Our Story
Idaho Energy Freedom curates factual energy news and information to counter misinformation about energy in Idaho. We highlight news of interest to those curious about energy production in Idaho, as well as how we use energy of all kinds to improve our daily lives and strengthen our economy.
We believe that Idahoans can decide for themselves what’s in their best interest, be it hydropower, solar, wind, or natural gas. Freedom is an Idaho value, and no one type of energy is right for everyone. Healthy competition benefits ratepayers, and investment in energy infrastructure creates jobs and prosperity in our schools and communities.
Meet the Advisory Council
Peter Richardson
Peter Richardson is one of two principals in the law firm of Richardson Adams, PLLC. Mr. Richardson’s law practice focuses on energy regulatory, transactional and independent power development.
In Mr. Richardson’s energy practice, he has made appearances before almost every state energy regulatory commission in the intermountain west as well as the Idaho Supreme Court, the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bonneville Power Administration. Mr. Richardson is a 1983 cum laude graduate of the University of San Francisco School of Law and received his B.A. from Boise State University. He is a member of the Federal Energy Bar Association and has been awarded an “AV” rating by Martidale-Hubble. Mr. Richardson has also served on the Boise State University Foundation Board of Directors as well as the Board of Directors of the Boise State University Friends of Nursing.
Chantel Greene
Chantel Greene is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Xexus Greene Energy LLC, a 100% Native American- and woman-owned newly established consulting company. She served a three-year term as the elected Vice-Chairwoman of the Nez Perce Tribal Council (NPTEC) from 2018 to 2021. The Idaho Governor’s Office of Energy and Mineral Resources requested her to serve as a member of the 2022 Energy Infrastructure Task Force, and she was selected to serve on Idaho’s COVID-19 Financial Cares Committee. She was selected to give written and oral testimony in Washington, DC, to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations’ Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies in 2020. Currently, Chantel serves on the advisory committee for the Center for Tribal Nations (CTNAC), and previously served on the 2021 Northwest CASC Deep Dive: Managing Climate Change Impacts on Stream Permanence. She is a recipient and selected Fellow of the 2021-2022 Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund through Grid Alternatives Tribal Energy Innovators Fellowship Program. She successfully completed the Solar and Energy Storage Resiliency Project for the Nez Perce Tribe with Idaho’s first Tribal Tesla Megapack. The Solar Resiliency Project included service learning and workforce development for tribal members. Some of her policy work and testimony provided to the Idaho State Senate, Human Resource Subcommittee, and Natural Resource Subcommittee for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People led to the passage of Resolution HCR033 and to Dental Health Aide Therapy Idaho Bill rule passage, eventually creating DHAT Idaho healthcare provider program. She was previously the Human Resource Chairman for the Nez Perce Tribe and helped establish and chaired its Climate Change and Energy Subcommittee. Her previous delegated appointments were to the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board, Community Health Aide Program (CHAP), State and Tribal Governments Working Group on environmental issues (STGWG), Inter-tribal Agriculture Council, National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), and Affiliated Tribes of the Northwest Indians (ATNI). She has also previously worked in natural resources, health care, human resources, and STEM mentoring programs. She holds a Masters of Legal Studies in Indigenous Peoples Law from the University of Oklahoma, a Bachelors of Arts in Indigenous American Indian Studies with an emphasis in Environmental Justice from Haskell Indian Nations University, and an Associates of Science, Health, Sport, and Exercise Science degree also from Haskell Indian Nations University. She is currently the new Nez Perce Tribe Gaming Commission Director.
Sinuhe Montoya
Sinuhe got his start in the “real world” by enlisting in the United States Army in 2002 as a result of September 11th. He completed two combat tours to Iraq wherein he learned the value of life and freedom by experiencing lessons that can only be taught during a war. Once he got out of the Army, he was armed with an ironclad resilience and steadfast drive to be a successful businessman. Being a steward of the environment, he knew that renewable energy was his calling so he muscled his way into sales at the renowned Baker Electric in San Diego where he made himself a name for being a top producer. It was at Baker that Sinuhe took from his past experiences and introduced drone technology to make the process of designing for solar safer, more efficient, and better for the customer.
Having the strong drive to always be of service and to help others coupled with an itch to be an entrepreneur he saw the opportunity to take the concept of drone technology and apply it to solar and roofing. Not being risk-averse, Sinuhe bet on himself, and with the help of his business partner, he launched DroneQuote in 2017.
Today, Sinuhe continues to build DroneQuote and strives to give consumers a level of convenience, cost-effectiveness, and transparency that has never been seen in solar and roofing. While you can take the man out of the Army, you can never take the Army out of the man – with this spirit, Sinuhe and company will not stop until the mission to simplify solar and roofing for everyone is accomplished.
