Plans for America's third-largest onshore wind farm slashed by half – but state still unhappy
Bureau of Land Management moves to cut project's big footprint and capacity but state's governor remains adamantly opposed
Prominent elected officials in the US state of Idaho continue to oppose LS Power's huge Lava Ridge onshore wind project even after a federal agency reduced its footprint by nearly half and maximum estimated nameplate capacity from 2.1GW to 1.2GW.
Lava Ridge, as originally proposed, would have been the country’s third largest onshore wind facility after Pattern Energy’s 3.5GW SunZia in New Mexico and billionaire Philip Anschutz’s 3GW-plus Chokecherry and Sierra Madre in Wyoming.
Even at 1.2GW, it would rank as the fourth largest behind those projects and 1.55GW Alta Wind complex in California owned by Terra-gen Power.
BLM said it will continue to work closely with Magic Valley Energy, an affiliate of LS Power, stakeholders, and the community in southern Idaho to “ensure a final decision minimises impacts and protects sensitive resources, including thorough consideration of additional, broader compensatory mitigation measures.”
In a statement, Luke Papez, senior director of project development for LS Power, said BLM’s preferred alternative “appears to strike an appropriate balance between the protection of environmental resources and the need for additional domestic energy production.”
Idaho Governor Brad Little, a Republican, remains critical, asserting, “the BLM is determined to give California electricity from Idaho despite overwhelming opposition from Idahoans and contrary to formal actions by Idaho’s county, state, and federal elected officials, including federal legislation and federal law.”
He added, “I do not agree with BLM’s conclusion that the effects of this extraordinarily complex proposal are ‘not significant.’ It may not matter in Washington, DC, but it matters to those of us who live here.”
Among the other BLM mitigation measures including a corridor configuration adjustment so that the closest turbine to the Minidoka National Historic Site, an incarceration camp for at least 13,000 Japanese Americans during World War II, would be nine miles (14.5 km) versus two initially.
BLM said its new setback distance would “help preserve the visitor experience of the remote nature” of the site, a tourist attraction.
The project’s potential encroachment to Minidoka was among the flash points that has drawn opposition from elected officials, local ranchers, and others. BLM said its preferred alternative will also limit potential impacts to the endangered sage grouse, large wildlife migration routes, cultural resources, local agricultural aviation uses and the county airport, and landowners.
US Senator Jim Risch, a Republican, said even with the reduction in Lava Ridge’s scope, he would continue in opposition. "This is not over, I will continue to fight this unnecessary and ill-begotten project.”
He added, “Idahoans could not be more clear that they do not support Lava Ridge. Yet, for some reason, the BLM continues to push forward this project that no one in Idaho wants.”
According to BLM, under its preferred alternative the project would generate $21.9m in annual tax revenue, contribute $138.9m in total economic output to local and regional economies, and create up to 700 jobs during its three-year construction.