How much taxes do wind power facilities pay to communities?
The usual arrangement is arranging “payment in lieu of taxes” (PILOT), so that the wind power company controls what it pays. When they are forced to pay their fair share in taxes, they typically contest it, forcing communities to spend lots of money in legal fees. In many cases if a community does get a “windfall” from the company, the state adjusts its payments so that the financial gain is largely cancelled. In addition, the presence of a wind power facility is likely to drive down the value of surrounding properties, thus causing a loss of tax revenue that cuts into the possible gain.