Kevin Bradshaw
Kevin moved to Idaho in 1980. He has worked in the retail industry, radio broadcasting, home decorating and interior design, home designer, and over 25 years as a homebuilder. Kevin joined Rotary in 1985 and was Treasurer for 15 years. He has been the secretary of his club for over 20 years. Kevin won the first Rotary International, “I Fix the Planet” video contest in 2021 and continues to use his talent to help others every day.
John Steiner
John Steiner is a wind developer and agricultural entrepreneur who lives in Oreanna in Owyhee County in Southwest Idaho. He’s owned and operated farming and livestock operations there since 1966. Steiner is a 1964 graduate of Boise Junior College School of Business and also attended the Curtis School for Stockmen in Colorado and the Small Business Startup School through the SBA.
During the 1970s, Steiner owned and operated United Irrigation, which specialized in irrigation machine development that was used in the U.S., Canada, and the Middle East. A serial entrepreneur, Steiner has also worked in real estate and development in agriculture, commercial, and residential development, and developed the Simply Natural Pie company that was sold through Albertsons grocer stores from 1994-1998. He owned and operated the Idaho Waste Systems Regional Landfill from 1993 to 1999, developing it to meet permitting standards to scale to government standards.
Since 2004, Steiner has focused on large scale wind farms in Oregon and Idaho, including finding suitable locations, working with landowners, completing wind studies, obtaining permits, and developing electrical power sales with utility companies, including sourcing transmission lines and building substations. He’s obtained financing for more than $100 million in projects, seeing through to completion Idaho Windfarms and Hot Springs Windfarms, and Mountain Air Windfarm in Idaho, and Echo Windfarms and Huntington Windfarm in Oregon.
Eli Bowles
Eli Bowles has always been committed to helping people and so earned his bachelor’s degree in public emergency services management, and early jobs included working as a wildland firefighter and EMT. Eli began working in the renewable energy field in 2010. His first renewable job was as a wind turbine technician and then worked as a technical training specialist for Siemens Energy. He and his family moved to Idaho in 2016 where he began working as the program manager and instructor for the renewable energy program at the College of Southern Idaho. Eli enjoys teaching and learning about all different types of renewable energy by designing and building renewable energy projects with his students. He also works selling residential solar systems for EGT Solar and has solar on his own house. Eli has a master’s degree in occupational safety and health and he brings a safety mindset to everything he does.
Laurie Zuckerman
Rotary International is a network of 1.4 million leaders across the globe taking action on our world’s most persistent issues. Laurie Zuckerman is Director of the Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group’s Communications Division. This independent, Rotary affiliate group is made of approximately 1700 members who inspire and empower Rotary with extensive expertise, networks, education and best practices to implement sustainable and impactful environmental projects and initiatives.
Zuckerman holds Masters degrees in Elementary Education and Ministry and has held a variety of positions in public schools, public media, and state government. She also serves as Rotary District 5400’s Earth Stewardship Chair. When not working with Rotary, she enjoys her family, pretend-nano-farm, and jogging.
Dr. Dave Makings
Dr. Dave Makings is a Professor Emeritus at the College of Southern Idaho, a farm and ranch land owner, and a semi-retired, part-time farmer/rancher.
Dr. Makings has been a Renewable Energy Advocate since the late 1970s. He earned his bachelor’s in biology from Colorado State University in 1971, his master’s in environmental biology in 1974, and his doctorate in adult education from the University of Idaho in 1988, and has been teaching about the environmental impact of energy production for over 40 years. He was also instrumental in the research, design, development, and implementation of the Credit for Prior Learning program at the College of Southern Idaho, a program that grants college credit for knowledge gained before entering an institute of higher learning.
Linda Engle
Linda Engle earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering and Master’s in Mathematics Education from the University of Colorado. For 20 years she was on the faculty in Idaho State University’s Mathematics Department. Along with other faculty members, she founded the Idaho State University Sustainability Club, now in its fifth year. As a climate lobbyist for five years with Citizens’ Climate Lobby, she discussed solutions with Idaho congressmen in Idaho and Washington, DC. Linda has been an active member of the Portneuf Resource Council. In 2019, she was the marketing coordinator for Solarize Pocatello a successful program which helped install more than 80 residential solar systems across Idaho and beyond. She was instrumental in the installation of ISU’s first electric charging station through grants from Idaho Power and a number of other organizations. Through the City of Pocatello and the Centennial Rotary she initiated the installation of multiple solar powered crosswalk beacons on 5th street. In 2020 she founded, and now manages, Sustainable Idaho an award winning student run weekly radio program funded by grants from the Idaho State University’s Office for Research and the Center for Ecology Research and Education.
Having worked in the climate field since 2016, Linda decided to change careers away from teaching Mathematics; in 2022 she completed a Graduate Certificate in Energy Policy and Management from Portland State University. Most recently she was the Climate Associate for Idaho Conservation League, she is Secretary for Portneuf Resource Council Board of Directors and is currently giving presentations around Idaho on electric vehicles and the federal funding available to transition toward an electrified society.
