I have long been a fan of Patagonia both for its high quality products and for its long standing commitment to understanding and then reducing the effects that its business and products have on the global environment. It seems very fitting that Patagonia should receive the first ever Green Building Property Tax Abatement in Nevada.

At its meeting last week the Nevada Commission on Economic Development (NCED) awarded Patagonia’s newly expanded and remodeled Reno Distribution Center a 10 year 50% reduction in the property taxes they will pay for using progressive green building guidelines in the design of their facility. This is the first time that Nevada’s new Green Building Property Tax Abatement has been awarded, and it marks a major milestone in the development of a more envio-friendly business climate.

This property tax abatement came as a result of actions taken by the last legislature, and was given final approval for implementation during September of 2006.

At the NCED Commission meeting on April 18, Lt. Governor and NCED Chairman, Brain Krolicki, said “When the Nevada Legislative Commission gave final approval of the regulations on September 18, 2006, Nevada became the second state in the nation to adopt the building certification system. With the unlimited potential and continued growth of our state, it is fitting that Nevada has become a leader and innovator in sustainable buildings and renewable energy issues.”

I was a bit disappointed in my failure to easily find concise up-to-date information on the program at either the NCED’s website or on the Nevada State Office of Energy website. Both agencies are involved in the process to win the tax abatement. The program might get more interest if the benefits and requirements were easier to find and understand. It took me about 30 minutes to figure it out. If this program is going to work, it needs better marketing!

If you are thinking about a new building or a major remodel for your business in Nevada it might be very worthwhile to look into this program, so I would suggest that you call Pete Konesky, (775) 687-9700, at the Nevada Stare Energy Office, or Joe Reel, (775) 687-4325, at the Nevada Commission on Economic Development.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 25th, 2007 at 3:17 pm and is filed under Tax Incentives, Green Building, Energy Conservation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.