I am responding to article “Utility goes to court over B2H,” which explains how Idaho Power Corporation is now attempting to compel land owners in Baker County to allow surveying for the proposed B2H power line project. One of my big objections to this massive and unneeded project is the sheer amount of private land that the government will have to take in order to complete the project. Even though the article mentions only five parcels in Baker County, the amount of private property required for the entire B2H line is enormous. Do the math: 74% of the proposed 296-mile power line is on private land. And the line requires a minimum 250-foot-wide corridor. Any land owner who doesn’t want to cooperate will eventually get hauled into court, first to allow surveys, and later to coerce sale of their land through eminent domain.

And for what? The line passes through five Oregon counties and distributes no power along its way to SW Idaho. Idaho Power has been fixated on building a new B2H line for 14 years without adequately considering alternatives, like upgrading and fire-hardening existing lines, or siting wind and solar plants in SW Idaho, where the power would be used. It’s time to tell Idaho Power to leave Oregonians alone. For more information, see www.stopb2h.org.

Jon White

La Grande