On his first day in office, President Donald Trump halted the development of what was set to be the largest wind farm in the United States. The Lava Ridge Wind Project in Idaho, covering over 100,000 acres, was put on hold through an executive order issued on Tuesday.

Newsweek reached out to both the White House and developers Magic Valley Energy for further details on the order and its implications but did not receive a response. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) also declined to comment.

This move aligns with Trump’s inauguration promises, including a pivot from renewable energy to traditional fuel sources. As he said in his speech, “We will drill, baby, drill.” This decision to stop the Lava Ridge project, along with his withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement, signals his administration's shift toward fossil fuels.

The Lava Ridge Wind Project was planned to span 104,000 acres in Lava Ridge, Idaho, and include over 271 turbines. Had it been completed, it would have been the largest wind farm in the U.S., surpassing the 100,000-acre Roscoe Wind Farm in Texas.

However, the project faced opposition from local groups, including Republican Senator Jim Risch of Idaho, who had concerns over its management by the BLM. In 2023, Idaho lawmakers voiced objections, particularly about the project’s proximity to the Minidoka National Historic Site, a location of significance to the Japanese American community due to its history as an internment camp during WWII.

Risch co-authored the executive order with Trump, and in a statement, he praised the decision: “By prioritizing this executive action on his first day in office, President Trump further cements his legacy as a leader in the revolution of commonsense that governs by the people and for the people.”

Risch continued, “I made a promise to Idahoans that I would not rest until the Lava Ridge Wind Project was terminated. On day one, President Donald Trump took action to keep that promise. Lava Ridge has been the embodiment of liberals' disregard for the voices of Idahoans and rural America.”

The future of the Lava Ridge Wind Project remains uncertain, with questions still lingering about whether the cancellation is permanent and whether legal challenges will arise.