates* that were pre-approved by the Audit Committee of the Registrant pursuant to Rule 2-01(c)(7)(ii) of Regulation S-X during the fiscal years ended November 30, 2019 and November 30, 2020.


	2020		2019		Description of Services Rendered
Audit-Related Fees:
• PwC	$	1,441,351	$	1,356,035	Internal control review performed in accordance with Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements No. 16 and semi annual updates related to withholding tax accrual for non-US jurisdictions. These fees are borne by the Fund’s Adviser.

*	These include the advisor (excluding sub-advisors) and any entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with the advisor that provides ongoing services to the registrant (hereinafter referred to as “service affiliates”).

Item 4(e)(1) — Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures

Pre-Approval of Audit and Non-Audit Services Provided to Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund. The Audit and Non-Audit Services Pre-Approval Policy (the “Policy”) adopted by the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees of Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund (the “Fund”) sets forth the procedures and the conditions pursuant to which services performed by an independent auditor for the Fund may be pre-approved. Services may be pre-approved specifically by the Audit Committee as a whole or, in certain circumstances, by the Audit Committee Chairman or the person designated as the Audit Committee Financial Expert. In addition, subject to specified cost limitations, certain services may be pre-approved under the provisions of the Policy. The Policy provides that the Audit Committee will consider whether the services provided by an independent auditor are consistent with the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules on auditor independence. The Policy provides for periodic review and pre-approval by the Audit Committee of the services that may be provided by the independent auditor.

De Minimis Waiver. The pre-approval requirements of the Policy may be waived with respect to the provision of non-audit services that are permissible for an independent auditor to perform, provided (1) the aggregate amount of all such services provided constitutes no more than five percent of the total amount of revenues subject to pre-approval that was paid to the independent auditors during the fiscal year in which the services are provided; (2) such services were not recognized by the Fund at the time of the engagement to be non-audit services; and (3) such services are promptly brought to the attention of the Audit Committee and approved prior to the completion of the audit by the Audit Committee or by one or more members of the Audit Committee to whom authority to grant such approvals has been delegated by the Audit Committee, pursuant to the pre-approval provisions of the Policy.

Pre-Approval of Non-Audit Services Provided to the Fund’s Investment Advisers. The Policy provides that, in addition to requiring pre-approval of audit and non-audit services provided to the Fund, the Audit Committee will pre-approve those non-audit services provided to the Fund’s investment advisers (and entities controlling, controlled by or under common control with the investment advisers that provide ongoing services to the Fund) where the engagement relates directly to the operations or financial reporting of the Fund.

Item 4(e)(2) — 0% of the audit-related fees, tax fees and other fees listed in Table 1 were approved by the Registrant’s Audit Committee pursuant to the “de minimis” exception of Rule 2-01(c)(7)(i)(C) of Regulation S-X. In addition, 0% of the non-audit services to the Registrant’s service affiliates listed in Table 2 were approved by the Registrant’s Audit Committee pursuant to the “de minimis” exception of Rule 2-01(c)(7)(i)(C) of Regulation S-X.

Item 4(f) — Not applicable.

Item 4(g) Aggregate Non-Audit Fees Disclosure

The aggregate non-audit fees billed to the Registrant by PwC for the twelve months ended November 30, 2020 and November 30, 2019 were $86,257 and $170,688, respectively. The aggregate non-audit fees billed to Registrant’s adviser and service affiliates by PwC for non-audit services for the twelve months ended December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018 were approximately $14.7 million and $12.3 million, respectively. With regard to the aggregate non-audit fees billed to the Registrant’s adviser and service affiliates, the 2019 and 2018 amounts include fees for non-audit services required to be pre-approved [see Table 2] and fees for non-audit services that did not require pre-approval since they did not directly relate to the Registrant’s operations or financial reporting. The figures for these entities are not yet available for the twelve months ended December 31, 2020.

Item 4(h) — The Registrant’s Audit Committee has considered whether the provision of non-audit services to the Registrant’s investment adviser and service affiliates that did not require pre-approval pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(ii) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X is compatible with maintaining the auditors’ independence.

ITEM 5.

AUDIT COMMITTEE OF LISTED REGISTRANTS.

