A rural county banned renewables. It’s having second thoughts
Commissioners are weighing a reversal after residents and landowners raised economic and property-rights concerns.
- Bannock County commissioners are set to vote this fall on a new ordinance that would permit solar, wind, and nuclear energy development, potentially overturning the county's 2024 ban on large-scale renewable projects.
- Spearheaded by Commissioner Hough, the county enacted a moratorium in October 2023, later formalizing the ban in March 2024 after vocal opposition from residents like Rebecca Falcon, who raised concerns about land use and developer transparency.
- Farmers Dale Lish and Steve Criddle argue projects offer vital income; neighboring Power and Bingham counties generated $909,000 and $639,000 in tax revenue from similar developments in 2024, respectively.
- A January survey revealed over 700 residents favoring nuclear energy, with 90% indicating support, prompting officials to explore integrating microreactors and small modular reactors into county infrastructure.
- With more than 87% of the county experiencing extreme drought, officials weigh energy proposals against Idaho Power's projection of a roughly 26% electricity demand increase by 2030, highlighting urgent power needs.
44 Articles
44 Articles
A rural county banned renewables. It’s having second thoughts - The Mexico Ledger
Jeff Hough did not pull any punches. What his fellow Republican county commissioners were about to do, he said to the packed courthouse, would violate America’s founding ideals. He quoted the Declaration of Independence to make his case.The three-person commission was about to vote on an ordinance that would ban utility-scale solar and wind development in Bannock County, Idaho.“We cannot deny the entire county the opportunity to exercise their p…
A rural county banned renewables. It’s having second thoughts - Seward Independent
Jeff Hough did not pull any punches. What his fellow Republican county commissioners were about to do, he said to the packed courthouse, would violate America’s founding ideals. He quoted the Declaration of Independence to make his case.The three-person commission was about to vote on an ordinance that would ban utility-scale solar and wind development in Bannock County, Idaho.“We cannot deny the entire county the opportunity to exercise their p…
Idaho County That Banned Solar and Wind Now Weighs Reversing Course
A year and a half after Bannock County, Idaho, banned utility-scale solar and wind projects, its leaders are reconsidering. This fall, commissioners will vote on a new ordinance that would reopen the rural county to solar, wind, and nuclear development — a reversal that reflects a broader tension playing out across rural America between property […] The post Idaho County That Banned Solar and Wind Now Weighs Reversing Course first appeared on En…
A rural county banned renewables. It’s having second thoughts - Stateline Publications
Jeff Hough did not pull any punches. What his fellow Republican county commissioners were about to do, he said to the packed courthouse, would violate America’s founding ideals. He quoted the Declaration of Independence to make his case.The three-person commission was about to vote on an ordinance that would ban utility-scale solar and wind development in Bannock County, Idaho.“We cannot deny the entire county the opportunity to exercise their p…
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