Trump Cancels Construction of One of America's Largest Wind Farms
Donald Trump halted construction on what was set to be the largest wind farm in the U.S. on his first day in office.
The president stopped building work on over 100,000 acres of clean energy infrastructure at the Lava Ridge Wind Project in Idaho via an executive order on Tuesday.
Newsweek contacted the White House and developers Magic Valley Energy for more information on the order, the decision and the implications for those involved in the project via email. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) declined to comment when approached by Newsweek.
The move is part of a series of day-one promises that Trump pledged to fulfill once he was sworn in.
In his inauguration speech, Trump said that the U.S. would "drill, baby, drill," and expand oil and gas initiatives at the expense of renewable energy projects. This order, along with his removal of the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement, symbolizes Trump's move towards traditional fuel sources.
The Lava Ridge Wind Project would have been a 104,000-acre wind farm in Lava Ridge, Idaho, with over 271 turbines planned by developers Magic Valley Energy.
This would have made Lava Ridge the largest wind farm in the U.S. by area, beating out the 100,000-acre titleholder in Roscoe, Texas.
However, because of the project's scale, it was met with skepticism by local campaigners, including Republican Idaho Senator Jim Risch. In 2023, Idaho lawmakers issued a statement with concerns over how the project was being managed by the BLM.
Local campaign groups, such as the Friends of Minidoka, were concerned that the construction would impact the Minidoka National Historic Site, which was the location of an internment camp for Japanese Americans during World War II.
Trump signed the executive order, which was co-written by Risch, on Monday, with Risch saying: "By prioritizing this executive action on his first day in office, President Trump further cements his legacy as a leader in the revolution commonsense that governs by the people and for the people."
Risch said in a statement on the order: "I made a promise to Idahoans that I would not rest until the Lava Ridge Wind Project was terminated. On day one, President Donald Trump took action to keep that promise.
"Lava Ridge has been the embodiment of liberals' disregard for the voices of Idahoans and rural America. Despite intense and widespread opposition from Idaho and the Japanese American community, the previous administration remained dead set on pushing this unwanted project across the finish line."
Trump is very busy in his first week back in the Oval Office, issuing executive orders on a wide range of issues.
It isn't yet clear whether the project has been canceled altogether and whether there will be any challenges to the decision