The Registrant has a separately-designated standing Audit Committee established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The members of the Audit Committee are Caroline Dorsa, Linda A. Lang, Michael Latham, and Lawrence W. Stranghoener, each a Trustee of the Registrant.

ITEM 6.

SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS.

Schedule of Investments is included as part of the Report to Shareholders filed under Item 1.

ITEM 7.

DISCLOSURE OF PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES.

The Registrant has delegated the voting of portfolio securities to Goldman Sachs Asset Management L.P. (the “Investment Adviser”). For client accounts for which the Investment Adviser has voting discretion, the Investment Adviser has adopted policies and procedures (the “Proxy Voting Policy”) for the voting of proxies. Under the Proxy Voting Policy, the Investment Adviser’s guiding principles in performing proxy voting are to make decisions that favor proposals that tend to maximize a company’s shareholder value and are not influenced by conflicts of interest. To implement these guiding principles for investments in publicly-traded equities, the Investment Adviser has developed customized proxy voting guidelines (the “Guidelines”) that it generally applies when voting on behalf of client accounts. These Guidelines address a wide variety of individual topics, including, among other matters, shareholder voting rights, anti-takeover defenses, board structures, the election of directors, executive and director compensation, reorganizations, mergers, issues of corporate social responsibility and various shareholder proposals.

The Proxy Voting Policy, including the Guidelines, is reviewed periodically to ensure that it continues to be consistent with the Investment Adviser’s guiding principles. The Guidelines embody the positions and factors the Investment Adviser generally considers important in casting proxy votes.

The Investment Adviser has retained a third-party proxy voting service (“Proxy Service”), currently Institutional Shareholder Services, to assist in the implementation and administration of certain proxy voting-related functions including, without limitation, operational, recordkeeping and reporting services. The Proxy Service also prepares a written analysis and recommendation (a “Recommendation”) of each proxy vote that reflects the Proxy Service’s application of the Guidelines to particular proxy issues. While it is the Investment Adviser’s policy generally to follow the Guidelines and Recommendations from the Proxy Service, the Investment Adviser’s portfolio management teams (“Portfolio Management Teams”) may on certain proxy votes seek approval to diverge from the Guidelines or a Recommendation by following an “override” process. Such decisions are subject to a review and approval process, including a determination that the decision is not influenced by any conflict of interest. A Portfolio Management Team that receives approval through the override process to cast a proxy vote that diverges from the Guidelines and/or a Recommendation may vote differently than other Portfolio Management Teams that did not seek to override the vote. In forming their views on particular matters, the Portfolio Management Teams are also permitted to consider applicable regional rules and practices, including codes of conduct and other guides, regarding proxy voting, in addition to the Guidelines and Recommendations. The Investment Adviser may hire other service providers to replace or supplement the Proxy Service with respect to any of the services the Investment Adviser currently receives from the Proxy Service.

From time to time, the Investment Adviser may face regulatory, compliance, legal or logistical limits with respect to voting securities that it may purchase or hold for client accounts, which can affect the Investment Adviser’s ability to vote such proxies, as well as the desirability of voting such proxies. Among other limits, federal, state and foreign regulatory restrictions or company specific ownership limits, as well as legal matters related to consolidated groups, may restrict the total percentage of an issuer’s voting securities that the Investment Adviser can hold for clients and the nature of the Investment Adviser’s voting in such securities. The Investment Adviser’s ability to vote proxies may also be affected by, among other things: (i) late receipt of meeting notices; (ii) requirements to vote proxies in person: (iii) restrictions on a foreigner’s ability to exercise votes; (iv) potential difficulties in translating the proxy; (v) requirements to provide local agents with unrestricted powers of attorney to facilitate voting instructions; and (vi) requirements that investors who exercise their voting rights surrender the right to dispose of their holdings for some specified period in proximity to the shareholder meeting.

The Investment Adviser conducts periodic due diligence meetings with the Proxy Service which include, but are not limited to, a review of the Proxy Service’s general organizational structure, new developments with respect to research and technology, work flow improvements and internal due diligence with respect to conflicts of interest.

