loader image

Always Local. Always Free. | Olean NY Local News.

UPDATE: Hearings on IDA tax breaks for Alle-Catt Wind Farm put off until January

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

By RICK MILLER

Olean Star

ELLICOTTVILLE — Hearings on a request for tax breaks for the proposed 340 megawatt Alle-Catt Wind Farm have been put off until early next year.

The Cattaraugus County Industrial Development Agency announced Thursday its December meeting set for Tuesday would be canceled.

That’s when the IDA had been expected to act on a request from the Cattaraugus County Legislature to schedule a hearing on a request from Alle-Catt Wind Energy for tax abatement  on its proposed $618 million wind farm in Cattaraugus, Allegany and Wyoming counties.

The IDA told county lawmakers it would need a request to hold a public hearing on the Alle-Catt requests for sales tax, mortgage recording tax and a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) agreement.

It was six years ago that the county legislature voted unanimously to ask the IDA not to approve any large wind projects over 5 megawatts. The resolution read, in part: “The Cattaraugus County Legislature hereby requests the Cattaraugus County Industrial Development Agency not approve PILOT agreements of any kind for large wind energy projects with a rated capacity of 5 megawatts or greater.”

Sponsors include all District 2 legislators: Michael Brisky, Ginger Schroder, Joseph Boberg and Richard Helmich. Schroder, who is also a member of the IDA board, is a staunch opponent of the wind farm.

An attorney for Hodgson Russ submitted the proposed PILOT to County Legislature Chairman Andrew Burr for his review on June 18 at the request of IDA executive director Corey Wiktor because it was a wind project. County Attorney Ashley Smith directed Wiktor to process the application on June 20. 

After reviewing the application, Burr indicated to attorney Brandon Cottrell of HodgsonRuss on June 20 that he may work with the IDA for the application process.

This came after much lobbying by the towns of Farmersville and Freedom, where officials complained they stood to lose millions of dollars in community host fees, which they negotiated with Alle-Catt, if the IDA did not agree to a PILOT with the company.

An Alle-Catt spokesman told the IDA if there was no PILOT, the project would not proceed in Cattaraugus County. The turbines scheduled for Farmersville and Freedom would be shifted to other locations in Allegany and Wyoming counties.

The Cattaraugus County towns told county legislators they were afraid that Alle-Catt would turn to New York state for financing to build the wind farm and cut them out of their host community agreements because they were tied to a PILOT.

Legislator Schroder, of Farmersville, told the Olean Star that the resolution county legislators approved unanimously in November does not violate the 2018 resolution which asks the IDA not to approve large wind farms. This is three public hearings in Farmersville, Freedom and Yorkshire (site of a switching area).

Schroder is encouraging residents of the two towns who will be negatively affected by the turbines’ noise, flicker and infrasound to speak at the public hearings, not just those who will benefit from wind and other Alle-Catt leases.

Earlier this month, IDA Director Corey Wiktor indicated that IDA would not go forward with tax benefits for the Alle-Catt Wind project without a green light from the Legislature.

“They must give us the green light before anything,” Wiktor said. The next step is to gather data and bring it back to the board, added.

Recommended For You

Denis A. Songin

Denis A. Songin

March 29, 1936- January 16, 2025 Denis A. Songin, 88, of Randolph, passed away Thursday, (January 16, 2025) at UPMC Chautauqua Hospital

Maureen Kay Courtney Mayer

Maureen  Kay (Courtney) Mayer

June 3, 1958 – January 17, 2025 Maureen  Kay (Courtney) Mayer, 66, formerly of the Gerry-Levant Road, Falconer, passed away January 17,