TWIN FALLS, Idaho – The federal Bureau of Land Management’s preferred alternative for a large-scale wind energy farm proposed in southern Idaho would reduce its size by nearly half and move it away from a national historic site.
The Lava Ridge wind farm proposal has drawn opposition from government leaders, local farmers and people who have said, among other things, that the project endangers the Minidoka National Historic Site, where Japanese Americans were interned during World War II.
The agency detailed its preferred alternative to the original plan in its final environmental analysis released last week. It would decrease the number of wind turbines from 400 to 241 and limit the maximum height of electricity-generating turbines to 660 feet (201 meters), KTVB-TV reported.
The plan also places the turbine closest to the historic site, 9 miles away. The agency said the adjustment to the hallway configuration is intended to help “preserve the visitor experience in the remote nature of the former incarceration site.”
As proposed in 2020, it would have been built about 2 miles from the historic site’s visitor center. The nonprofit Friends of the Minidoka is one group that fears the project could destroy the experience they want to preserve there.
Robyn Achilles, the organization’s executive director, said in a statement that most of the detailed historical research provided by the group to the Biden administration to allow them to better protect the historic site was disregarded in this decision.
The Biden administration “needs to do a better job and make a real commitment to protecting Minidoka and our heritage, or we will be dealing with Lava Ridge and other projects forever,” Achilles said.
Idaho Republicans U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson and U.S. Sen. Jim Risch expressed their continued opposition to the bill in social media posts last week.
Risch said he would continue to fight what he called an “unnecessary and ill-conceived project.”
The Biden administration has prioritized allowing renewable energy projects on public lands by 2025 as part of its response to climate change. Magic Valley Energy, which is a subsidiary of New York-based LS Power, proposed the Lava Ridge energy project and said it would increase economic activity in the area, in part by creating jobs and increasing local government tax revenues. .
Luke Papez, senior director of project development at LS Power, said in a statement that the agency’s new preferred alternative appears to strike an appropriate balance between protecting environmental resources and the need for additional domestic energy production.
The Bureau of Land Management released its draft environmental impact statement in early 2023 with two preferred alternatives. A 90-day comment period generated more than 11,000 public comments and 1,400 scoping comments, officials said.
The alternative preferred by the final environmental review decreases the “disturbed area” by nearly 50%, from 8,395 acres to 4,492 acres (3,397 hectares to 1,817 hectares).
“The preferred alternative also reduces potential impacts to sage grouse, major wildlife migration routes and wintering areas, cultural resources, the Jerome County airport and agricultural aviation uses, public land ranchers, and adjacent private landowners,” The BLM press release said.
If the new preferred alternative is selected, the BLM estimates that construction of the project will generate $21.9 million in tax revenue annually and contribute $138.9 million in total economic output.
The BLM said the preferred alternative was created through engagement with landowners, ranchers, tribal nations, federal, state and local elected leaders, organizations, the BLM Resource Advisory Council for the area and the National Park Service.
Without any changes, the Bureau of Land Management’s preferred alternative would be finalized in July.
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