The Investment Adviser has adopted policies and procedures designed to prevent conflicts of interest from influencing its proxy voting decisions that the Investment Adviser makes on behalf of a client account and to help ensure that such decisions are made in accordance with the Investment Adviser’s fiduciary obligations to its clients. These policies and procedures include the Investment Adviser’s use of the Guidelines and Recommendations from the Proxy Service, the override approval process previously discussed, and the establishment of information barriers between the Investment Adviser and other businesses within The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. Notwithstanding such proxy voting policies and procedures, actual proxy voting decisions of the Investment Adviser may have the effect of benefitting the interests of other clients or businesses of other divisions or units of Goldman Sachs and/or its affiliates, provided that the Investment Adviser believes such voting decisions to be in accordance with its fiduciary obligations.

Voting decisions with respect to fixed income securities and the securities of privately held issuers generally will be made by the Registrant’s managers based on their assessment of the particular transactions or other matters at issue.

Information regarding how the Registrant voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ending June 30, 2020 will be available on or through the Registrant’s website at www.gsamfunds.com and on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

ITEM 8.

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS OF CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES.

Item 8(a)(1)


Name	Title	Length of Time Served	Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years
Kyri Loupis	Managing Director	Since 2014	Mr. Loupis joined the Investment Adviser in 2009 and is a portfolio manager and head of the Energy & Infrastructure team.

Ganesh V. Jois, CFA	Managing Director	Since 2014	Mr. Jois joined the Investment Adviser in 2009 and is a research analyst and portfolio manager for the Energy & Infrastructure Team.

Matthew Cooper	Vice President	Since 2014	Mr. Cooper joined the Investment Adviser in 2013 and is a research analyst and portfolio manager for the Energy & Infrastructure Team.

Item 8(a)(2)

The following tables disclose other accounts within each type of category listed below for which the portfolio managers are jointly and primarily responsible for day to day portfolio management, as of November 30, 2020, unless otherwise noted.


	Number of Other Accounts Managed and Total Assets by Account Type												Number of Accounts and Total Assets for Which Advisory Fee is Performance Based
Name of Portfolio Manager	Registered Investment Companies				Other Pooled Investment Vehicles				Other Accounts				Registered Investment Companies				Other Pooled Investment Vehicles				Other Accounts
Name of Portfolio Manager	Number of Accounts		Assets Managed (mm)		Number of Accounts		Assets Managed (mm)		Number of Accounts		Assets Managed (mm)		Number of Accounts		Assets Managed (mm)		Number of Accounts		Assets Managed (mm)		Number of Accounts		Assets Managed (mm)
Kyri Loupis		6	$	1,714		4	$	123		1178	$	1,354.03		0		0		0		0		0		0
Ganesh V. Jois, CFA		3	$	1,424		3	$	117		1175	$	1,282.03		0		0		0		0		0		0
Matthew Cooper		4	$	1,510		4	$	123		1178	$	1,354.03		0		0		0		0		0		0

Item 8(a)(3) —

Compensation for portfolio managers of the Investment Adviser is comprised of a base salary and discretionary variable compensation. The base salary is fixed from year to year. Year-end discretionary variable compensation is primarily a function of each portfolio manager’s individual performance and his or her contribution to overall team performance; the performance of the Investment Adviser and Goldman Sachs; the team’s net revenues for the past year which in part is derived from advisory fees, and performance based fees for certain accounts, if any; and anticipated compensation levels among competitor firms. Portfolio managers are rewarded, in part, for their delivery of investment performance, measured on a pre-tax basis, which is reasonably expected to meet or exceed the expectations of clients and fund shareholders in terms of: excess return over an applicable benchmark, peer group ranking, risk management and factors specific to certain funds such as yield or regional focus. Performance is judged over 1-, 3- and 5-year time horizons.

For compensation purposes, the benchmark for the Registrant is the Alerian MLP Index Total Return.

The discretionary variable compensation for portfolio managers is also significantly influenced by: (1) effective participation in team research discussions and process; and (2) management of risk in alignment with the targeted risk parameter and investment objective of the Registrant. Other factors may also be considered including: (1) general client/shareholder orientation and (2) teamwork and leadership. Portfolio managers may receive equity-based awards as part of their discretionary variable compensation.

