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One of the thorny issues surrounding wind power in the State of Michigan is the ability of producers to dramatically reduce their property taxes after installation. Circle Power is taking the issue off the table for its proposed project in Adams Township. Vice President Chris Moore says his company is happy to address other sticking points as well.
Circle Power has created a payment structure that will guarantee $15.9 in tax revenue, which it says benefits Adams Township, the local and Copper Country Intermediate School Districts, and Houghton County.
Lawsuits are currently pending from Sigel and Bloomfield Townships, both in the Thumb region, over a tax tribunal decision that ruled the municipalities actually owed utility companies like DTE Energy over $1 million related to levies initially assessed for the years 2016-2021. The issue is now before the Michigan Court of Appeals. Eighteen other wind parks in Huron County alone are asking for similar refunds, with the potential exposure to local governments in excess of $20 million.
The full release from Circle Power is available here.
