June 13, 2016
New York

Somerset bars tax break for wind power projects

The Buffalo News | June 10, 2016 | www.buffalonews.com

SOMERSET – The Somerset Town Board decided this week to take advantage of a provision in state law that allows local governments to prevent property tax exemptions for wind power projects.

The town is one of the sites proposed for the Apex Clean Energy wind turbine development. The Barker and Lyndonville boards of education and the Town of Yates previously opted out of the tax exemption called for in state law.

However, the measure doesn’t prevent the local governments and school districts from making their own deals with Apex for payments in lieu of taxes. The Virginia-based company has signaled a willingness to make such payments. However, public opinion in both Somerset and Yates, as measured by post-card surveys of property owners last year, is heavily against the project.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2016/06/13/somerset-bars-tax-break-for-wind-power-projects/