Invenergy S.B. 441 –Implications for Wind Energy West Virginia Wind Working Group – September 18, 2007
Invenergy 2 Senate Bill 441: Background May 2001 Legislation B&O Taxes Set “capacity factor” for wind at 5% Property Taxes In West Virginia, pollution control equipment is taxed at salvage value – 5% of appraised value. Classified wind turbines and towers as pollution control equipment. Resulted in most of a wind project being valued at “salvage value” 2006 Sessions Governor’s Tax Modernization Project
Invenergy 3 Business & Occupation Taxes Applies to Industries Regulated by PSC Based on nameplate capacity Base rate of $22.78 per kilowatt Note: $20.70 rate for coal plants using desulfurization technology Adjusted by legislated “capacity factor” FuelOld CFNew CF Coal 40%40% Wind 5%12% Peaker5%5%
Invenergy 4 Governor’s Original B&O Tax Proposal Raise B&O Taxable Capacity Factor for wind (and only wind) to 20% Four times the effective B&O tax burden $170,000 in additional taxes per 100 MW Would have resulted in wind paying 50% more per MWh produced than coal-fired electricity and 300% more per MWh than gas-peaker fired electricity.
Invenergy 5 B&O Taxes under Senate Bill 441
Invenergy 6 B&O Taxes under Senate Bill 441
Invenergy 7 Property Tax (Old System) Pollution Control /Salvage Value (as % of Capital Cost) Coal = 33% Wind = 85% Appraised Value (as % of Capital Cost) Coal = 69% Wind = 19% Assessed Value (60% of Appraised Value) Coal = 41% Wind = 12% Property Tax Burden (per MWh generated) Coal = $1.96 Wind = $1.65
Invenergy 8 Governor’s Property Tax Proposal Eliminate classification of wind turbines as pollution control equipment Raises property tax burden to more than five times then current payments Increases annual property tax burden approximately $2,000,000 per 100 MW (20-year average) Results in wind paying 50% more than coal per dollar of capital cost 400% of what coal pays per MWh produced
Invenergy 9 Gov’s Proposal Would Have Made WV Uncompetitive with Neighboring States
Invenergy 10 Property Taxes Under S.B. 441 Capped percentage of wind facility assigned salvage value at 79% Impact varies depending on percent of facility costs originally eligible for salvage valuation Should result in wind paying more property taxes per MWh than coal
Invenergy 11 Property Taxes Under S.B. 441
Invenergy 12 Property Taxes Under S.B. 441