Developers outline $36M-plus economic package, pledge to protect county tax receipts amid new state law

Representatives for the proposed Pavia (Covia) solar development told the Decatur County Board of Commissioners on July 21 that the project will offer an economic development package worth more than $36 million across two phases and will contractually make up a portion of revenue lost after this year’s state tax changes. The presentation centered on the effect of Senate Enrollment Act 1 (referred to in the meeting as SEA 1), a recent Indiana law that allows accelerated depreciation of equipment and, the presenters said, can reduce the property taxes a county would otherwise collect on large energy projects. Don DeCastro, introduced in the meeting as a project representative, said the developer will “maintain that 30% depreciation” in order to preserve the county’s prior tax expectation even…