The Senate Committee on Energy, Industry and Mining has postponed making a decision on whether or not to approve of a bill that would repeal tax credits for wind power projects in the state.
The bill, SB 16, would eliminate a section of the Code that was added in 2001.
The fiscal note for the bill states that the elimination of this section would be of no cost to the state government and would include an annual increase of $8 million annually in revenue, starting in fiscal year 2019.
Some senators raised concerns toward the constitutionality of the bill, since they believed the bill could violate the protection of private property by eliminating a tax credit those properties might rely on.
Staff counsel said the bill would most likely not violate the state constitution, since a tax credit would affect the money of an individual, not the property directly.
Judy Rodd of Friends of Blackwater spoke in support of the bill. She said the wind power projects around the state have brought certain liabilities to the surrounding communities.
Specifically, Rodd said many people have confronted wind power companies about the noise produced by the wind turbines, the decline in property value they can cause, and the danger they pose to birds in the state.
Rodd also mentioned that eliminating the tax credit could help with the budget gap by giving the state $8 million more annually.
“This would be a good place to look,” Rodd said.
Bruce Burcat spoke on behalf of the Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Coalition in opposition to the bill and said it would be “a significant detriment to [wind power] industry in West Virginia.”
Burcat said the wind turbines have affected the state in a positive way to create clean energy solutions and provide jobs. He said repealing the tax credit would create a poor business environment for companies wishing to bring wind power projects to the state.
Currently, Burcat said states such as Ohio and Pennsylvania offer “favorable” tax credits for wind power projects.
The committee also moved consideration of bills SB 42 and SB 43 to the next meeting.
