West Virginia 2024 Regular Session Status: In Committee 1 R cosponsors

SB 231 — Clarifying wind power projects taxation

Last action — To Finance

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House of Delegates
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced January 11, 2024. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the Senate.

Odds of enactment

Low chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a low chance of becoming law.

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A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Stalled 18% · moderate confidence

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 2 sponsors

    1 primary, 1 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (1 R).

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

13 added · 13 removed

Plain-language change summary

The bill SB 231 has been revised to clarify the definition of what constitutes a "wind turbine and tower" by detailing its components, such as the rotor, drive train, and tower. Additionally, it emphasizes that wind power projects will not be classified as pollution control facilities and will instead be taxed as real property. This change is important because it helps clarify how wind energy projects are regulated and taxed, potentially making it easier for wind energy developers to understand their obligations and benefits.

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WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION Introduced Senate Bill 231 By Senators Smith and Phillips [Introduced January 11, 2024;
WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 231 By Senators Smith and Phillips [Originating in the Committee on Energy, Industry, and Mining;
referred to the Committee on Energy, Industry, and Mining;
reported January 24, 2024] CS for SB 231 A BILL to amend and reenact §11-6A-5a of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to pollution control facilities tax treatment;
and then to the Committee on Finance] Intr SB 2024R1263 A BILL to amend and reenact §11-6A-5a of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to pollution control facilities tax treatment;
Wind power projects are not pollution control facilities for purposes of this article, and each wind turbine installed at a wind power project, and each tower upon which the turbine is affixed, Intr SB 2024R1263 shall be considered real property for the purpose of taxation so long as the tower of the wind power project is affixed to the ground.
Wind power projects are not pollution control facilities for purposes of this article, and each wind turbine installed at a wind power project, and each tower upon which the turbine is affixed, 1 CS for SB 231 shall be considered real property for the purpose of taxation so long as the tower of the wind power project is affixed to the ground.
NOTE:
For purposes of this section, "wind turbine and tower" includes:
The purpose of this bill is to clarify that a wind power project is not a pollution control facility for purposes of §11-6A-1 et seq.
The rotor, consisting of the blades and the supporting hub;
of this code and is taxed as real property.
the drive train, which includes the remaining rotating parts such as the shafts, gearbox, coupling, a mechanical brake, and the generator;
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.
the nacelle and main frame, including the wind turbine housing, bedplate, and the yaw system;
the turbine transformer;
the machine controls;
the tower;
and the tower foundation.
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Action History

  1. To Finance

  2. Committee substitute reported, but first to Finance

  3. To Energy, Industry, and Mining

  4. Introduced in Senate

  5. To Energy, Industry, and Mining then Finance

  6. Filed for introduction

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 1 co-sponsors · 150 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (1)

  • Phillips

Not signed on (150)

150 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 150 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

taxation energy
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors SB 231?
SB 231 is sponsored by Phillips and Randy E. Smith (Republican).
What is the current status of SB 231?
This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced January 11, 2024. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track SB 231?
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