Exelon files yet another appeal on Byron plant
Wednesday, Jan 18, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Every year since 2012, Exelon has appealed the property tax assessment on its Byron nuclear power plant. The 2012 case finally made it to the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board this past spring when it held a hearing that lasted six weeks. The board hasn’t yet issued a ruling because lawyers are still arguing the case.
And so, right on schedule, Exelon has filed yet another appeal, which seems a bit greedy since Exelon just got a big state bailout.…
Exelon Generation officials say the $546 million assessment, set in the fall by county Supervisor of Assessments Jim Harrison, is about 48 percent too high. Their appeal sets the value at $295 million. […]
Harrison set the plant’s value $64 million higher than last year’s assessment of $482.4 million because Exelon officials succeeded in late 2015 in getting the licenses renewed for the two reactors for 20 more years. […]
Exelon paid more than $33.7 million in real estate taxes in 2016 to 11 taxing bodies: Ogle County, Rockvale Township, Byron School District, Oregon School District, Oregon Park District, Byron Fire District, Rock Valley College, Byron Public Library District, Byron Museum District, Byron Forest Preserve District, and Kishwaukee Community College.
The Byron School District received the largest share – $18.6 million.
- Foster brooks - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 10:41 am:
Hate to defend exelon but byron milked this cow pretty good by creating forest preserves and a library district after the plant went online
- Obamas Puppy - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 10:43 am:
You mean Rauners Exelon bill?
- Texas Red - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 10:44 am:
This is SOP for Exelon - they appeal all properties from power-plants to right of way land for power-lines. Hopefully the local taxing bodies get together and cost share attorney bills via a Tax Appeals Consortia -this is very effective strategy that is common in DuPage
- Chicago Cynic - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 10:45 am:
“The point is, ladies and gentlemen, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right. Greed works.” Exelon CEO Gordon Gecko
- A guy - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 10:57 am:
This is automatic. The Ask.
This should be just as automatic. The Rejection.
- Joe M - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 11:26 am:
Back in 1989, the assessment of the Byron plant was close to $1 Billion. The Byron plant paid $40.1 million in real estate taxes in 1994 prior to a major 1995 ruling that lowered its assessment.
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 12:02 pm:
=which seems a bit greedy since Exelon just got a big state bailout.…=
It doesn’t SEEM greedy, it is greedy.
- Daniel Plainview - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 12:04 pm:
The value of the property is seemingly infinite as long as our legislators and superstars can be duped into believing Exelon is “desperate”.
- Precinct Captain - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 12:06 pm:
Maybe they need another Bruce Bailout™
- Anon221 - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 12:50 pm:
Happens at the Clinton plant, too.
- scott aster - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 1:44 pm:
the property tax for these big nuc plants should be spreaad around the whole area since the locals are not the only places that support the employees….many come from 20-30 miles.
- The Cardinal - Wednesday, Jan 18, 17 @ 6:11 pm:
The value is what it is and should not be predicated on what it may or may not earn. Everybody wants to cut the fat hog… the assessor may be to aggressive that’s what the appeals are for. All kinds of Businesses do it All the time. Whats the big deal?
- Anon221 - Thursday, Jan 19, 17 @ 8:25 am:
The Cardinal- Here are some reasons why it is a big deal. These are in PA, but the repayment of taxes to the utility if the findings go their way, will have a major impact on (especially) the local school districts. The disputed monies sit in an escrow account according to our county assessor.
- Anon221 - Thursday, Jan 19, 17 @ 8:26 am:
Here’s the PA study: https://www.puc.state.pa.us/PcDocs/616290.pdf