Congress needs to make “mostly dead” Lava Ridge project “all dead”

As Idahoans take victory laps on the Lava Ridge Wind Energy Project, proclaiming that President Trump’s executive order was “the weapon that killed Lava Ridge,” some hesitancy is needed. As any fan of Princess Bride will recall, “There is a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive.”

Opponents of Lava Ridge need to remember that executive orders mean the change is permanent, until the next administration. President Obama’s suggestion to Trump in 2016 was, “going through the legislative process is always better, in part because it’s harder to undo.” Real lasting change comes through legislative means, and Idahoans deserve the long-lasting, hard-to-change protection that comes from congressional legislation.

The Biden Administration’s last-ditch effort to ram through the Lava Ridge proposal, post-election in December 2024, was a desperate and pointless act. But it does signal that some faithfully believe that green energy deals are so essential they defy logic, because logically, everyone knew that the deal was DOA with the new Trump Administration. But this DOA for the Lava Ridge Wind Energy Project is only mostly dead for Idahoans. Some efforts still need to be taken to ensure that Lava Ridge, and its related ilk of unwanted federal projects, are given almost insurmountable hurdles in the future.

Why almost insurmountable hurdles? Because the western states have very little say in their own backyard, due to the high percentage of federal lands. Congress needs to empower states with a larger say in what the federal government can and cannot do within their borders. Current policies subject states to the whims of the current administration, ignoring the communities, businesses, and individuals that live nearby and will be forced to shoulder the consequences of federal pet projects.

To ensure Lava Ridge moves from “mostly dead” to “all dead,” federal and state-level action needs to be taken. The Trump Administration’s original executive order from January 20, 2025, was step one in killing the Lava Ridge Wind Energy Project, but the order only stopped its progression and referred the review to the Secretary of the Interior. The order reads:

“In light of criticism that the Record of Decision (ROD) issued by the Bureau of Land Management on December 5, 2024, with respect to the Lava Ridge Wind Project Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), as approved by the Department of the Interior, is allegedly contrary to the public interest and suffers from legal deficiencies, the Secretary of the Interior shall, as appropriate, place a temporary moratorium on all activities and rights of Magic Valley Energy, LLC, or any other party under the ROD, including, but not limited to, any rights-of-way or rights of development or operation of any projects contemplated in the ROD.  The Secretary of the Interior shall review the ROD and, as appropriate, conduct a new, comprehensive analysis of the various interests implicated by the Lava Ridge Wind Project and the potential environmental impacts.”

Idaho U.S. Senator Jim Risch, the lead voice in opposing Lava Ridge and bringing it to the attention of the Trump Administration, said:

“Lava Ridge has been the embodiment of liberals’ disregard for the voices of Idahoans and rural America. Despite intense and widespread opposition from Idaho and the Japanese American community, the previous administration remained dead set on pushing this unwanted project across the finish line. Finally, our nation has a leader who recognizes that people on the ground should have a say in how our natural resources are managed.”

Next steps require Congress to pass legislation protecting states from unwanted federal projects. The effort of western delegates sponsoring the bill that would remove the Bureau of Land Management’s new “Conservation and Landscape Health” rule would be a step in the right direction to ensure western states have laws in place protecting them from federal agency political views and preferences.

More targeted legislation like the “Don’t Develop Obstructive Infrastructure on our Terrain Act” or the “Don’t DO IT Act” from 2023 would stop federal projects from continuing when the state’s Governor provides notice that the state’s Legislature disapproves of the project through enacted legislation. States with large portions of federal lands, like most of the west, deserve long-lasting protection against unwanted projects.

Idaho’s Legislature has already taken the necessary steps to formally oppose Lava Ridge by passing House Concurrent Resolution 8. A previous Lava Ridge resolution was adopted in 2023. The current version reads:

“BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature requests that Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador and Governor Brad Little work to ensure that the Lava Ridge project does not proceed and formally protest and appeal the decision to move forward with the project, if necessary.”

The victory laps around Lava Ridge are understandable, but to ensure they are not premature, additional legislative steps need to be taken. Congress must act to ensure that Lava Ridge and similar unwanted federal projects are not pushed on states that have no desire or need for their presence. Policies need to be adopted to guarantee local voices are respected, even if federal political preferences and ideologies change from administration to administration.

If these policy changes don’t happen, Idahoans will find that Lava Ridge (or a similar project) is still very much alive when a new administration has differing ideologies. Only Congress can put Miracle Max out of business to keep a future president from reviving unwanted projects like Lava Ridge.