Airtricity Project in Madison County

COUNTY WON'T SEEK CUT OF WIND FUNDS:

Madison County Chairman of the Board of Supervisors Rocky DiVeronica chose tow [sic] bow to the will of his fellow supervisors and vote against the county taking a share of the payment in lieu of taxes revenue expected from the latest wind farm endeavor.

"I went with the direction of the board; I usually do," he said.

He had previously been an advocate for the county getting involved because he wanted to put the revenue toward the upcoming communication tower project.

A company called Airtricity has been working on an agreement with the Towns of Stockbridge, Eaton and Madison. The company has agreed to pay $8,000 per megawatt of electrical power as a PILOT to the participating towns and schools.

The resolution put to the board of supervisors would have given the county $500 per megawatt and a percentage of the consumer price index, or inflation over the first 15 years of the project.

The participating schools and towns were to split the remaining $7,500 per megawatt.

State law exempts wind power companies from paying property taxes for the first 15 years of operation but also allows for taxing jurisdictions to request a PILOT during that time.

The county could have received $245,214 over the 15 year term of the PILOT.

An amendment presented by Eaton Supervisor David Puddington brought the amount the county would receive to zero.

And Nelson Supervisor Richard Williams added an amendment so that in signing the agreement with Airtricity the county would relinquish its share to the other Madison County jurisdictions on the agreement.

"The lion's share of the impact is to the immediate area, not only the participating landowners, but the neighboring landowners throughout the town," said Lincoln Supervisor Doug Holdridge. "And the town staff itself as they provided services to support the project during construction and long-term operation."
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Proponents of the county receiving a share noted the "parochialism" on the part of those town supervisors who did not want the county involved.

"I think wind energy is the wave of the future-any revenue generated should go to everyone," said Oneida Supervisor Michel DeBottis. "To say we shouldn't get a piece of that to save parochial interests-this is really the crumbs at the table, we should take what we can get."

From the beginning those opposed to the county receiving a share of the PILOT have said that a policy needed to be enacted before the county tried to get involved in any wind farm projects.