Published: June 26, 2006 11:09 pm         

Manchin windmill moratorium guided by tax

Governor says all of America needs to look at renewable energy

His bid to impose a six-month moratorium on windmill-generated power is gone with the wind.

Two weeks after lawmakers denied him such a temporary freeze, Gov. Joe Manchin says the permitting process is working as it was intended.

Moreover, the governor says his sole consideration in seeking a time-out to look at such ventures was inspired by the money angle.

“I’m looking at it strictly from the tax,” he told The Register-Herald editorial board last week.

“How much can people of West Virginia benefit by this? We’re not consuming the power that we produce now. We export our power. I think all wind farms will be exporting. Do West Virginia and the citizens benefit?”

Manchin’s proposal, part of his special session agenda this month, came in the midst of a controversy in Greenbrier County over a proposal by Beech Ridge Energy to install 124 wind turbines across a huge swath. The project bears a $300 million investment.

The governor said all of America needs to start looking at renewable sources of energy.

“First of all, we can all conserve in this country and state-by-state conservation is something everyone can do,” he said.

“Every state has a responsibility. I believe every state should belly up to the table with his responsibility to see how you become more energy independent so we don’t depend on foreign oil. We see the disastrous results when you depend on foreign oil.”

While questions linger about windmill-generated power’s viability to some, Manchin said coal liquefaction is a given.

“We’re working as hard, if not harder, than any other state to make that a reality,” he said.

“I think you’re going to see some positive things happen here.”

Manchin says the state also needs to explore hydro capabilities, and after that, attention must be given to solar, wind and other renewables.

Beech Ridge expects to get a ruling from the Public Service Commission in late August on its request for a permit. Had it been approved, Manchin’s moratorium would have been in force until the end of the year.

“It’s going the way that all permitting processes we have in place, whether for coal-fired plants or any of the others,” he said.

“There’s nothing on the fast track on this whatsoever,” he said.

Manchin said he merely requested the moratorium to consider all the fiscal ramifications.

“The only thing I told the developers was that we’re going through a modernization tax review,” he said.

“There will be probably adjustments recommended and maybe enforced. You might want to wait through November until we look through that before you take off on your projects. I thought that was a legitimate request.”

Manchin said he wanted Beech Ridge informed up front, “so they can’t say, ‘what happened? All of a sudden we built this and this and this, and now you’re wanting us to pay this much more?’”

As a longtime businessman himself, Manchin said he wanted to avoid any “hidden secrets” that could back to haunt.

“So I did that,” he said. “And I just asked for a six-month moratorium.”

— E-mail:

mannix@register-herald.com