Lewis County County Manager Tim Hunt and several county legislators said in their April meeting that a New York Power Authority plan to own large renewable-energy projects could remove those projects from local tax rolls and deprive the county and its towns of revenue.

Hunt said Lewis County staff learned a NYPA strategic plan (dated Jan. 28, 2025) identifies a proposed 1,200-acre utility-scale solar project in the town of Krogan as a candidate for NYPA ownership. "The problem with NYPA owning solar and wind projects is it takes it off the tax rolls because it's a state agency," Hunt said. He added his office had met with NYPA and the governor's office and that NYSAC and other counties share the concern.

The county's concern centers on local pilot and payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) agreements that the county and its municipalities now receive from private renewable projects. "If we allow this to happen, it's gonna take the pilot program right out of the picture," Legislator Tom Kalmus said. He cited Maple Ridge Wind Farm as an example, saying it pays "about $4,000,000 a year" in pilot payments split among the county, towns and villages.

Both Hunt and Kalmus described steps they have taken so far: meetings with NYPA, contact with the governor's office, and outreach to county associations. Hunt said NYPA has already taken over a solar project in Washington County and that the NYPA plan discusses owning or co-owning projects and reducing local tax disincentives for developers.

Legislators also flagged related policy moves: bills in the state legislature to move energy storage projects into the Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) process and proposed sales-tax exemptions for storage, both of which could further limit local control and revenue. "We think this is a huge end run around home rule," Hunt said.

Legislator Tom Kalmus asked staff and the finance and rules committee to draft a formal resolution opposing NYPA ownership of projects and to coordinate with other counties and towns. No formal vote or county resolution was recorded at the meeting; the request was recorded as direction to staff and legislators to prepare a resolution and gather support.

The item drew sustained discussion from multiple legislators and the county manager; Hunt characterized the matter as ongoing and said staff are still gathering facts about which projects NYPA intends to acquire and the potential timing.