Commissioners probe revenue risks of House Bill 1960, which would change wind-project taxation

County finance staff (speaker 12) briefed the Columbia County Board of Commissioners on House Bill 1960, a proposed change to how wind energy projects are taxed that would move new projects off conventional property-tax assessment and onto a nameplate-capacity excise schedule.

Staff explained the bill’s mechanics and potential local impact, saying the measure as amended would "lock in these rates for the life of the project," a change that could reduce long-term property-tax receipts for some tax-code areas. Staff noted that previous analyses showed a major project once represented as much as 20% of total tax collections in select tax-code areas and cautioned that the excise calculation and repowering definition are not yet fully defined.

Commissioners asked whether excise proceeds would flow into the county’s current-expense fund or be allocated differently among taxing districts. Staff repeatedly said that distribution and Department of Revenue calculations remain uncertain under the bill’s current language and that a recent amendment sought to lessen Department of Revenue’s role in some calculations.

Several commissioners expressed concern about the long-term revenue implications if large wind projects are assessed under a nameplate capacity formula rather than depreciating personal-property schedules. Staff recommended continued monitoring and further county-to-county coordination or a formal comment letter to legislators to clarify distribution and repowering standards before the bill advances.

What comes next: staff suggested following legislative amendments closely, compiling local data on affected tax-code areas, and coordinating with neighboring counties on a unified response or request for clarifying language.