County To Consider Tax Breaks For Latest Solar Projects
by: GREGORY BACON – gbacon@observertoday.com
A proposed solar project in Sherman that is going on public property is now being considered for tax breaks.
During a meeting of the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency, board members started the process to give a payment in lieu of taxes agreement to Solar Liberty Sherman LLC and Solar Liberty Sherman II LLC, which is proposing two solar projects next to each other in Sherman, one of which will cross the village/town line.
The two solar projects combined are 9.625 megawatts and are proposed for 176 and 191 W. Main St. They will be constructed on 34 acres of land. According to Rosie Strandburg with the county IDA, 17% of the projects are located in the village of Sherman and the remaining 83% will be placed in the town.
The project has local support.
“We did speak with both the village mayor and the town supervisor and they are both in favor of the project,” Strandburg said.
The first solar project is expected to cost $6.3 million, while the second one is expected to cost $7.1 million to construct.
Nathan Rizzo with Solar Liberty discussed the proposal. He said they plan on installing an access road.
The project will have 24,000 solar modules. The wiring will be behind the array. An 8 foot agricultural fence has been approved by local officials as well. Visual screening will be installed if requested by the village.
For a decommissioning bond, Rizzo said there is a bond today for $319,000. That amount will go up the longer the solar project exists. After 30 years, the decommissioning bond will be $638,000.
Rich Dixon with the county IDA said what’s different about this project is that the land that the project will be located on is actually owned by the village. “Not only will the revenues from the host agreement and the PILOT go to the taxing jurisdiction, the revenue from leasing the property will go to the taxing jurisdiction,” he said.
No final decisions have been made regarding any tax breaks for the solar projects.
Last month county IDA Director Mark Geise noted that they were “pumping the brakes” on accepting new solar project applications for Payment In Lieu Of Taxes agreements. He said this application has been discussed long before his announcement last month. “We’re not just opening things back up here; this has been in the works for over a year,” he said.
Link to article: County To Consider Tax Breaks For Latest Solar Projects | News, Sports, Jobs – Post Journal (post-journal.com)
