Wind Power News: Idaho
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
‘Memorial to all who suffered’: survivors protest wind farm near Japanese American incarceration site
Paul Tomita was just four when his family was interned. He was too young to remember Franklin D Roosevelt, then president, issuing the executive order that saw him and at least 125,000 others of Asian descent packed onto blacked-out trains and sent to prison camps during the second world war. But his memories come alive when he recalls the hard, clattering train filled with fear and anxiety. “They did not tell us anything. So there were just these crazy rumours,” . . . Complete story »
Resolution against Lava Ridge adopted by Idaho Senate
A resolution opposing the Lava Ridge wind energy proposal has been adopted by the Idaho Legislature, after a unanimous vote in the state Senate on Tuesday. LS Power and Magic Valley Energy have proposed a large-scale wind energy project on public lands east of Jerome. It would be the first such project on public lands in Idaho, and, if the targeted 1000 MegaWatt capacity is reached, it would be among the largest terrestrial wind energy projects in the country. House . . . Complete story »
Counties sign resolution calling for halt to Lava Ridge, other wind projects in Magic Valley
In a rare act of intercounty solidarity, the commissioners of eight counties signed a joint resolution opposing three wind energy projects proposed for public lands in the Magic Valley. At a ceremony held in the sunshine at Minidoka National Historic Site in front of hundreds of supporters, commissioners from Cassia, Gooding, Jerome, Lincoln, Jerome, Minidoka, and Twin Falls signed the resolution which asks the Bureau of Land Management to select the “no-build” option for Lava Ridge, and to pause the . . . Complete story »
‘I’ll fight like a badger’: Lava Ridge opponents rally in Twin Falls
As the end of the public comment period for the Lava Ridge draft Environmental Impact Statement approaches, opponents continue to raise their voices against the massive wind energy project proposed for public land in Jerome, Lincoln and Minidoka counties. Several hundred people turned out to the Stop Lava Ridge Rally on Tuesday at Twin Falls Downtown Commons. Speakers addressed their individual perspectives on the possible impacts of the project. “I hope that this is enough to put a plug in . . . Complete story »
Even Democrats adopt opposition to Idaho wind farms
This week the Idaho House of Representatives voted unanimously in voicing opposition to southern Idaho’s proposed wind farms. Consider that means all the Democrats and all the Republicans voted on the same page! How often does that happen? I can’t remember anything in recent memory. This morning I was floored when the leader of the House Democrats gave me some credit. Last week I was talking with House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel about wind power. She explained her correspondence was . . . Complete story »
Idaho’s political leadership weighs in on Magic Valley wind project
Several of Idaho’s federal and state politicians are weighing in on a wind farm proposal in the Magic Valley that’s currently moving through an environmental review. Earlier this week, Gov. Brad Little, Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke, U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson and Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo wrote a letter to the Bureau of Land Management’s Idaho State Director Karen Kelleher voicing their concerns over the Lava Ridge Wind Project. It would include up to 400 turbines on BLM land . . . Complete story »
We are researching Lava Ridge Wind Project to form an opinion. Are you?
The Lava Ridge Wind Project would change the landscape of south-central Idaho. Arguably, forever. This isn’t us embellishing the facts, or speaking in hyperbole. It would be the reality of blasting into the Earth to stand up as many as 400 wind turbines across up to 114 square miles between Twin Falls and Shoshone that would, in many cases, be taller than even the Space Needle that serves as the centerpiece of the Seattle skyline. The gigantic, mostly steel structures . . . Complete story »
County asks BLM for management plan update before considering more wind farms
Twin Falls – A recent surge in wind and solar energy mega-projects proposed on public lands in Idaho has Twin Falls County commissioners wondering whether a 40-year-old management plan adequately addresses this new potential use of public lands. On Monday, the Twin Falls County Board of Commissioners voted to send a letter to the Bureau of Land Management asking the agency to update the 1982 Management Framework Plan for Twin Falls County. The request was one they hope will provide more . . . Complete story »
Lava Ridge wind power proposal concerns ranchers, farmers in south-central Idaho
Loss of grazing land, more traffic and an impact on water availability are among the concerns Shoshone-area rancher John Arkoosh and his neighbors have about Lava Ridge, a sprawling wind project proposed in south-central Idaho. It would impact the Star Lake Allotment, where his family and other ranching families have done “a ton of work on water development, seeding development and fencing, and have maintained water lines,” he said. Star Lake, the primary allotment for the Arkoosh family and a . . . Complete story »
Inflation Reduction Act’s tax credits could reshape Idaho’s energy landscape
Almost all utilities across the United States and the rest of the world operate their energy infrastructure on a real-time basis – meaning people are monitoring an energy grid at all times to respond to weather events and customer demand. That on-demand status makes it difficult to switch to renewable energy sources after the sun goes down or the wind stops blowing. “It’s the biggest misunderstanding in our business and with our customers, is people think we store energy, and we . . . Complete story »
