Reported by Staff

CHEYENNE — A Wyoming legislative committee has killed two bills to tax wind energy development in the Cowboy State.

The wind industry had argued that proposals would increase costs for Wyoming consumers and hurt the state’s wind industry, But Senator John Schiffer, R-Kaycee, co-chairman of the joint committee and a sponsor of one of the bills expressed disappointment with the vote.

Speaking about the wind industry after the vote, Schiffer told reporters that “they’re getting a pass’ they’re not paying their share.”

Schiffer said he hasn’t decided whether he will attempt to sponsor a new bill on his own in the spring legislative session. Any non-budget bill requires a two-thirds vote to be considered.  The state senator noted that wind projects are also exempt from sales taxes until 2011, leaving them only required to pay property taxes.

If it had passed, Schiffer’s bill would have placed 10 percent of the revenues from it into a state wildlife fund to mitigate the effects of development on sage grouse. Wyoming officials continue to be concerned about the effect on energy production if the federal government declares the bird endangered.

Rocky Mountain Power had one of its accountants, Norman Ross, tell the committee that the company would pass along any new taxes to its customers as higher rates. He said the bill would cost RMP approximately  $40 million a year.

Another public policy official told the committee that he supported Schiffer’s bill. Joe Evans of the Wyoming County Commissioners Association said county governments regularly provide services on which they don’t receive compensation, including emergency services and road construction.