Idaho board of land commissioners approves Arco Wind and Solar Project

BONNEVILLE COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) - A new project approved by the Idaho board of land commissioners is gaining the attention of the Southeast Idaho community. The project, if developed, would become the first wind and solar farm on Idaho endowment land, located outside Idaho Falls.

The Arco Wind and Solar project was approved in a vote of 3 to 1 by the Idaho land board.

The lease of the land is set to last 49 years, in which time the energy company Pacificorp will develop 11,160 acres of state endowment land for around 10 to 12 wind turbines and 2,000-5,000 acres of solar generator equipment.

The land is currently leased for grazing purposes.

But according to Jason Laney of the Idaho Department of Lands, the new lease would provide more funding to endowment beneficiaries, like public schools.

"If everything goes according to plan, we expect to bring in 1.5 million to $2 million annually from this lease," Laney told Local News 8. "Which works out to be roughly 2 to $300 an acre, compared to $0.59 an acre."

In addition, Laney says private landowners are expected to benefit from the lease as well as Bingham and Bonneville counties; which will receive taxes from the lease of the land.

The project was approved by the Bingham County board of commissioners in 2022 after a lengthy public comment process. Over 20 people submitted testimonials to the Bingham County planning and zoning commission in opposition to the project. Those testimonies cited concerns over potential damage to the lava tubes, any native american artifacts in the area and disruption to the migration patterns of birds and bats.

According to Sharla Arledge of the Idaho Department of Lands, "The developer has also worked with various state agencies and nonprofits to ensure that biological and cultural impacts are mitigated or minimized. This was taken into account by the Land Board."

"The project is engaging with the Shoshone-Bannock tribe and Archaeological Conservancy to ensure that existing cultural sites and any new sites identified during construction are protected and treated properly," writes Arledge.

Arledge also told Local News 8 the developer is working to address additional community concerns by conducting extensive acoustic bat and avian monitoring, and "creating and implementing a Bird and Bat Conservation Strategy, shared with the counties and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game."

In the vote by the state land board, Idaho Attorney General Raul Labradore cited concerns over the potential costs to the state if the company were to go bankrupt during the lease.

According to the Department of Lands, they've implemented a new energy leasing agreement earlier this year which will ensure Idahoans are not liable if the project fails.

"We implemented an energy leasing policy earlier this year that stipulates that these energy projects have to have adequate bonding at each phase of the project," said Laney. "This bonding will ensure, that we can remove solar panels, return the land to the state that it was originally in. If anything were to happen to the project or the developers."

Local News 8 has reached out to Pacificorp for comment on the project. A spokesperson for the energy company told Local News 8 there is no update on when development of the land will start.