We have tracked the Lava Ridge Wind Project since its inception, and we are extremely glad to report that the Department of the Interior has officially disapproved it. This decision ends a years-long fight against an enormous, 1,000-megawatt wind facility planned for southern Idaho. The project would have covered nearly 57,447 acres with up to 231 turbines, directly affecting rural communities, livelihoods, and critical landscapes. It also would have had a devastating impact on sage grouse populations, fragmenting habitat and disrupting breeding grounds.
Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum announced that the Department reversed the Biden administration’s December 2024 approval after discovering significant legal deficiencies in the process. The review found that unique statutory criteria were ignored in the rush to approve the Lava Ridge Wind Project.
Unified Opposition to the Lava Ridge Wind Project
Since the beginning, opposition to the Lava Ridge Wind Project has been strong and unified at every level. Idaho Governor Brad Little signed Executive Order 2025-01, “Gone with the Lava Ridge Wind Project Act,” directing state agencies to cooperate with the federal review. Multiple agencies submitted letters to the Bureau of Land Management outlining the lack of consultation during the original approval process.
In February, the Idaho House of Representatives unanimously voted to oppose the project. Local residents, conservation groups, and sportsmen’s organizations consistently voiced their concerns about the impact the Lava Ridge Wind Project would have on wildlife habitat, sage grouse, open space, and traditional land uses.
A Win for Public Lands and Wildlife
This reversal protects tens of thousands of acres from industrial wind development and shields rural Idaho communities from the impacts of an ill-conceived project. Secretary Burgum emphasized that the decision defends taxpayers, safeguards land, and prevents one of the largest wind projects in the nation from moving forward.
While the Department of the Interior continues reviewing wind energy leasing and permitting practices nationwide, this outcome sends a clear message: large-scale projects must meet legal requirements, respect local input, and avoid harming public lands and wildlife. For those of us who have followed the Lava Ridge Wind Project from the start, this decision is both a relief and a testament to the power of sustained, coordinated opposition.
It’s certainly appropriate to say that whether or not the Trump administration will be a net positive or a net negative for conservation remains to be seen at this point, but this news, and recent developments involving grizzly bears, are encouraging signs.
Source: DOI
1 comment
Comments are closed.