County commissioner fights his own ban

Jeff Hough voted against a 2024 ordinance banning solar and wind in Bannock County, Idaho. Now as commission chair, he's pushing to overturn it.

“We cannot deny the entire county the opportunity to exercise their property rights.”

Bans on clean energy are spreading

Nearly one in four US counties now have some kind of ban or moratorium on clean energy development, up from 15 percent in 2023. More than 60 percent are rural.

Idaho needs power fast

Idaho Power expects electricity demand to grow by 1 gigawatt by 2030, a 26 percent increase. The state cannot afford to reject new energy sources.

“We can't afford to say no to anything.”

Bannock County is prime real estate

The county sits near the Populus substation, a critical grid junction. Building power plants nearby is cheaper and could lower utility costs for customers.

Economic development is the real prize

Hough sees renewables as a way to bring tax revenue and jobs to a county losing population. Neighboring counties generated hundreds of thousands in tax revenue from solar projects.

How the ban happened

Hough himself proposed a six-month moratorium in October 2023 to regulate developers. But residents organized to make it permanent, and the ban passed in March 2024.

Rebecca Falcon leads the opposition

A Downey resident, Falcon turned away Balanced Rock Power when they approached her about leasing land for solar. She organized neighbors to fight the projects.

The hearing that changed everything

More than two dozen speakers showed up to a February 2024 hearing, nearly all from south Bannock County opposing solar. The meeting had to move to a high school auditorium.

Farmers see a lifeline

Dale Lish, a grain farmer, signed a contract with Hecate to option 400 acres for solar. Per-acre income from solar was four to five times higher than wheat alone.

“A straight-out ban, I don't think that's American.”

Drought is devastating local farms

Steve Criddle's alfalfa field produced 800 bales three years ago but only a dozen this year. Over 87 percent of the county now faces extreme drought conditions.

“The drought's been tough.”

Rural services are disappearing

Downey has lost its hospital, bank, pharmacy, movie theater, grocery store, and farm-equipment shop. The Criddles worry about leaving their grandchildren a viable farm.

Lytton Bastian leases marginal land

Bastian signed a 2021 contract with Balanced Rock to lease 840 acres of his least productive ground. His contract expires at year's end and hinges on lifting the ban.

Solar could fund essential services

Balanced Rock offered Downey $100,000 in direct payments through a community benefit program. If the ban stays, the city loses this money and the chance to restore services.

Falcon worries about landscape and cleanup

Falcon fears solar panels will ruin the valley's views and questions who will decommission projects in 50 years. The new ordinance requires developers to post bonds and submit removal plans.

“The public has a right to know this will change this valley for 50 years.”

Nuclear energy offers a compromise

A January survey found 90 percent of Bannock County residents favor nuclear energy. Falcon and Hauser prefer nuclear to solar, seeing it as a smaller footprint solution.

Nuclear future remains uncertain

Only two next-generation nuclear projects in the US have construction permits. The SMR industry faces engineering unknowns, supply chain gaps, and no guarantee of success.

Hough sees solar as a bridge

While nuclear is the long-term goal, Hough argues the county needs solar and wind now to generate revenue and jobs over the next decade while waiting for nuclear.

“Nuclear is 10 years away, maybe, so you've got to have something to help get you there.”

Commissioner Moser is reconsidering

Ernie Moser, who voted for the ban in 2024, now says his fears are not as big. He visited a solar project and attended energy academy to educate himself on Idaho's needs.

Property rights emerge as key issue

Wade Egan, a 5,000-acre farmer, switched to supporting solar, calling property rights as fundamental as free speech. The debate hinges on whether landowners can decide their own land use.

“I really do believe the right to control and own personal property is as fundamental as speech.”

A decision looms this fall

The three commissioners will vote on a new ordinance allowing solar, wind, and nuclear development. The outcome will test whether communities can reverse course on clean energy bans.