CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Gov. Matt Mead says he's giving up hope that the Wyoming Legislature will change how the state taxes wind energy projects this year.

Wyoming in January began imposing a $1 per megawatt hour tax on wind energy production. The state also began imposing sales and use taxes on equipment used on wind energy projects this month.

The Legislature's Joint Revenue Interim Committee in October rejected Mead's proposal to continue the tax exemption for wind energy projects while imposing a 2 percent impact fee on wind projects to support county governments.

Mead says this week that he is disappointed but hopes the Legislature can revisit the issue next year.

Some major wind energy companies have protested that it's unfair for the state to impose the new tax on existing wind projects.

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