WRFA-LP 107.9 FM

A listener supported, non-commercial, low power FM radio station in Jamestown, NY.

  • Home
  • News
    • Local News
    • WRFA Election Coverage 2020
    • Local Arts and Entertainment
    • Station News and Events
    • Audio Posts
    • Video
  • Listen
  • Programming Guide
    • Local Programs
    • Arts and Entertainment
    • Children’s Programming
    • Cultural Programming
    • Educational Programming
    • Environmental Programming
    • Music Program
    • News and Information
    • Public Affairs
  • Local Shows
    • Arts on Fire
    • The Back Room Radio Hour with Bill Ward
    • Chautauqua Lectures
    • Chautauqua Sunrise with Doc Hamels
    • Community Matters
    • Da Platform
    • Da Unwind
    • Fringie Glitter Buckle Boots
    • The Latin Inspiration
    • Modern Jazz
    • Local Rush Hour
    • No Offense
    • Nobody’s Watching This NFL Podcast
    • The Power Chord Hour
    • Remembering Rock n Roll
    • Rolling Hills Radio
    • Small Things Considered
    • The Swedish Hour
    • Third Street Garage
  • Audio Vault
  • About
  • Donate
  • Contact
You are here: Home / News / Local News / Legislature Unanimously Approves Request for No More Tax Breaks to Large Scale Wind Energy Projects

Legislature Unanimously Approves Request for No More Tax Breaks to Large Scale Wind Energy Projects

March 29, 2018 By WRFA Leave a Comment

The Chautauqua County Legislature during its March 28, 2018 meeting.

MAYVILLE – The Chautauqua County Legislature doesn’t want to see any more tax breaks given to large-scale wind energy projects in the county.

During last night’s voting session, the legislature unanimously approved, by a vote of 17 to 0, a resolution requesting that the county Industrial Development Agency not approve further tax agreements for wind energy projects that produce more than 5 megawatts of power.

County Executive George Borrello, who’s made it no secret that he is opposed to wind farming and who had served on the IDA while a member of the county legislature, said he’s glad to see the resolution pass because he feels its a major mistake that communities allow major wind projects to move forward.

“We are still suffering in Western New York and in Chautauqua County from the mistakes that were made from the urban renewal projects of the 60s and 70s and we are now spending billions of dollars and dedicating huge resources to trying to reverse what the urban renewal projects did in the name of the greater good,” Borrello said. “We found out that they were probably one of the biggest [economic development] mistakes of the 20th century and I believe these wind turbines are the same thing. These are the urban renewal mistake of the 21st century. We were being told this is for the greater good and ultimately we are going to have to deal with the hopefully not irreparable damage that they are causing to our landscape, the environment, to property values, and to human health.”

Residents from northern Chautauqua County voice there concerns over a wind power project in the north county, explaining that it is one of dozens either already approved or being proposed throughout upstate New York.

Borrello adds that the IDA is technically an entity of the state and separate from the county, which is why the resolution was only a recommendation and not actual policy.

“One thing we have to remember is that the IDA is not a county entity. It is a separate entity – even though it is the ‘Chautauqua County’ IDA, it is technically a state agency. We have the power to appoint people to the board and we appoint the director, but we do not have the ability to mandate policy,” Borrello said, adding, “That being said, this body is certainly sending this recommendation and I fully expect the IDA board to follow that recommendation. Certainly because this legislature appoints the board, I would imagine they would respect the opinion of our county legislature, especially sending the unanimous message that we do not want to offer PILOT agreements to any project over 5 MW.”

At the end of the meeting, several residents from the Town of Arkwright spoke to the legislature thanking them for passing the recommendation, but also voiced their concern and frustration with the current wind farm that is being constructed in that area. According to several residents, the project is resulting in the deterioration of several rural roadways, to the point that they’ve become impassable for most vehicles.

The project – known as Cassadaga Wind LLC – is located in the towns of Arkwright, Cherry Creek, Stockton, and Charlotte and received major tax breaks from the IDA earlier this year. Once built, the wind farm will include as many as 58 wind turbines, with a maximum height of 500 feet and which would have a maximum generating capacity of 126 megawatts (MW).

Under terms of the PILOT plan approved by the county IDA in January, Cassadaga Wind LLC would not have to pay any property taxes, but would make an annual payment of $4,000 for each megawatt produced, on average, over the course of any tax year. If full capacity was achieved, the first year PILOT payment would be $504,000 and would be split up between the affected taxing jurisdictions. An annual escalator was also included.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: Local News Tagged With: Cassadaga Wind LLC, Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency, Chautauqua County Legislature, George Borrello

Donate to WRFA and help support Community Radio in Jamestown, NY.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Licensed by Reg Lenna Center for the Arts

Reg Lenna

Sign Up for Our E-Newsletter

Join Now

On Air Now


NYSCA

Stream WRFA
Donate to WRFA

Recently Played Songs

Tweets by @WRFASpins
Donate to WRFA

Recent News

  • County Reports 122 New COVID Cases for Thursday, Jan. 15
  • County Health Department Reports One New Death, 105 New Cases for Wednesday, Jan. 13
  • [LISTEN] Community Matters – Sen. George Borrello: Jan. 14, 2021
WRFA LP 107.9 FM is licensed by the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts in Jamestown, NY.

Most Popular Tags

Jamestown Police Department Andrew Cuomo Jamestown City Council Tom Reed Sam Teresi Chautauqua County Sheriffs Office Chautauqua County Legislature Jamestown Public Schools COVID-19 Community Matters

[footer_backtotop]

Copyright © 2021 WRFA Jamestown NY

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.