Renewable Energy Property Tax Exemption

Summary

Note: On September 17, 2024, the Director of the Division of Property Valuation issued a guidance memo on the applicability of this exemption to battery energy storage systems (BESS), finding that the exemption does not apply to BESS attached to a renewable energy system, although standalone BESS may qualify for a commercial and industrial machinery exemption.

Kansas statute exempts renewable energy equipment from property taxes if an application for an exemption is filed for the property on or before December 31, 2016. For applications for exemptions filed after December 31, 2016, a property tax exemption is limited to the 10 taxable years immediately following the taxable year in which construction or installation of such property is completed.

Renewable energy includes wind, solar thermal electric, photovoltaic, biomass, hydropower, geothermal, and landfill gas resources or technologies that are actually and regularly used predominantly to produce and generate electricity. In addition, beginning in the 2002 tax year all personal property used to collect, refine, and treat landfill gas or transport landfill gas from a landfill to a transmission pipeline (i.e., not necessarily used for electricity generation) is also exempt from property taxes.

In May 2015, S.B. 91 was enacted, which limits the property tax exemption for applications received after December 31, 2016, to a period of 10 years.