I’m sure some of you remember when NRG came to town?
The seventh largest energy producer in the world bought the Niagara Mohawk electricity generation facility in Dunkirk in 1999.

NRG applied for and received a PILOT agreement in spite of the fact that their records showed in the 3rd quarter of 2000 their revenues went up to $1.47 billion, from $283.6 million. Their profits were only a measly 25%. Clearly, NRG needed some tax relief from the Dunkirk school district.
NRG’s 10-year tax abatement agreement resulted in a substantial loss of tax revenue to the county because Niagara Mohawk had been the largest taxpayer in the county. The loss of tax revenue to the town of Dunkirk was 40%.

NRG went on to receive another ten year PILOT. And now twenty years later, they have closed. How much in taxes based on real value have they paid?

The point? Beware of large outside corporations seeking tax breaks.

According to the NYISO Power Trends document there are 600 wind turbines slated for this area. The easy money these large, outside corporations can gravy into their bottom line is a PILOT.

If big wind is so profitable then they should be able to pay their fair share.
Both Oswego County and Jefferson County have declined to allow PILOT agreements for BIG WIND

The Oswego legislature transcript states, ” WHEREAS, wind energy projects, regardless of their capital investment, produce few permanent jobs for the local economy beyond their construction phase; result in little secondary expenditure in the local economy; do not produce a multiplier effect in the regional economy, and might well have a net negative effect on the economy of a host community.”

An Oswego legislator went on to describe the many subsidies at the state and federal level that already bring wind companies’ revenue up to ap. 75%. Our county has better use for its resources.