Wyo. wind tax brought in $2.6M in its 1st year

Wyoming's new wind tax brought in $2.6 million in the first year it was collected. $1 million went to the state and the rest was shared by six counties in central and southeastern Wyoming in 2012. The $1-per-megawatt-hour tax was passed in 2010. The revenue is small in comparison to other money raised by the state and counties. The wind industry has struggled to take hold in Wyoming because of limited transmission lines. However, three transmission projects could begin operating in the next few years. Wind farms less than three years old don't have to pay the tax. 2 of the state's largest projects, Top of the World wind farm and PacifiCorp's Dunlap I, were both exempt from the tax last year.