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ClimateQuiet 4d · day 10

Idaho county weighs reversing its renewable energy ban

Bannock County commissioners, led by a former dissenter, prepare to overturn a 2024 ordinance that blocked solar and wind.

newest coverage 3d agosummary written 9d ago16 pieces344 likes & upvotes39 comments NewswiresMastodonRedditBluesky

What to know

  • Bannock County's chair, who opposed the 2024 ban, now leads efforts to reverse it via an ordinance permitting solar, wind, and nuclear energy this fall.
  • The reversal responds to Idaho's projected 26% rise in electricity demand by 2030 and neighboring counties' success generating tax revenue from renewable projects.
  • Rural Bannock County sees renewable development as a path to economic growth and essential services as population lags the state average and drought pressures farming.
many voices

Renewable energy bans are economically irrational and will lose to market forces and modern necessity.

  • “Banning renewables in 2026 makes no more sense than banning mechanical looms in the 1800s. Lower cost, modern technologies will always attract their share of Luddites. But least cost ultimately wins.”

    SeanCasten · Mastodon ↗
some voices

The ban's real cost is visible in rural hardship: climate-driven drought is devastating family farms and local economies need alternative revenue.

  • “It's worth reading this article about climate science deniers blocking renewable energy projects just for this line about this fossil fueled drought: "Three years ago, he said, the field produced some 800 bales of hay. This year, it…”

    GreenFire · Mastodon ↗

“The Bannock County vote is a test case of whether — and how — a community can revisit its assumptions about the costs and benefits of clean energy and decide to welcome development it once swore off.”

Julia Tilton, Reporter, The Daily Yonder · The Daily Yonder · Sep 13

Jeff Hough Bannock County Commission ChairIdaho Power State's largest utilityAaron Menenberg Idaho policy manager, Renewable Northwest

Idaho county weighs reversing its renewable energy ban
canarymedia.com

How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlesposts

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  1. 1

    County prepares vote on renewable energy reversal

    Canary Media and The Daily Yonder report that Bannock County commissioners are set to vote this fall on a new ordinance with revised language that would allow solar, wind, and nuclear energy development. The potential reversal is framed as a test case for rural communities reconsidering clean energy bans amid national economic and grid pressures.

    “We cannot deny the entire county the opportunity to exercise their property rights. That goes against the principles this country was founded on.”
    — Jeff Hough, Bannock County Commission Chair · source
    1. 1 outlet An Idaho county banned renewables. It’s having second thoughts.

      first by Canary Media, 10d ago

    • SeanCasten@mastodon.social

      Banning renewables in 2026 makes no more sense than banning mechanical looms in the 1800s. Lower cost, modern technologies will always attract their share of Luddites. But least cost ultimately wins. https://www. canarymedia.com/articles/clean -energy/idaho-county-may-reverse-renewables-solar-ban

      SeanCasten@mastodon.socialMastodon9d ago5▲view on Mastodon ↗
    2 more of the top 3 · 9 posts in this stretch

    • What happened to the land of the free? These Retardicans don't believe that people can make their own decisions. Do Republicans have any principles?

      mdcbldrr/energy3d agoview on r/energy ↗
    • GreenFire@mstdn.social

      It's worth reading this article about climate science deniers blocking renewable energy projects just for this line about this fossil fueled drought: "Three years ago, he said, the field produced some 800 bales of hay. This year, it produced only a dozen." https://www. canarymedia.com/articles/clean…

      GreenFire@mstdn.socialMastodon9d agoview on Mastodon ↗
    all of them →
  2. background

    Hough becomes county commission chair and pursues reversal — Since the March 2024 ban vote, Hough has become chair of the Bannock County commission and dedicated himself to overturning the ordinance. He now plans to bring a revised ordinance to a vote this fall.

  3. background

    Bannock County commissioners ban renewable energy development — The three-person Bannock County commission voted 2–1 to pass an ordinance banning utility-scale solar and wind development in the county. Jeff Hough, the sole dissenter, objected on the grounds that the ban violated property rights and America's founding principles.

What people are saying 5 voices from 2 sites · best of 9 · verbatim