Richard Moody is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the Greenport Town Board Wed., Aug. 2, adopted a new law that will establish a Payment in Lieu of Taxes program for large-scale alternative energy systems. The amount to be paid will be determined on a case-by-case basis based on the project's property assessment, and any company looking to build a large-scale facility, such as solar arrays and wind farms, would have to agree to specified PILOT before the town planning board can give the go-ahead. Under state Real Estate Law Section 487, the developer of an alternative energy source is exempt from taxes for the first 15 years of use. Towns can opt out, but it is an all-or-nothing proposition. “We do not want to tell solar and wind to stay out,” said Greenport Town Supervisor Edward Nabozny. “They can build arrays here, but they will have to pay their fair share.” Greenport's new law will exclude rooftop and small arrays and wind turbines, Nabozny said. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.