Tax Benefits
Myth: Beech Ridge Energy will not pay a significant amount in taxes to Greenbrier County.
Fact: Based on meetings and discussions with the Greenbrier County Assessor and the West Virginia State Property Tax Division, Beech Ridge Energy expects to pay over $400,000 annually in property taxes to Greenbrier County, making the Beech Ridge Wind Farm one of the top 5 property taxpayers in Greenbrier County. Further, Beech Ridge Energy is prepared to enter into an agreement with Greenbrier County so that if the project's tax bill goes below $400,000 in any year, it will make up the difference through contributions to the Greenbrier County schools system.
In addition to taxes paid to Greenbrier County, Beech Ridge will pay additional taxes to the State of West Virginia totaling another $200,000 annually.
Beech Ridge Energy is not seeking any special tax breaks or any type of preferential financial arrangements from either Greenbrier County or from any state government program. Critics of the project have attempted to confuse this issue by saying only wind energy projects get certain tax breaks. The fact of the matter is many forms of energy generation such as clean coal technology receive Federal tax incentives because the government has determined these forms of energy are for the long-term benefit of our society.
