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Who owns the wind? We do, Wyoming says, and it's taxing those who use it
Los Angeles Times ^ | 14 August 2016 | William Yardley

Posted on 08/15/2016 10:32:33 AM PDT by Lorianne

ot long after it became clear that the robust winds that blow down from the Rocky Mountains and across the sea of sagebrush here could produce plenty of profit in a world that wants more renewable energy, some of the more expansive minds in the Wyoming Legislature began entertaining a lofty question:

Who owns all of that wind?

They concluded, quickly and conveniently, that Wyoming did.

Then, with great efficiency for a conservative state not traditionally tilted toward burdening the energy industry, they did something no other state has done, before or since: They taxed it.

(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; US: Wyoming
KEYWORDS: energy; taxandspend
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To: ClearCase_guy

Taxing rainwater is very common, especially in urban areas. Its usually termed a ‘storm sewer fee’ or something like that. I’d say around 90 percent of the people who pay this have no idea...its usually an add on to the water bill.


21 posted on 08/15/2016 10:47:47 AM PDT by lacrew
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To: Lorianne

Agenda 21?


22 posted on 08/15/2016 10:50:30 AM PDT by bronxville (Margaret Sanger - �We do not want word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro populati)
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To: Talisker

How much has it cost taxpayers in other states to clean up after the wind companies go belly up and leave a mess.


23 posted on 08/15/2016 10:50:52 AM PDT by fudimo
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To: Talisker
The bureaucratic mind is the mind of a locust.

THAT sez it all. Nice job.

24 posted on 08/15/2016 10:51:57 AM PDT by HangUpNow
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To: ClearCase_guy

That was in Colorado.


25 posted on 08/15/2016 10:52:33 AM PDT by Lorianne
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To: KC_Lion

Part of this is people around here really don’t want to look at miles and miles of ugly ass 500 foot tall windmills.


26 posted on 08/15/2016 10:53:08 AM PDT by MeganC (JE SUIS CHARLES MARTEL!!!)
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To: Lorianne

Wyoming - where men are men and the sheep are nervous.


27 posted on 08/15/2016 10:54:38 AM PDT by dainbramaged (Get out of my country now)
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To: Mouton
By then we will all have our breathe meters on us...

Yup. AND taxed accordingly (but ONLY America and the European West...and Whitey.)

Orwell's 1984 seems almost quaint at this juncture.

28 posted on 08/15/2016 10:54:48 AM PDT by HangUpNow
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To: Lorianne

Always finding new ways to raise revenue.

Never finding a way to cut spending.


29 posted on 08/15/2016 10:58:40 AM PDT by fruser1
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To: Lorianne
Tilting at windmills. Literally. No one ever asks what happens when we take all that energy out of the moving air. When will environmentalists find a thre striped toad the relies on wind that is captured by those monstrosities?

30 posted on 08/15/2016 10:58:55 AM PDT by Organic Panic (Hillary Clinton, the elderly white woman's version of "I dindu nuffins.")
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To: Talisker

Yes it does. I just got a $100 assessment for “leaf recycling”. 10% property tax increase for leaves. Michigan.


31 posted on 08/15/2016 11:04:00 AM PDT by Hornet22
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To: ClearCase_guy

The City of Edmonton has a “drainage fee” included in the water and sewerage bill every property owner pays monthly


32 posted on 08/15/2016 11:05:19 AM PDT by Don W ( When blacks riot, neighborhoods and cities burn. When whites riot, nations and continents burn.)
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To: Lorianne

Well, some states claim that they own the rain water that comes down on your roof; this is only a logical extension.

By the way, do they also own the air you breathe?


33 posted on 08/15/2016 11:05:49 AM PDT by Ancesthntr ("The right to buy weapons the right to be free." A. E. van Vogt)
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To: Lorianne

Won’t stand


34 posted on 08/15/2016 11:08:38 AM PDT by bigbob (The Hillary indictment will have to come from us.)
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To: Maceman

“If states “own the wind” and therefore can tax it, does that mean that Kansas, for example, owns the tornadoes that plague that state, and thus can be sued for damages?

I don’t think so.”


I agree.

But if I lived in Wyoming, and those b@stards taxed my wind energy (for private use), then I’d sue the state when a blizzard buried my home, caused damage on my property, etc. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.

OTOH, I can sympathize with Wyoming. They are dying because of environmental restrictions jammed down everyone’s throat because of the envirofreaks in California; now this wind energy is going to destroy the state’s beautiful scenery and create few jobs, all to power CA’s electrical needs. So this is how they strike back. Here there are no winners, but the losing started because of the environmentalists.


35 posted on 08/15/2016 11:13:15 AM PDT by Ancesthntr ("The right to buy weapons the right to be free." A. E. van Vogt)
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To: fruser1

So how much does your state take from your income for taxes?

My state is 0%

How much does your state charge you in sales tax?

My state is 4%.

My state pays the bills by charging royalties on forms of energy. Coal, Oil, Gas and now wind and believe it or not we tax your kitty litter through our resource tax.

Thank you for your support.


36 posted on 08/15/2016 11:14:30 AM PDT by fudimo
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To: Lorianne

If DC started taxing the wind that comes out of that district while they are in session, the Fed’s would reap a windfall.


37 posted on 08/15/2016 11:15:01 AM PDT by Bubba Gump Shrimp (A Liberal is someone who cannot accept that there is a Law of Unintended Consequences)
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To: Lorianne
“We expected the Obama Administration to wage war on coal and oil as they promised,” [Ray Peterson] wrote. “What is most alarming, and completely unexpected, is realizing Wyoming state officials are willing to threaten killing the creation of new business, much needed jobs, a generous amount of tax revenue and diversification of our state’s energy dependent economy to wage war on renewable energy sources.”

Obama raised taxes on coal so wind could be more competitive, but now wind cries foul when their taxes are also raised.

38 posted on 08/15/2016 11:15:26 AM PDT by Yo-Yo (Is the /sarc tag really necessary?)
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To: Lorianne

Wrong. The collectivity does not own the wind.


39 posted on 08/15/2016 11:19:45 AM PDT by I want the USA back (Jihadi-hating CRUSADER. Like it or STFU.)
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To: Lorianne

Bogus story. Wyoming doesn’t tax the wind, it taxes the power generated by the turbines. This story was planted by a California company that wants to generate power in Wyoming and ship it to California, but doesn’t want to pay the tax.


40 posted on 08/15/2016 11:22:37 AM PDT by colorado tanker
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