Tax on energy firms sought
LITTLE VALLEY — Cattaraugus County lawmakers rallied this week in support of a local law that would pre-empt the state’s automatic property tax exemptions for new wind power plants, solar energy systems and farm methane waste digesters.
The law would position the county’s Industrial Development Agency as the prime negotiator on payments- in-lieu-of-tax e s agreements with several wind farm developers scouting sites for about 200 turbines in the county.
Members of the county Operations and Finance committees meeting Wednesday unanimously approved setting a Sept. 24 public hearing on the law. They also voted to send the law to the County Legislature for a vote, which could take place immediately after the public hearing.
Some county legislators had opposed an earlier version of the proposal that did not specify the types of alternative energy systems that would lose the exemption. Under state tax law, such energy systems are eligible for a 15-year exemption as an incentive for their construction.
The provision is attractive to some homeowners who installed small-scale wind turbines and solar panels, and a limited number of farmers who have turned waste to energy with methane digesters.
But the focus of the law is to create new revenue for the taxing authorities in those communities that are being courted by three wind developers. School districts, villages, towns and the county would be affected, while the host towns are also expected to receive payments.
Noble Environmental Power is considering a wind farm in the towns of Farmersville and Freedom. Horizon Energy is eyeing a project in Yorkshire, Machias and West Valley, and Everpower has approached Allegany and Carrollton about erecting turbines.
Noble is also hoping to construct a 13-mile transmission line through Freedom, Arcade and Yorkshire from its next wind farm project in Centerville and Rushford, called the Noble Allegany Wind Park.
Educational and informational meetings on the issue have been held for municipal officials over the past two years by Southern Tier West Regional Planning and Development Board.
By Kathy Kellogg
Cattaraugus Correspondent
6 September 2008
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Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
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