Lawmakers in Idaho’s state legislature are pushing legislation to block construction of LS Power’s 1000MW Lava Ridge Lava Ridge (1000MW) OnshoreJerome, Lincoln and Minidoka Counties, Idaho, USA, North America Click to see full details wind farm.
The house environment, energy and technology committee has called on the governor and state attorney general to review the developer's plans, and has supported the project not being built.
The 400-turbine project, which would supply electricity to consumers in southern Nevada and California, is expected to support 2,000 jobs in the rural Magic Valley area.
But lawmakers argued local people were concerned about the project’s impact on the housing situation, local wildlife, and its proximity to a former internment camp for Japanese citizens during the second World War, which is now an officially recognised area of historical significance.
Following its approval at the committee stage, the bill will now advance for debate on the floor of the house.
LS Energy claimed that as more people review the wind farm’s environmental impact statement “there will be greater awareness of the substantial benefits the Lava Ridge project can bring to southern Idaho”.
