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Court rules against Neb. county in wind-tax case

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Supreme Court has ruled that a wind-energy company which paid $1.6 million in local property taxes can now claim credit for that amount to avoid paying taxes over the next several years.

In a ruling Friday, the court upheld a 2010 state law that changed the way wind-energy facilities are taxed.

The law was intended to reduce start-up costs for wind companies, while allowing local governments to collect revenue over a longer period. Wind facilities were previously taxed over a 5-year period. The 2010 law imposed a different tax at a lower rate, spread over 20 years.

The Knox County Board of Supervisors challenged the law after a wind-energy firm, Elkhorn Ridge Wind, claimed credit for taxes paid after the county had set its budget.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press