Protect The Harvest | Idaho Ranches Threatened by Potential Wind Farm Development

Renewable energy is all the rage in today’s political and investment circles. Aimed toward meeting President Biden’s national goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, the current frenzy of development is a source of great concern for many ranchers in southern Idaho. Massive swaths of land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are being targeted to become wind farms. Much of that land includes ranchers’ grazing allotments.
While grazing allotments would be affected by the wind farms themselves, numerous farms, ranches, and rural residences would also be affected by the power lines that would need to be constructed to transmit the energy. The vast majority of the power produced would be transmitted out of state.

Snake River Plain Favored by Wind Industry

Idaho’s Snake River Plain is already home to over 500 wind turbines, most of which are between Hagerman and Mountain Home, with some south of Burley as well. According to the wind energy industry, the topography and weather patterns of Idaho’s Snake River Plain make it especially well-suited for wind farms. The area is also very favorable to agriculture; the towns and communities of the region have largely been built around farming and ranching.
The green, brown,