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Greene County approves PILOT agreement with True Blue Solar 1 LLC; school districts to receive upfront educational contribution
Summary
The Greene County Legislature authorized a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) agreement with True Blue Solar 1 LLC. The agreement includes an upfront educational contribution that removes the school district from the annual pilot schedule, per lawmakers' explanation.
Greene County legislators authorized a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement with True Blue Solar 1 LLC during the Government Operations committee and later in Finance. The agreement sets terms for a solar facility sited near existing county solar fields and includes an educational contribution negotiated with local school districts.
Committee discussion referenced a 2022 local law that set the county’s baseline payment rate for solar at $87.50 per megawatt; the chair noted that the True Blue agreement follows the county’s established framework. The agreement discussed at the meeting differs from some prior PILOTs because school-district representatives negotiated an educational contribution: instead of the district receiving annual pilot payments, the district will receive a one-time contribution equal to most or all of the 15-year payment amount. Meeting remarks referenced a $369,000 figure as the approximate total earmarked for the Carroll Durham School District under the negotiated contribution.
Why it matters: PILOT agreements affect local revenue distribution. The one-time educational contribution removes those funds from the school levy calculation and gives the district near-term revenue but changes the timing of receipts compared with an annual pilot schedule.
Key points from the discussion: - The location of the proposed True Blue Solar 1 project is adjacent to the county’s existing solar site behind county facilities. - County leaders noted the PILOT process and past negotiations dating to 2019–2021, and said the local law setting a baseline rate remains in effect. - School districts were described as negotiating an educational contribution; the chair said the districts negotiated to take a “haircut” on what they would have received as annual pilot payments in exchange for an upfront educational contribution.
Outcome: The legislature approved the PILOT resolution in committee and carried it in the Finance committee. Committee records show the motion seconded and carried with “Aye” votes; no roll-call tally with names was recorded in the transcript.
What’s next: County staff said similarly structured PILOT negotiations are expected for other pending solar proposals and that the county will continue negotiations in upcoming weeks.
