This bill relates to water projects, authorizing the Lake DeSmet reservoir project to include municipal water supply, describing and specifying terms and conditions of funding for the project, and provides for an appropriation.

This bill relates to property tax, provides for an exemption for wind generation equipment sold and stored in Wyoming. 

WAM ACTION: 2/16/18

In committee, this bill brought up questions of current S/U tax and property tax for wind equipment.  DOR explained that there are current exemptions for 'in-transit' and if inventory-held.  WAM did not testify but is monitoring the bill and will bring to LLC for position. 

WAM ACTION: 2/19/18 

Continued discussion with the DOR clarifying that the use tax on the wind equipment would be paid in the county where storage is and not necessarily the county where the project is planned.  Once the project is active, then the property tax on the wind farm would go to the county where the project is.  WCCA testified that county taxes already down so on one hand difficult to accept another exemption but Pete relayed that to get behind this to incentivize wind development.  Pete warns that all other companies will be next in line asking for exemption for their storage facilities so asked to proceed with caution so as not to further erode local government revenue source.  Amendment to clarify that only wind companies that pay taxes in full of county where the storage will be used or stored.   Bill passed 5-4 as amended.

 This bill relates to industrial siting, expands the jurisdiction of the industrial siting council over wind energy facilities, provides for hearings to require permitting of wind energy facilities that do not meet existing thresholds, and provides authority for fees and rule making.

This bill relates to water development projects and includes authorization for specific level I and II studies, provides appropriations, authorizes unobligated funds to be used for other projects and includes municipal projects.

WAM ACTION: 3/1/18

Municipal planning projects for Laramie, Sheridan, Cheyenne, Saratoga, Glendo, and Lander.  Other multiple county projects that will impact municipality water supply are in the bill.  Rep Gray reiterated that the entire WWD funds should be holistically evaluated in an interim session.  Bill passed unanimously.