WIND SHARES THE WEALTH

Wind farm payouts approach $3 million; Energy developer payouts used to offset local taxes
Colleen Kotke, January 12, 2011 (The Reporter)

"Local municipalities are profiting from the wind. While many residents in Fond du Lac and Dodge counties live nowhere near the turbines dotting the landscape, the revenue stream from the towering towers is helping to offset increases in property taxes.

"Last year, owners of Wisconsin’s four largest wind energy projects paid out nearly $2.8 million in rent to landowners hosting turbines and payments in lieu of property taxes to local governments…Fond du Lac County, which is home to 166 wind turbines, received a revenue payment of $625,000. Dodge County received $296,000 in payments for hosting 85 wind turbines…"

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"Towns and counties do not collect property taxes from wind turbines but instead receive payments based on the generating capacity of each turbine, allocated under a formula adopted by the state Legislature in 2003…[C]ounties retain two-thirds of the [total revenue paid] while townships hosting the turbines receive one-third. Payments to those local governments in Fond du Lac and Dodge counties will reach almost $1.6 million for 2010.

"Wind energy developers negotiate lease agreements with landowners to host turbines on their property. Payments can be as high as $7,000 per turbine each year. Estimated rental payments to all Fond du Lac and Dodge county landowners will total slightly more than $1.2 million for 2010. Property owners hosting the 88 wind turbines in the Blue Sky Green Field wind farm in townships of Marshfield and Calumet divvied up a total of $440,000 paid to them by WeEnergies…{Payments help] keep rising property taxes in check…"

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"Invenergy issued $516,000 in payments last year to Fond du Lac County and the townships…Property owners leasing land for the 86 wind turbines shared $430,000 in income…Both government and landowners in the townships of Eden and Empire received $477,000 from Wisconsin Power & Light…Every little bit of income helps, especially when state shared revenue dollars keep decreasing and municipal costs keep rising…

"Michael Vickerman, executive director of RENEW Wisconsin, said the revenues from the wind farms help support farm families and rural Wisconsin communities…While many neighboring landowners are still unhappy with the presence of the wind turbines… hosting landowner[s] don’t complain…When calculated over a 20-year contract period, total revenue is expected to exceed $60 million…"