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A major Montana wind farm within the shadow of Colstrip Power Plant has secured a tax break from Rosebud County commissioners.

Clearwater Wind will receive a 50% tax abatement, cutting the annual taxes on the $500 million wind farm to about $2.93 million in Rosebud County. The 120-turbine project near the community of Angela crosses into Custer County and could eventually touch Garfield County as well. Developer Orion Renewable Energy Group is expected to request tax breaks in Custer and Garfield counties soon.

Construction could begin next year. The abatement was passed on a 2-0 vote earlier in September with Commissioner Robert E. Lee abstaining over an easement interest in the project’s development.

“We are very happy the abatement was granted. This will materially enhance our prospects for success, increasing the chances that a wind project will be sited in Montana, using excess transmission capacity available on the Colstrip system, instead of in Oregon or Washington,” said Ryan McGraw, Orion Renewable Energy Group vice president.