Downstate wind farm is providing tax relief

For people who think wind farms do not benefit their host communities:

The High Sheldon Wind project is located in the Finger Lakes region in Wyoming County. Sheldon Energy, a subsidiary of Invenergy, was the developer for that wind project. The project's Final Environmental Impact Statement is available online. From the 139-page document, these details emerge about the project's payment in lieu of taxes:

"Property taxes will be paid to the fire districts from day one of the project. At the conclusion of the payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) agreement, taxes will also be paid to the town, county and school districts. Under the Host Community Agreement, payments will be made to the town, county and school districts. As Sheldon Energy has repeatedly stated, these revenues from Sheldon Energy could be used by the town to pay for its normal expenditures, reducing the amount of money that must be collected in property taxes to meet the annual town budget. The final determination on how to use these new revenues is in the hands of the elected officials, not Sheldon Energy."

Sheldon Energy is proposing to pay the town approximately $800,000 per year. This is 30 percent more than the town's total property tax levy for 2006 of $617,545."

According to Strykersville Town Supervisor John Knab, the town board was the lead agency for the project. The town got 80 percent of the wind revenue, equaling $6,694 per megawatt. And the remaining 20 percent was shared among the school, town and county broken down into 25 percent to town, 30 percent to county, and 45 percent to school. Wyoming County has three other wind projects. The town will be getting $800,016 of wind revenue into their 2010 town budget.

This project is not in an Empire Zone. And the Jefferson County Industrial Development Agency is proposing a PILOT with a payment per megawatt that exceeds the High Sheldon Wind project's payment per megawatt. A wind farm PILOT would provide much-needed funding to our school district and the county's hospitals. And, of course, it would provide much-needed tax relief for Cape Vincent property owners and local businesses.

Frank Giaquinto

Cape Vincent