Tax dispute brewing over giant Disney World solar farm

The operator of the giant solar farm that is scheduled to go online soon at Disney World is claiming the Orange County Property Appraiser unfairly raised assessments, forcing the company to pay higher taxes, the Orlando Sentinel is reporting.  

Origis Energy USA is building the 270-acre, 50-megawatt solar farm near the Animal Kingdom park off State Highway 429, west of the Magnolia and Palm golf courses.

The farm, which will create enough energy to power two of Disney’s four themes parks, will make electricity for the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the Disney-run government that provides services for Walt Disney World Resort.

The Miami-based Origis is responsible for paying property taxes on the land it is leasing for the solar farm. 

The lawsuit alleges that county appraiser Rick Singh “was without legal authority and was arbitrary and capricious” when he increased the land’s assessed value from “$24,390 per acre for non-school purposes” in 2017 to $73,646 per acre in 2018.

Disney and Singh have had numerous battles over tax assessments in recent months. 

Singh had no comment to the Orlando Sentinel due to the lawsuit.