Longtime energy attorney Peter Richardson chairs new group
Idaho Energy Freedom has announced a new advisory council made up of clean power advocates from around the state. The new organization, chaired by longtime energy attorney Peter Richardson, will host an education day at the Idaho State Capitol on January 18, 2023.
“We plan to counter some of the persistent misinformation in Idaho about clean energy options so that our state doesn’t miss out on the tremendous economic benefits,” said Richardson, who owns a law practice in Boise. “Our state’s largest utility has a 100% clean energy goal by 2045 and most major companies and cities are setting similar objectives so we can’t afford to bury our heads in the sand on this.”
In addition to Idaho Power’s clean energy goals, the group notes that the City of Boise aims to be carbon-free by 2035, and cities like Moscow and Ketchum have similarly aggressive goals. Companies like Micron, Meta, Chobani and J.R. Simplot have also set goals for 100% clean energy or significant reductions in carbon emissions in the next decade.
In addition to Richardson, the other members of the advisory council include: Kevin Bradshaw, a retired homebuilder and community leader in Twin Falls; John Steiner, an agricultural entrepreneur and wind developer who ranches in Owyhee County; Sinuhe Montoya, a veteran and owner of Drone Quote, a small business based in Twin Falls; Laurie Zuckerman, Boise-based Director of the Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group’s Communications Division; and Eli Bowles, an Assistant Professor at the College of Southern Idaho’s renewable energy department in Twin Falls.
Idaho Energy Freedom maintains a blog that curates clean energy news from around the region as well as offering its own analysis. Additionally, the group has also produced a series of videos about the importance of clean energy for Idaho’s economy with the intention to activate its members in support of clean energy goals and projects.
“There are a lot of ways Idaho could make it easier for folks to save money through clean solar energy,” said Sinuhe Montoya, whose business uses drones to survey homes for compatibility with rooftop solar. “It’s windy all the time in the Magic Valley, and our schools and communities could really benefit from the tax revenue these larger projects can bring in.”
Clean energy stakeholders are invited to provide information and educate legislators at Idaho Energy Freedom’s upcoming event on Jan. 18 at the statehouse. To sign up for a table or get involved in other ways, contact hello@idahoenergyfreedom.org.