COMMUNTIY NEWS
HAILEY NEWS
City, Nonprofit Team Up PG 5
SUN VALLEY
KETCHUM
DOVE
Changing Frequencies PG 9
City Mgr. To Retire PG 4
HAILEY
BELLEVUE
PICABO
CAREY
WOOD RIVER WEEKLY
YOUR VOICE IN THE WOOD RIVER VALLEY
Free | Mar 9 - 22, 2022 | Vol. 3 - No. 5 | woodriverweekly.com
“Where flowers bloom, so does hope.”
A NO WIND SOLUTION – Lady Bird Johnson
The Minidoka National Historic Site, a Japanese internment camp during World War II, is one area of impact within the Lava Ridge project since the 400 wind turbines could be seen from the visitor center. Photo credit: Dainee Gibson-Webb
1,000-megawatt producing, 400 wind turbine proposal generates scrutiny
E
By Eric Valentine
verybody likes the idea of green energy. Add windmills to that mix, and most folks still get images of Dutch landscapes, not goofy cancer-causing
The green dot is where the windmills are proposed to be placed. Various studies indicate that large wind turbines in a western landscape can be visible to the human eye up to 36 miles away. Source: BLM
claims. But when a project for up to 400 wind turbines with a maximum height of 740 feet each—the Seattle Space Needle is 605 feet—is proposed in your neck of the woods, a different level of scrutiny typically kicks in and questions start blowing in the wind. The Lava Ridge Wind Energy Project, as it’s called by the U.S. Department of the Interior, is proposed by Magic Valley Energy, a subsidiary of LS Power, which has developed significant renewable, transmission, and other energy projects across the U.S. It would be constructed on BLM-managed public land in southern Idaho, approximately 25 miles northeast of Twin Falls. It could generate 1,000 megawatts, which loosely translated means it could power up about 12,000 homes a year. “Renewable wind projects are a critical component of the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to confronting climate change, promoting clean air and water for our current and future generations, creating thousands of good-paying union jobs, and jump-starting our country’s transition to a clean energy future,” said Deb Haaland, the Biden Administration’s Secretary of Interior. “At the Interior Department, we are doing our part to ensure these projects are done thoughtfully and avoid impacts to surrounding communities.” For Diana Nielson, a concerned citizen who lives southwest of the project and owns property in the area of impact, too, that impact to surrounding communities is flying under the radar. Nielson said her calls to attention had started to make headway, including interest from The Sean Hannity Show. “And then the war in Ukraine broke out,” Nielson said.
Nielson is not anti-renewable energy, nor is she pro-fossil fuel. She does believe hydro power is the best alternative energy for Idaho, but has no particular stake in that industry. Among Nielson’s concerns is that wind energy solutions are not as “renewable” as they sound. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, a quality, modern wind turbine will generally last for 20 years. “And they have no reclamation plan!” Nielson adds. Although such a plan would have to come at some point in the future, that doesn’t allay Nielson’s concerns now which, among other things, include: • Impact to fowl—wind turbines kill approximately 681,000 birds each year in the U.S. (American Bird Conservancy) • Impact to fauna—the proposal area is a corridor for wildlife • Impact to soil—batteries used in a wind turbine project affects soil quality • Impact to hunting units “Hailey and Ketchum like their dark skies. Where are the dark sky ordinance people on this?” Nielson asked.
Continued A NO WIND SOLUTION Page 2