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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--LS Power (New York, New York) subsidiary Magic Valley Energy (MVE) received mixed news last week when the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued its final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Lava Ridge wind project in Idaho, giving it a green light, but selecting an alternative model to MVE's preferred plans, reducing the project's land area as well as the size and number of turbines.
The Lava Ridge project will be located about 25 miles northeast of Twin Falls, Idaho. As originally proposed, the project would have covered 197,000 acres of land and included 400 turbines up to 740 feet high. These turbines would have been rated about 2.5 megawatts (MW) or 3 MW apiece, giving the windfarm combined generating capacity of between 1,000 MW and 1,200 MW. According to the BLM's environmental impact statement (EIS), these plans would have disturbed more than 9,000 acres of land.
The BLM's preferred alternative for the windfarm reduces the operation's footprint to 104,000 acres of land that would disturb about 4,500 acres. The alternative plan also reduces the number of turbines to 241, capping their height at 660 feet, and hence significantly reduces the facility's generation output.
Several factors went into the BLM's selection of the alternative plans. In a press release discussing its decision, the BLM cited reduced impact to wild sage grouse and large wildlife migration routes in addition to lessening impact on a nearby airport and agricultural aviation in the area. Another important factor was the windfarm's proximity to the Minidoka National Historic Site, a remote location where Japanese-Americans were incarcerated during World War II. Under the original proposal, the nearest turbine would have been two miles from the area, but the alternative proposal increases this to nine miles. Despite this, organizations associated with the site, such as Friends of Minidoka and the Minidoka Pilgrimage Planning Committee, issued statements opposing even the alternative plans.
The project will be the first alternative energy project on Idaho's public lands, a national trend the U.S. federal government supports despite opposition in certain areas.
Magic Valley also was drawing up plans for a 500-MW battery energy storage system (BESS) to accompany the windfarm, designating approximately five acres for this use. How the new EIS affects these plans remains unclear. A substation and several transmission line tie-ins are also part of the original project plan and will be affected by the windfarm's reduced size. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project Database can learn more by viewing by the related project reports.
But Lava Ridge is just one project that Magic Valley intends for Idaho public lands. Also in the works is the company's planned Salmon Falls Windfarm on BLM land in Twin Falls County. Current plans call for approximately 320 turbines, each rated at 2.5 MW, to provide 800 MW of combined generation. Magic Valley sees construction starting in 2026, putting the facility on track for completion in 2028, but as the BLM's EIS on the Lava Ridge Windfarm shows, these plans are subject to change. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the project report.
The two massive Idaho projects are the only wind projects from parent company LS Power being tracked by Industrial Info. The remainder of the company's project backlog includes primarily BESS and power transmission projects. LS subsidiary REV Renewables (New York) has big plans for a BESS facility on a 40-acre site in Boulder City, Colorado. REV plans to launch construction on the first phase of the Delamar energy storage facility next year, putting on track completion of 250 MW of available battery-generated energy by the end of that year, but that's only half of the project. A second round of construction would double the facility's available output to 500 MW by the end of 2026. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the reports on the grassroot and power addition projects.
Among LS' more remote transmission projects is planned work on a grassroot transmission line and two substations in the Texas Panhandle, around 65-70 miles northeast of Amarillo. Next year, LS plans to begin construction of 14 miles of overhead double-circuit, 345-kilovolt transmission line from the existing Grey Substation near Lefors to the new Ghost Town Substation, which LS will construct near Miami, Texas. Work on the line and substations is expected to commence in late 2025, with each of the projects wrapping up in about a year's time. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the related project reports.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Database can click here to view reports for most of the projects discussed in this article and click here for the related plant profiles.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
The Lava Ridge project will be located about 25 miles northeast of Twin Falls, Idaho. As originally proposed, the project would have covered 197,000 acres of land and included 400 turbines up to 740 feet high. These turbines would have been rated about 2.5 megawatts (MW) or 3 MW apiece, giving the windfarm combined generating capacity of between 1,000 MW and 1,200 MW. According to the BLM's environmental impact statement (EIS), these plans would have disturbed more than 9,000 acres of land.
The BLM's preferred alternative for the windfarm reduces the operation's footprint to 104,000 acres of land that would disturb about 4,500 acres. The alternative plan also reduces the number of turbines to 241, capping their height at 660 feet, and hence significantly reduces the facility's generation output.
Several factors went into the BLM's selection of the alternative plans. In a press release discussing its decision, the BLM cited reduced impact to wild sage grouse and large wildlife migration routes in addition to lessening impact on a nearby airport and agricultural aviation in the area. Another important factor was the windfarm's proximity to the Minidoka National Historic Site, a remote location where Japanese-Americans were incarcerated during World War II. Under the original proposal, the nearest turbine would have been two miles from the area, but the alternative proposal increases this to nine miles. Despite this, organizations associated with the site, such as Friends of Minidoka and the Minidoka Pilgrimage Planning Committee, issued statements opposing even the alternative plans.
The project will be the first alternative energy project on Idaho's public lands, a national trend the U.S. federal government supports despite opposition in certain areas.
Magic Valley also was drawing up plans for a 500-MW battery energy storage system (BESS) to accompany the windfarm, designating approximately five acres for this use. How the new EIS affects these plans remains unclear. A substation and several transmission line tie-ins are also part of the original project plan and will be affected by the windfarm's reduced size. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project Database can learn more by viewing by the related project reports.
But Lava Ridge is just one project that Magic Valley intends for Idaho public lands. Also in the works is the company's planned Salmon Falls Windfarm on BLM land in Twin Falls County. Current plans call for approximately 320 turbines, each rated at 2.5 MW, to provide 800 MW of combined generation. Magic Valley sees construction starting in 2026, putting the facility on track for completion in 2028, but as the BLM's EIS on the Lava Ridge Windfarm shows, these plans are subject to change. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the project report.
The two massive Idaho projects are the only wind projects from parent company LS Power being tracked by Industrial Info. The remainder of the company's project backlog includes primarily BESS and power transmission projects. LS subsidiary REV Renewables (New York) has big plans for a BESS facility on a 40-acre site in Boulder City, Colorado. REV plans to launch construction on the first phase of the Delamar energy storage facility next year, putting on track completion of 250 MW of available battery-generated energy by the end of that year, but that's only half of the project. A second round of construction would double the facility's available output to 500 MW by the end of 2026. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the reports on the grassroot and power addition projects.
Among LS' more remote transmission projects is planned work on a grassroot transmission line and two substations in the Texas Panhandle, around 65-70 miles northeast of Amarillo. Next year, LS plans to begin construction of 14 miles of overhead double-circuit, 345-kilovolt transmission line from the existing Grey Substation near Lefors to the new Ghost Town Substation, which LS will construct near Miami, Texas. Work on the line and substations is expected to commence in late 2025, with each of the projects wrapping up in about a year's time. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the related project reports.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Database can click here to view reports for most of the projects discussed in this article and click here for the related plant profiles.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
