Rhode Island § 44-27-10.1 § 44-27-10.1. Land withdrawn from classification for commercial renewable-energy production — Effect on obligation and the land use change tax.

Rhode Island Statutes

§ 44-27-10.1 — § 44-27-10.1. Land withdrawn from classification for commercial renewable-energy production — Effect on obligation and the land use change tax.

Rhode Island § 44-27-10.1

Title 44Taxation

Ch. 44-27Taxation of Farm, Forest, and Open Space Land

This text of Rhode Island § 44-27-10.1 (§ 44-27-10.1. Land withdrawn from classification for commercial renewable-energy production — Effect on obligation and the land use change tax.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Rhode Island primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

R.I. Gen. Laws § 44-27-10.1 (2026).

Text

§ 44-27-10.1. Land withdrawn from classification for commercial renewable-energy production — Effect
               on obligation and the land use change tax.
(a) Farmlands classified in the farm, forest, or open-space program in this chapter shall
            not be subject to a land use change tax if the landowner converts no more than twenty
            percent (20%) of the total acreage of land that is actively devoted to agricultural
            or horticultural use to install a renewable energy system. Any acreage used for a
            renewable energy system that is designated for dual use under subsection (c) of this
            section shall not be included in the calculation of the twenty percent (20%)

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§ 44-27-10.1. Land withdrawn from classification for commercial renewable-energy production — Effect on obligation and the land use change tax.

(a) Farmlands classified in the farm, forest, or open-space program in this chapter shall not be subject to a land use change tax if the landowner converts no more than twenty percent (20%) of the total acreage of land that is actively devoted to agricultural or horticultural use to install a renewable energy system. Any acreage used for a renewable energy system that is designated for dual use under subsection (c) of this section shall not be included in the calculation of the twenty percent (20%) restriction. For purposes of this section, land that is actively devoted to agricultural or horticultural use shall be defined by rules and regulations established by the department of environmental management in consultation with the office of energy resources and shall include, at a minimum, any land that is actively devoted to agricultural or horticultural use that was previously used to install a renewable energy system. Those rules shall also define renewable energy system to include, at a minimum, any buffers, access roads, and other supporting infrastructure associated with the generation of renewable energy.

(b) The tax assessor shall only withdraw from farmland classification the actual acreage of the farmland used for a renewable energy system that is not concurrently used as farmland. The rest of the farmland shall remain eligible as long as it still meets the program qualification criteria. This reclassification of farmlands shall not be considered an exception to the tax treatment for renewable energy systems prescribed by § 44-5-3(c) and reclassified farmland shall only be reclassified, revalued, and taxed to the classification and tax that predated the farmland classification.

(c) The dual purpose designation for installing a renewable energy system and utilizing the land below and surrounding the system for agriculture purposes, shall be determined pursuant to rules and regulations that will be established by the department of environmental management in consultation with the office of energy resources. The regulations shall be adopted no later than December 30, 2017.