Other Compensation — In addition to base salary and discretionary variable compensation, the Investment Adviser has a number of additional benefits in place including (1) a 401k program that enables employees to direct a percentage of their pretax salary and bonus income into a tax-qualified retirement plan; and (2) investment opportunity programs in which certain professionals may participate subject to certain eligibility requirements.

Item 8(a)(4)

The following table shows the portfolio managers’ ownership of securities in the Fund as of November 30, 2020:


Name of Portfolio Manager		Name of Portfolio Manager
Kyri Loupis		Over $1,000,000
Ganesh V. Jois, CFA		$100,001 - $500,000
Matthew Cooper		$100,001 - $500,000

ITEM 9.

PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANY AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS.

There have been no purchases of equity securities by or on behalf of the Registrant of shares or other units of any registered class of the Registrant’s equity securities.

ITEM 10.

SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS.

There have been no material changes to the procedures by which shareholders may recommend nominees to the registrant’s board of trustees.

ITEM 11.

CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.

(a)

The registrant’s principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions have concluded that the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”)) are effective as of a date within 90 days of the filing of this report that includes the disclosure required by this paragraph, based on the evaluation of these controls and procedures required by Rule 30a-3(b) under the 1940 Act and 15d-15(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

(b)

There were no changes in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the 1940 Act) that occurred during the period covered by this report that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

ITEM 12.

DISCLOSURE OF SECURITIES LENDING ACTIVITIES FOR CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES

The Registrant did not engage in securities lending activities during the fiscal period reported on this Form N-CSR.

ITEM 13.

EXHIBITS.


(a)(1)	The Registrant’s Code of Ethics for Principal Executive and Senior Financial Officers is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 13(a)(1) of the Registrant’s Form N-CSR filed on July, 30, 2020.

(a)(2)	Exhibit 99.CERT	Certifications pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 filed herewith.

(a)(3)	Not applicable.

(a)(4)	There was no change in the registrant’s independent public accountant for the period covered by this report.

(b)	Exhibit 99.906CERT	Certifications pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 filed herewith.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.


				Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund

By:				/s/ James A. McNamara

				James A. McNamara
				President/Chief Executive Officer
				Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund

Date:				February 5, 2021

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.



By:				/s/ James A. McNamara

				James A. McNamara
				President/Chief Executive Officer
				Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund

Date:				February 5, 2021

By:				/s/ Joseph F. DiMaria

				Joseph F. DiMaria
				Principal Financial Officer
				Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund

Date:				February 5, 2021

CERTIFICATIONS

(Section 302)

I, James A. McNamara, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this report on Form N-CSR of the Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund;

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations, changes in net assets, and cash flows (if the financial statements are required to include a statement of cash flows) of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) for the registrant and have:

(a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

(b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

(c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this report based on such evaluation; and

(d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

(a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial information; and

(b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Dated: February 5, 2021

/s/ James A. McNamara

James A. McNamara

President/Chief Executive Officer

CERTIFICATIONS

(Section 302)

I, Joseph F. DiMaria, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this report on Form N-CSR of the Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund;

(b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Dated: February 5, 2021

/s/ Joseph F. DiMaria

Joseph F. DiMaria

Principal Financial Officer

EX-99.906CERT

Certification Under Section 906

of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

James A. McNamara, President/Chief Executive Officer, and Joseph F. DiMaria, Principal Financial Officer of the Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund (the “Registrant”), each certify to the best of his knowledge that:

1.	The Registrant’s periodic report on Form N-CSR for the period ended November 30, 2020 (the “Form N-CSR”) fully complies with the requirements of section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and

2.	The information contained in the Form N-CSR fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Registrant.


President/Chief Executive Officer				Principal Financial Officer

Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund				Goldman Sachs MLP and Energy Renaissance Fund

/s/ James A. McNamara				/s/ Joseph F. DiMaria

James A. McNamara				Joseph F. DiMaria

Date: February 5, 2021				February 5, 2021

This certification is being furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 30a-2(b) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and 18 U.S.C. § 1350 and is not being filed as part of the Form N-CSR with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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Form N-CSR GOLDMAN SACHS MLP & ENER For: Nov 30

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