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CASPER, Wyo. Wyoming had more than 2,700 solar systems that, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association, could generate around 138.19 megawatts of energy, enough to power around 22,000 households.
By the third quarter of 2020, Wyoming had invested approximately $ 147 million in solar energy projects. Wyoming is projected to install another 178 megawatts over the next five years, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association, which has fallen 45% in the past five years.
Wyoming lawmakers are considering snapping a slice of the solar cake by imposing a tax on solar-generated electricity. The state already levies a consumption tax on wind energy.
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House Bill 94, received in the House of Representatives on Tuesday introducing it, would impose an excise tax on solar energy of $ 1 per megawatt hour of electricity generated.
If the bill goes into effect, the tax would come into effect on January 1, 2022. The tax would generate an estimated $ 190,000 for the state, based on 2019 Wyoming solar power capacity data, according to the Legislative Service Office.
“The proposed tax would be distributed 60 percent to the districts in which the generating plant is located and 40 percent to the general fund,” added the LSO.
The bill is sponsored by Albert Sommers, Sublette County and Sen. Cale Case, Fremont.
The Solar Energy Industries Association provides a list of resources related to Wyoming Solar:
Wyoming Public Service Commission – Learn about the governing body that governs electricity tariffs and public utility services in Wyoming
State Legislation – Track pending laws affecting solar energy, locate and contact individual lawmakers and stay up to date on current Wisconsin legislative issues
DSIRE Incentives Database – Wyoming – Search a public clearinghouse for specific solar incentives in Wyoming and the United States
National Renewable Energy Laboratory – Wyoming
US Energy Information Administration – Wyoming State Profile – Find official US government energy statistics, including data on the supply and demand of electricity
Association of the Solar Energy Industry