Trump Administration Rescinds Biden Approval of Idaho 1,000 MW Wind Farm

The Trump administration has canceled the Lava Ridge Wind Project in Idaho, a large wind farm initially approved by the Biden administration that faced opposition due to its proximity to the Minidoka National Historic Site, where Japanese Americans were interned during World War II. Originally planned with up to 400 turbines, the project was scaled down to 241 turbines, with the closest turbine about nine miles from the historic site. The Interior Department, led by Secretary Doug Burgum, cited "crucial legal deficiencies" and criticized the project as harmful to rural communities, land, and taxpayers, reversing Biden's approval under a Trump executive order halting wind power project permits nationwide. Idaho Governor Brad Little supported the cancellation through a state executive order cooperating with the federal review. Local opposition also focused on the visual impact of turbines standing up to 660 feet tall, more than twice the height of the Statue of Liberty, potentially spoiling views of the historic site. The nonprofit Friends of Minidoka expressed ongoing concerns about protecting the viewshed from future development.