EDENTON — Apex Clean Energy marked a major milestone Tuesday as company leaders, state officials and local representatives gathered at the Timbermill Wind operations center to celebrate the first of many annual property tax payments the wind project will deliver to Chowan County.
Apex CEO Ken Young presented county leaders with nearly $750,000 in net tax payments, officially making Timbermill Wind the county’s single largest taxpayer, according to a press release from the company.
Company officials said this inaugural payment represents the beginning of roughly $50 million in new local revenue expected over the project’s lifetime—funds that will support core community needs such as education and emergency services.
“It is a true privilege to present this contribution to Chowan County—a downpayment on the long-term economic benefits that Timbermill Wind will bring to the region over the next 30 years,” Young said. “We are grateful for our strong relationship with Chowan County and look forward to the decades of partnership to come.”
The 189-megawatt project, developed and operated by Apex, began commercial operations in December 2024. In its first year of service, the facility’s 45 turbines have generated enough electricity to power the equivalent of 28,000 average American homes, Apex officials said.
As the state’s second operating wind farm, Timbermill Wind is poised to deliver substantial, lasting economic impacts. With Tuesday’s payment, the wind facility becomes Chowan County’s largest single taxpayer, contributing more in property taxes this year than the community’s top nine taxpayers combined, according to officials.
County Commissioner Chairman Bob Kirby praised the project’s benefits for landowners and its financial contributions to the county.
“The folks at Apex Clean Energy and Timbermill Wind are fantastic partners,” Kirby said. “The lease benefits mean so much for family farmers’ legacy and a major benefit that this project, as a good neighbor, has given us is that tax check, and there will be many more like it in the future. For that, the citizens of Chowan County, and me speaking on behalf of them, say a very hearty thank you.”
Beyond tax revenue, Timbermill Wind continues to invest in the region through Apex’s Community Grant Program, which has provided more than $120,000 to local nonprofits and community causes. The project also supports reforestation and habitat improvements through Apex’s Conservation Grant Program, benefiting organizations such as the Friends of the Great Dismal Swamp Wildlife Refuge and the North Carolina Wildlife Federation.
