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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. David Kessler |
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House passes Kessler bill that would help farmers, boost wind power systems
HARRISBURG, June 23 – State Rep. David Kessler won unanimous House approval today for a bill he introduced to help farmers and encourage the development of the wind power industry in Pennsylvania.
"This bill would benefit all Pennsylvanians by helping to advance job creation and clean, affordable energy across the state through wind power and preserving farmland," Kessler said.
"My legislation would prevent drastic rollback taxes on entire farms where the owners merely want to offer part of their land for this vital clean-energy resource. Instead, rollback taxes would apply only to the portion of land leased for the wind power generation system, and the remainder of the tract would remain eligible for preferential assessment. Without this change, farmers will be deterred from participating in alternative energy projects."
The legislation would modify Clean and Green, a state program that encourages land preservation by providing lower tax assessments on land that is used only for agricultural use or is preserved as open space or forest land. Under current law, a landowner who decides to convert any portion of land enrolled in Clean and Green to some other use must pay rollback taxes on the entire tract of land.
Kessler's bill (H.B. 984) would allow properties enrolled in the Clean and Green program to be leased for wind power generation systems, provided the leased land is accessible and not sold or subdivided.
Majority Caucus Secretary Jennifer Mann, D-Lehigh, said, "Representative Kessler’s bill will remove some of the roadblocks to developing wind power as an alternative energy source in the Commonwealth."
The bill now goes to the state Senate.