BLM Schedules Public Meeting on Proposed Idaho Wind Farm

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The Bureau of Land Management will be taking more public comments on the proposed Lava Ridge Wind Project.  The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, August 25^th.  It will be conducted as a Zoom session.  It will be a day-long event, it begins at 9:00 a.m. and concludes at 5:00 p.m.

There will be time set aside for the public to be heard.  This should take place during the final hour.  Since BLM expects a great deal of interest and the comment period is limited to one hour, you can also submit questions in advance through writing.  These can be emailed to mbyrne@blm.gov.

There will be discussions about environmental concerns, energy markets, and local impact.

The proposed wind farm is massive and would stretch across parts of the three counties.  Jerome, Lincoln, and Minidoka.  Jerome County Commissioners have issued a joint statement in opposition.  There are some individual commissioners in other counties opposed to or with reservations.

The project is one of three that could be constructed in southern Idaho.  The other two are Salmon Falls in Twin Falls County and Taurus in Gooding County.

Counties were promised a property tax windfall, but public opposition remains strong.  Lava Ridge is the oldest proposal and opposition is organized and cuts across political affiliations.

The power generated wouldn’t remain in Idaho but would be directed toward Clark County, Nevada, and southern California.

Another concern among opponents is the length of transmission lines.  The longer the distance from a source to a destination increases the loss of electricity.  One argument from many opponents is that if California wants power, then build turbines in that state.  Idaho was selected because the area is often a natural wind tunnel.