IDA stands behind $20,000 for solar PILOTs

2/24/2021

By Patsy Nicosia

The Schoharie County IDA stood with and behind supervisors Friday, establishing a minimum of $20,000 per-megawatt for solar PILOTs.
The policy is still subject to public hearings before it’s adopted—likely in mid-April.
It also sets a maximum of 20 years for the solar tax breaks and includes a three percent escalation fee along with the standard PILOT “steps.”
NYSERDA—the state’s energy agency—has priced solar PILOTS at $3,500 per-megawatt.
But Don Airey, chair of supervisors’ year-old Energy Committee, has argued that doesn’t come close to what solar developers should and are willing to pay.
The IDA considered two options Friday; the other would have left PILOT negotiations to municipalities.
Individual towns and villages are still free to negotiation—for more—Mr. Airey said, but without help from the IDA, would-be developers will just divide and conquer.
“The whole idea of a fixed per-megawatt minimum extracts towns from negotiations and shows solidarity,” Mr. Airey said, and at a closed executive session before the IDA meeting, supervisors voted unanimously—again—in support of the $20,000 minimum.
Yes, it puts Schoharie County on the cutting-edge of minimum solar PILOTs, Mr. Airey said, but it’s OK to be a leader.
“We know no other county is talking $20,000 per-megawatt, but we know some are talking $15,000,” he said.
“We understand we’re being proactive and safeguarding our taxpayers. I can’t tell you of a single project that’s been invited in. They’re coming here because they want what we’ve got. And I’ll tell you, there are some supervisors who think we should be getting more.”
Backing up the $20,000 minimum is an independent appraisal of the 50-megawatt NextEra project in the Town of Sharon.
Supervisors paid for the appraisal after NextEra refused to provide the information needed to calculate the project’s tax assessment, Mr. Airey said.
“The amount of revenue that they’re going to realize…$20,000 is not a hardship,” he said—and even the $20,000 figure is close to an 80-90 percent tax break for solar developers.
“It’s not a great deal for taxpayers,” Mr. Airey said, “but it’s less of a bad deal.”