November 7, 2025

Farmland Fossilised: The Hidden Cost of Southern Idaho’s Economic Expansion

By: Jeff Pierson

Across southern Idaho’s agricultural heartland, the rapid expansion of large-scale wind and solar projects built to power data centers both inside and outside the state has raised new concern about soil degradation, declining aquifer stability, and the region’s economic and cultural future. Farmland once sustained by organic life now faces permanent transformation as industrial infrastructure replaces crops and irrigation with panels, turbines, and concrete foundations.

During site preparation for solar farms, land is often stripped, graded, and compacted to support panel arrays. A national review found that some solar construction projects in Idaho violated stormwater and sediment control requirements, with runoff entering nearby waterways (Syed, 2022). A compacted substrate beneath panels does not drain or breathe like undisturbed farmland. Soil biology is disrupted, nutrient cycles slow down, and water infiltration declines.

When decommissioning occurs, the damage multiplies. Foundations, cable trenches, plastic conduits, and concrete footings are often left in place or only partially removed. That buried infrastructure hinders restoration of the land to productive use. Farmers who reclaim such property may face decades of soil amendment, drainage correction, and microbial rebuilding before crop yields return to normal.

The danger extends far below the surface. Southern Idaho sits atop the Eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer (ESPA), a groundwater system that supports irrigation, domestic wells, and regional economies. Although direct studies linking renewable infrastructure to aquifer contamination are limited, the pathways are clear. Soil compaction and sealed surfaces reduce natural recharge. Sediment and runoff can carry pollutants from construction zones into recharge areas. Disturbed soils accelerate the movement of contaminants from surface to groundwater.

State water managers have already documented declining aquifer levels across south-central Idaho due to over-pumping and drought (News from the States, 2024). When industrial development further limits recharge, the aquifer’s resilience weakens.

Land may appear restored after a solar or wind project, but in reality the soil’s living structure and its relationship with water have been traded away. For a region whose economy and identity are built on farming, and whose lifeblood is groundwater, this risk is not theoretical. Without binding reclamation requirements, rigorous soil restoration, and the protection of recharge zones, southern Idaho’s farmland and aquifer face a slow and preventable decline.

How Other Regions Are Responding to Mega-Project Expansion

Across the United States, local and state governments are beginning to place limits on rapid industrial growth. AI data centers, large solar farms, and wind installations have expanded faster than zoning laws or resource planning can adapt. The purpose of new policies is not to block innovation but to prevent uncontrolled development that drains farmland, water, and community stability.

Several examples show how other regions are addressing these risks responsibly.

Virginia: Local Controls on Data Centers

Virginia does not have a statewide data-center policy, so counties such as York and Henrico have written their own ordinances. Developers must prove infrastructure capacity, complete noise and environmental studies, and obtain conditional approvals rather than automatic zoning clearance.
https://www.renewableenergyworld.com/energy-business/policy-and-regulation/virginia-doesnt-have-statewide-data-center-regulations-localities-are-making-their-own-rules/

National Research on Solar Restrictions

A review by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory found that many local zoning codes now include moratoria, siting limits, or project size restrictions for wind and solar installations. These measures are intended to protect farmland, wildlife habitat, and local community character.
https://www.pnnl.gov/sites/default/files/media/file/Restrictions%20in%20Local%20Zoning%20-%20Memo%20-%20Jul22.pdf

State Oversight in Georgia and New York

Georgia’s Senate Bill 34 would prevent data-center infrastructure costs from being passed to residential ratepayers. In New York, proposed legislation would require companies to disclose energy and water consumption and hold public hearings before construction.
https://climate-xchange.org/2025/05/webinar-recap-data-centers-and-state-climate-policy/

Vermont: Comprehensive Land-Use Review

Vermont’s Act 250 requires major projects to undergo a full review of environmental, community, and economic impacts before permits are issued. The statute offers a working model for balancing development with consent and long-term stewardship.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Act_250_(Vermont_law)

The Local Blind Spot: Jerome County’s Ordinance Falls Behind

Jerome County’s zoning ordinance was written for another era. It regulates feedlots, gravel pits, and subdivisions with precision but says little about modern industrial uses such as AI data centers, solar arrays, or high-capacity substations. This silence has created a regulatory gap that allows high-impact projects to move forward with limited public oversight.

Related:
Homes located within just 3 miles of this kind of building can see their values decrease significantly

Other regions have already updated their frameworks. Virginia counties classify data centers as conditional uses that require infrastructure studies and proof of available capacity. Vermont’s Act 250 requires review that includes environmental, cultural, and economic effects. Jerome County continues to rely on “Special Use Permits” issued under broad and outdated language that measures short-term compatibility but ignores long-term risk.

Section 3 of the Jerome County Zoning Ordinance states that a Special Use Permit may be granted if a project is “in harmony with the general purpose and intent of the zoning district” and if “public services are available or can be provided.” These statements give wide discretion but no measurable standard. There is no requirement for independent verification of a developer’s claims regarding water or power use and no cumulative-impact analysis that accounts for the combined burden of multiple projects on the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer or regional grid capacity. This reflects what researchers call the silent ordinance problem, where zoning codes fail to address new utility-scale industries and leave decisions to interpretation instead of clear policy.

Jerome County also provides little transparency about resource use. Unlike states that require public disclosure of industrial energy and water data, the county’s records remain scattered among agencies and difficult to access. Without that information, residents cannot determine whether industrial growth is depleting shared resources or raising utility costs.

Development agreements in the county also lack accountability. They contain no enforceable standards for verifying that promised jobs or local investments are delivered. Once a Special Use Permit is issued, there is no requirement for follow-up or performance review. The University of Michigan’s Ford School described this pattern as a structural governance failure, where local zoning systems lack the ability to measure or enforce long-term outcomes.

Related:
Farm Bureau: Solar Energy Expansion and its Impacts on Rural Communities

The result is not balance but blindness. While other jurisdictions modernize their codes to require conditional reviews, independent studies, and public data disclosure, Jerome County still relies on trust. Until its ordinances define new industrial uses, require third-party verification, and make records public, the county will remain legally compliant but civically unprepared.

Key Lessons for Policy

  • Local governments are closing gaps in outdated zoning codes and now require case-by-case review of major projects.
  • States are beginning to demand public disclosure of industrial energy, water, and tax data to protect citizens from hidden costs.
  • Environmental and social impact assessments are becoming standard tools for evaluating both ecological and community effects before approval.
  • Vermont’s Act 250 and Virginia’s county-level reforms demonstrate that growth and accountability can coexist when policy is deliberate and transparent.

These examples show that prudent regulation strengthens both the economy and the environment. The purpose of restraint is not to resist progress but to keep it within the limits of justice, stewardship, and local consent. This is the vision that Idaho 20/200 seeks to restore.

References

Note: This column is part of the Idaho 20/200 Unrestrained Development Series, © 2025 Jeff A Pierson.  To read the rest of the series, click here.

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