In southern Idaho, nestled between arid public lands and three cities — Twin Falls, Burley and Jerome — is the Minidoka National Historic Site. It is one of the places where Japanese Americans were interned after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. But the high desert landscape is now home to a new controversy: A wind energy farm has been proposed on the sprawl of untouched, publicly owned land facing the historic site — and, if built, it could be the largest wind farm in the country. If approved, Magic Valley Energy will erect 400 wind turbines with blades longer than the wingspan of a Boeing 747, as well as roads, power lines and operational facilities to go along with the project. Although projects such as this wind farm are seen as essential in tackling climate change, environmentalists have also questioned the role public lands should play in transitioning to clean energy. Spanning nearly 200,000 acres, Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador said in a press release in April, announcing his opposition to the project, the Lava Ridge wind energy project would disturb waterways, private land in surrounding cities, farmers and hunters. The proposal, after stirring up local ire, received pushback from other state and federal lawmakers. However, there are economic upsides to the project. If the project goes through, local taxing districts could see big annual tax payments for decades. Lincoln County would be home to the largest portion of the wind farm and would see the greatest chunk of the tax revenues. The county specifically — not including its ambulance, cemetery, recreation, school, highway and fire districts — could take in more than $1 million per year. After hosting public hearings and receiving comments, the Bureau of Land Management drafted an environmental impact statement in January and offered four alternatives to the original proposal. |