Mayor Ross Touts Wind Energy

In an interview with Axios, Mayor Ross extols the economic benefits of wind energy to the citizens of Georgetown. 

What he fails to mention is the tax credits the wind energy companies receive from the Federal government, the property tax benefits the companies receive from the local taxing entities, like school districts, where the windmills are located and the marked reduction in quality of life for those living near the windmills.

I am sure the property owners in the counties where the windmills are located just love giving the windmill developers a tax holiday for 20 or 30 years while their property taxes continue to increase.

Once the windmills are built, it takes just a handful of workers to maintain them over their expected life of 20 to 30 years, so there is no significant, sustained economic benefit to the local counties and their residents.

In other words, US taxpayers and local taxpayers where the windmills are located are subsidizing the cost of electricity for the residents of Georgetown. That seems like a immoral position even though it is legal.

A side benefit of the interview is that the Mayor discloses that wind energy costs $18/MegaWatt Hour. This information has not been available to the citizens of Georgetown where the rate charged residents is $93.9/MWHr.