[BOISE] – The Biden Administration’s Bureau of Land Management released its Record of Decision (RoD) today for the Lava Ridge wind power project, despite widespread opposition from a myriad of Idaho community interests. The Lava Ridge project would place hundreds of wind turbines in the Idaho’s Magic Valley, towering at some 660 feet high, on 38,000 acres in Jerome, Lincoln, and Minidoka Counties. This project, owned by an East coast power consortium, would primarily be shipping generated power to California.
“Idaho has spoken very clearly in opposition to this project,” said Attorney General Raúl Labrador. “The Lava Ridge project is a jewel in the Biden Administration’s Green New Deal crown and the Administration is moving ahead regardless of the damage to Idaho farms, ranches, rural communities, agricultural aviation, water supplies, wildlife, and historical sites. We will keep fighting this attempt to blatantly ignore the voice of Idahoans.”
The Lava Ridge project has been opposed by state and local officials, farmers, ranchers, environmentalists, hunters, water users, tribal nations, aviators, historians, archaeology groups, and local groups like Friends of Minidoka, representing the unconstitutionally incarcerated Japanese-Americans of WWII. The Lava Ridge project is also opposed by the entirety of Idaho’s Congressional delegation.