The Trump administration has officially canceled the Lava Ridge Wind Project in Idaho, a large-scale renewable energy proposal that had been approved during the final months of President Joe Biden’s presidency. The decision follows widespread opposition tied to the project’s proximity to the Minidoka National Historic Site, a location where Japanese Americans were incarcerated during World War II.
Initially, the Lava Ridge Wind Project called for up to 400 turbines with a combined generating capacity of over 1,000 MW, which would have made it one of the most powerful wind farms in the U.S. However, after public pushback, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) reduced the scope of the project and, in December 2024, gave the green light to a version with 241 turbines located northeast of Twin Falls.
On the first day of President Donald Trump’s second term, he signed an executive order halting all wind energy permitting nationwide, triggering a federal review of the Lava Ridge Wind Project. That review has now resulted in a full cancellation. The Trump Administration’s oppostion to wind power generation earlier in the year saw the Empire Offshore Wind Project put on hold for a month before it was permitted to continue.
The BLM’s final environmental impact statement in June 2024 had proposed a reduced project area, with the nearest turbine set at least nine miles from the Minidoka site. Despite this compromise, the Lava Ridge Wind Project has now been terminated.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum commented, “By reversing the Biden administration’s careless decision, we’re protecting vast areas of rural Idaho from disruptive wind infrastructure. This move safeguards taxpayer interests and averts one of the largest, most poorly sited wind developments in the country.”
Lava Ridge Wind Project Timeline
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Early Planning Phase (Pre-2021)
Magic Valley Energy, a subsidiary of LS Power, begins planning the Lava Ridge Wind Project in south-central Idaho, proposing up to 400 turbines generating over 1,000 MW. -
2021–2023
Public feedback and environmental studies are conducted. The project faces growing opposition due to visual impacts on the Minidoka National Historic Site, a WWII Japanese American incarceration camp. -
June 6, 2024
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) releases its Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). It recommends a scaled-down version of the project, reducing turbine count and overall footprint by 50%. -
December 9, 2024
The BLM approves the revised Lava Ridge Wind Project:-
241 turbines
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9 miles minimum distance from the Minidoka site
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January 20, 2025
President Donald Trump begins his second term and issues an executive order halting all wind energy permitting. The Lava Ridge Project is paused for review. -
August 6, 2025
The Interior Department formally cancels the Lava Ridge Wind Project, citing the need to protect historical sites, taxpayer resources, and rural Idaho’s landscape.
