22 MW Sawtooth Wind Farm, Idaho
The proposed 22 MW Sawtooth wind farm would be located on sugar beet farm land in Elmore County, about 60 miles east of Boise, near Glenns Ferry, Idaho. We have finished site development and permitting activities. This project is ready to construct. A power purchase agreement has been signed with the Idaho Power Company. A photo of the project site is shown here.
Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) are available for sale from this wind project. Please contact us if you have any interest.
The Sawtooth wind farm would provide the average energy supply for about 15,000 homes within Idaho Power Company’s service territory.
Climate and Environmental Benefits. The renewable energy produced by wind power is clean and non-polluting (i.e., no emissions). As compared with the energy produced by a fossil-fired power plant, the environmental attributes and air emissions savings benefits of this 22 MW wind farm are estimated as follows:
- equivalent reduced natural gas consumption of 240,000,000 cubic feet per year
- reduces dependence on imported oil, saving the consumption of 42,000 barrels per year
- reduces equivalent coal consumption and mining of 9,000 tons per year
- reduced water pollution/consumption of 35,000,000 gallons per year
- equivalent avoided emission of 155,000,000 lbs of CO2 per year, which reduces the impacts of global warming and climate change
- equivalent to planting about 2,900,000 trees (or a 12,000 acre forest), because trees naturally absorb CO2
The emissions and pollution SAVED (or prevented) during the Sawtooth wind farm’s life of 20 years—over 3.1 billion pounds of NOx, SOx, PM, and CO2—would cover the entire City of Boise, Idaho (64 square miles) approximately 43 feet deep! 
Ahhh, breathe the clean, natural air from the Sawtooth wind farm…
Social and Economic Benefits. Wind power is a renewable energy resource that would lessen Idaho’s dependence on fossil fuels. The “fuel” for this energy resource—the wind—is natural, abundant, and free, which would reduce the impact of fossil fuel price volatility (especially natural gas) on Idaho Power and its customers. In addition, wind power integrates efficiently with the operation of the hydropower resources on Idaho Power’s system.
This Project would be a boost to Idaho’s economy through local construction jobs and expenditures on materials, tools, supplies, and equipment rentals, 
as well as through the creation of long-term employment. The local economic benefits (direct and indirect) from this wind farm over 20 years is estimated to be roughly $40 million, including property taxes, payroll from high-skilled jobs, land owner/farmer land leases, post-startup sales taxes, business taxes, various services purchased from local retailers, etc. (both during initial construction, plus continuing services for operation and maintenance).
Health Savings. Further, the hidden economic burdens placed on society from air pollution created by coal and gas-fired power generation is huge—the costs to “medicate” and “repair” our society, based upon the various air pollution values over 20 years mentioned above, is roughly estimated at $85 million, which comprises health care and disease costs, plus damage to crops, property, climate, etc., as well as, impacts to public services. Therefore, the clean, renewable power from this wind farm would save our society roughly $85 million over 20 years in health and societal costs.
Birds/Wildlife Benefits. Not only does the use of clean, natural wind power save human lives, it also saves the lives of birds and other wildlife. Birds are far more sensitive to pollution than humans due to the thinness of the bird's lung's air-sac gas-exchange tissue, roughly half of the thickness of mammals, plus the large amounts of oxygen required for flight. Therefore, birds are far more sensitive to airborne particulates and pollution. Birds absorb almost twice as much air pollution in their respiratory system as humans. In addition, fossil-fired power plants cause significant bird fatalities not only from air pollution, but from mining, desctruction of forests, acid rain which causes acidification of soil and lakes/rivers, ingesting toxic mercury, collisions with power plant smokestacks and structures, climate change which wreaks havoc on migration routes and degrades habitats, etc. However, birds also collide to a lesser extent with wind turbines. Therefore, considering the entirety of the impacts, this wind project will save an estimated net 7,000 birds over 20 years by displacing fossil-fired power (Sovacool, 2009).
For more information about the environmental, health, and economic benefits of wind power, please visit our Health Benefits of Wind Power page.
All values contained herein are preliminary and approximate.
June 2010
