Trump reverses Biden approval of Idaho wind project
In a press release, the Interior Department said it was 'reversing the Biden administration's misguided, last-minute push to approve the Lava Ridge Wind Project.'
It did not provide procedural specifics, and The Hill has reached out for more information.
The press release cited alleged 'legal deficiencies …including unique statutory criteria that were ignored,' but did not specify what they were.
'Gargantuan, unreliable, intermittent energy projects hold America back from achieving U.S. Energy Dominance while weighing heavily on the American taxpayer and environment,' said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum in the press release.
The missive also cited the administration's recent policy that considers how much land an energy project takes up – which is expected to disproportionately hamper solar and wind energy.
The move is not a surprise – in a Day 1 executive order, President Trump targeted the project, directing the Interior Department to halt the project's advancement and reconsider the project.
The Lava Ridge Wind Project would install up to 231 wind turbines northeast of Twin Falls, Idaho, that could power as many as 500,000 homes.
President Trump has repeatedly railed against wind energy and taken several steps to curtail wind and solar development, including axing tax credits and seeking to slow down wind and solar development administratively.
On the other hand, it has sought to fast track fossil fuels, dramatically shortening the timeline for environmental reviews of coal, oil and gas projects.
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