The Trump administration has canceled a major wind farm project in Idaho, reversing a Biden-era approval that had drawn criticism for its proximity to a historic World War II incarceration site.
Lava Ridge Wind Project
The Interior Department rescinded approval of the Lava Ridge Wind Project, which had been set to install 241 wind turbines northeast of Twin Falls. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) originally signed off on the scaled-down plan in December, reducing the project from 400 turbines to 241. But the development was halted on the first day of President Donald Trump’s second term, when he issued an executive order suspending wind power permits nationwide and ordered a review of the Lava Ridge decision. “By reversing the Biden administration’s thoughtless approval of the Lava Ridge Wind Project, we are protecting tens of thousands of acres from harmful wind policy while shielding the interests of rural Idaho communities,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement. “This decisive action defends the American taxpayer, safeguards our land and averts what would have been one of the largest, most irresponsible wind projects in the nation.”
BLM’s plan
The project, years in the making, faced pushback from residents who objected to the massive turbines, which would have reached up to 660 feet — more than twice the height of the Statue of Liberty. Advocates for the Minidoka National Historic Site also raised alarms, warning the project would spoil views at the site where thousands of Japanese Americans were imprisoned during World War II. Under the BLM’s plan, the closest turbine would have been nine miles away. Robyn Achilles, executive director of the nonprofit Friends of Minidoka, said her group was reviewing the government’s move. “We must protect Minidoka from future development, so we continue to seek long-term protections for the BLM land in Minidoka’s cultural viewshed,” Achilles wrote in a text message. The Interior Department’s cancellation order did not reference Minidoka. Magic Valley Energy, the developer behind the project, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Trump’s decision
When it approved Lava Ridge, the BLM said the project could generate enough electricity to power 500,000 homes and reflected “a careful balance of clean energy development with the protection of natural, cultural and socioeconomic resources on this historically significant landscape.” Wind energy remains one of the cheapest sources of electricity. Industry data show that onshore wind is typically less expensive to build and operate than new natural gas plants, even without federal subsidies. Still, Trump and Republican lawmakers have argued that wind and solar are unreliable and costly, favoring fossil fuel production despite its role in driving climate change. Renewable energy depends on the weather, producing power when it is windy or sunny. Developers increasingly pair wind and solar with battery storage to ensure a stable supply when conditions change. Trump’s recent tax-and-spending bill phases out tax credits for renewable energy. Days later, he issued an executive order curbing subsidies for what he derided as “the Green New Scam.”
Trump restrictions
Burgum has rolled out restrictions on renewable projects. A recent memo required his personal approval for all wind and solar developments on federal lands and waters. The Interior Department said the policy would end “preferential treatment for unreliable, subsidy-dependent wind and solar energy.” Burgum also canceled offshore wind plans covering millions of federal acres last month and then ordered agencies to consider “capacity density,” a metric that highlights the larger land and water footprint of wind and solar compared to fossil fuels. “This isn’t oversight,” said Jason Grumet, CEO of the American Clean Power Association. “It’s obstruction that will needlessly harm the fastest-growing sources of electric power.”
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Author: Joshua Wilburn
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