Gov. Kathy Hochul just
screwed
North Country towns
out of wind and solar
PILOT funds
Calvin Luther Martin, PhD
May 4, 2023
Sad news out of Albany for Chateaugay, Churubusco, Bellmont, Ellenburg, Altona, and Burke. The wind and solar energy companies with whom you folks arranged PILOT agreements just screwed you through their lobbyists and their shill, Governor Kathy Hochul.
Hochul sneaked a provision into her new budget (2023) that allows the wind and solar companies a lower property tax rate than what they’re currently paying you in PILOT money. (Notice how NYS governors legislate via their budget. It’s called “sleaze.”)
Years ago, people like me warned your town boards that this would likely happen, but of course we were ignored.
This means that Chateaugay and all these other communities that got suckered by the wind & solar companies are not going to be able to count on that PILOT money in their future budgets. This goes for the school districts, as well.
This article explains the matter succinctly.
Here’s a postscript to the bad news, above. This document just now came to my attention. It illustrates why I call the wind and solar companies, bums. That’s the kindest name I could use for these people. (What I would really like to call them is unprintable.)
Read this petition from a man named Robert Wagner in Fremont NY, asking the NYS Dept. of Public Service to cancel his contract with Baron Winds. Yep, folks, this is the human scum you’re dealing with when you encounter wind and solar companies.
3 thoughts on “Gov. Hochul screws wind and solar “host” communities out of PILOT money.”
Keep voting Democrat. It’s insanity, doing something over and over and getting the same results. ANY addict in Malone could tell you that, Calvin, but you elitists don’t listen.
Just an historical note to Monique: the giveaway to the windies began when V-P Dick Cheney met behind close doors with Ken Lay of Enron fame, which owned FPL (Florida Power and Light). At that time, FPL was the USA’s largest wind developer. They devised a plan that would make wind ‘farms’ profitable independent of how much the produced.
Am I remembering this accurately, Calvin?
While there are many reasons to pillory and demonize Dems, to be fair you should spread some of the criticisms to Reps as well.
Editor’s reply: Yep, that’s what happened: Cheney and Ken Lay. You’re right about both parties being sinners!
I am disgusted but of course not surprised about the behavior of Hochul regarding the PILOT program. Those scams were established a long time ago when this wind power nightmare was started, when Obama took office, and now involve every corner of America, https://environmentamerica.org/articles/president-obamas-renewable-energy-legacy/#:~:text=When%20President%20Obama%20took%20office,2500%25%20clip%20to%2031%20GW.
Rural America will serve and suffer for the rich and powerful’s energy-consuming behaviors in the big cities with the blessing of elected officials. You should be proud to have foreseen that, Calvin. Sadly, as in many other states, nobody listened.
Wind power is the gift that keeps giving for entrepreneurs and politicians who serve them and the nightmare that never ends for the rural folks and the activists who figured the whole scam out two decades ago.
Editor’s reply: Thanks, Monique. You have been fighting this crap for many years. Your being from Belgium gives you a European perspective on this. What a horror show!