The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comment on a wind energy project proposed on public land in southern Idaho.
The planned 400 turbines in the Lava Ridge Wind Energy Project have the potential to generate 1,000 megawatts of wind energy. It would be the largest wind project in Idaho.
The wind farm would be located about 25 miles northeast of Twin Falls with most of the turbines in Lincoln County.
The comment period comes as the federal agency prepares to produce an Environmental Impact Statement as part of the National Environmental Policy Act. A draft of that plan is set to be complete next summer, and construction could start soon after.
Magic Valley Energy, an affiliate of LS Power which is developing the wind project, said the two-year construction process would require about 700 employees to create access roads, prepare the foundation for the turbines, assemble them, erect the towers and attach the blades.
Once complete, the project would need about 20 full-time workers and could generate $4 million to local economies annually, according to the company.
As the Lava Ridge Wind Project is being considered, the BLM is proposing 73,000 acres of public lands in the area be temporarily set aside from consideration of any land sale or new mining claim proposals for two years.
BLM is hosting two virtual public meetings about the project on Sept. 8 and Sept. 9. For more information, visit this webpage: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2013782/510.
To submit comments, send emails to BLM_ID_LavaRidge@blm.gov.
Find reporter Rachel Cohen on Twitter @racheld_cohen
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