Idaho Overcomes Gale Force Wind Resistance From Utilities

March 25th, 2011 by Susan Kraemer

This week a House committee in Idaho’s state assembly killed a bill that would have slapped a two-year moratorium on new wind farms, in a competition-killing bill promoted by utilities who argue that costs will rise.

Republican House Member Erik Simpson of Idaho Falls was out-voted 11-8. His bill aimed to slow the advance of wind power projects in the state by putting a two-year moratorium that would forbid cities, counties, and the state itself from issuing any permits to wind developers.

According to SunValleyOnline, wind supporters warned that wind and other renewable energy developments are bringing millions of dollars in investments, creating hundreds of jobs, and injecting millions more into state and local economies and cash-strapped budgets.

Since the bill has already been killed in committee, without even making it to the floor of the House, it will not have the chance to be passed later – unless a new one is proposed. But an 11-8 vote looks like a solid majority against future attempts at killing wind power in the state.

Idaho, although it has no Renewable Energy Standard has become a long distance resource for nearby states that do.

Even as far away as California, Idaho’s generous supply of gale force wind power is eagerly sought by utilities desperate to find clean power to meet their mandates.

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Susan Kraemer@Twitter

San Francisco Wind Developer Sells Power to Idaho Utility (cleantechnica.com)
Eight Idaho Wind Farms Hope to Sell Renewable Energy Credits to California (cleantechnica.com)
Idaho PUC Considers Reducing Published Avoided Cost Rate Eligibility Cap for QFs (renewableenergyworld.com)

Keep up to date with all the hottest cleantech news by subscribing to our (free) cleantech newsletter, or keep an eye on sector-specific news by getting our (also free) solar energy newsletter, electric vehicle newsletter, or wind energy newsletter.

Tags: California, Idaho

About the Author

Susan Kraemer writes at CleanTechnica, CSP-Today, PV-Insider , SmartGridUpdate, and GreenProphet. She has also been published at Ecoseed, NRDC OnEarth, MatterNetwork, Celsius, EnergyNow, and Scientific American. As a former serial entrepreneur in product design, Susan brings an innovator's perspective on inventing a carbon-constrained civilization: If necessity is the mother of invention, solving climate change is the mother of all necessities! As a lover of history and sci-fi, she enjoys chronicling the strange future we are creating in these interesting times. Follow Susan on Twitter @dotcommodity.

Pingback: Idaho Has More Wind Power Than it Can Use – CleanTechnica: Cleantech innovation news and views
Pingback: Idaho Wind Energy and Chlorosome-Inspired Solar Power – REVE : Grow Electricity – Tips and Resources for using wind and solar
Bob Wallace

“Geothermal Power Gets Idaho Politician Love

Even as some governors move to effectively kill clean energy projects in their states, others seem to be embracing them.

Idaho’ governor C.L. “Butch” Otter seems to be one such individual, having recently signed four bills into law that are expected to make geothermal leasing in the state easier than in previous years.”

http://www.earthtechling.com/2011/03/geothermal-power-gets-idaho-politician-love/
- http://cleantechnica.com/author/susan Susan Kraemer
  
  I like your taste in reading, Bob. Always glad to see your thoughtful comments here too.
Bob Wallace

Similar event in North Carolina…

“Effort to Stop Renewable Energy in North Carolina Hits a Utility Wall

The North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association recently put out a 2010 “green energy census” identifying 12,500 green energy jobs in the state. Renewables are now a $3.5 billion industry in North Carolina, the report says.”

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/blog/post/2011/03/north-carolina-effort-to-stop-renewable-energy-hits-a-utility-wall
Bob Wallace

Wind has tremendous power in ranching/farming country. Landowners can make bundles of money by leasing out land for turbines and still farm/ranch 98% of the land.

Wind farms in rural areas are filling the pockets of reds and turning them green.

Solar is going to do the same thing in places like the southern end of the CA Central Valley where the soil is so ruined that crops don’t grow well. Now farmers who were failing can once again make decent money.

I’ll bet we’re no more than four years away from seeing otherwise conservative officials form rural areas being strong supporters of renewable energy.
- http://cleantechnica.com/author/susan Susan Kraemer
  
  That about sums it up. I think you’re right.