Wind Project Planned for Twin Falls County
TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KLIX)-A company developing a wind farm project in the Magic Valley announced this week a second project for Twin Falls County. Magic Valley Energy LLC, part of LS Power, announced the beginning planning phase for the Salmon Falls Wind Energy Project for southern Twin Falls County. This is the second wind energy project the company is working on in addition to the Lava Wind Energy Project near Shoshone, Dietrich, and the Hunt area. Magic Valley Energy said it is in the process of talking with federal, state, and local entities on the Salmon Falls project. According to the company website, a map of the impacted area shows the project would span along Salmon Falls Creek north on federal land from the dam to E 3200 North with some portions extending west towards Hollister. The proposed project is expected to generate 800 megawatts of electricity. "The Salmon Falls proposal is uniquely situated at the confluence of a number of key siting characteristics, including favorable wind resources, availability of suitable land, compatibility with existing land uses, a general absence of sensitive biological resources, and proximity to existing and future planned high voltage transmission lines to deliver the wind energy to market," said the company in a statement this week. The company is aiming at construction to start in 2024, if the project is approved. According to the company, construction of the project would create hundreds of jobs, 20 permanent jobs, and contribute an estimated $46 million in tax revenue during construction. Magic Valley Energy is in the approval process for the Lava Wind Project, a 1,000 megawatt proposal that would construct 400 wind turbines. LS Power, the parent company, also list a transmission line, Southwest Intertie Project North (SWIP), project on its website that would extend from Jerome County, Idaho south to Nevada.