Latest news with #IdahoPower
Business Journals
22-04-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
Idaho Power's B2H transmission line faces continued delays
When Adam Richins gives presentations about Idaho Power's efforts to build the Boardman to Hemingway power line — B2H as it's known — he'll sometimes include a baby picture of his son Sam. "He was born in 2007, which is when B2H was essentially born," Richins, the utility's chief operating officer, says. Now, Sam is "a man, bigger than I am." B2H, though, remains unbuilt, still slogging through seemingly endless regulatory thickets. The 290-mile power line mainly in northeastern Oregon is a key piece in Idaho Power's plan to reliably meet rising demand with clean resources. The company owns 45% of the project and is leading its development. Portland-based PacifiCorp, which owns the other 55%, has positioned the line as part of enhanced connectivity between the western and eastern portions of its six-state service territory. Bonneville Power Administration plans to use the line to serve customers in southeastern Idaho. Poster child for power-line roadblocks But right now B2H is the poster child for the challenge of building transmission lines amid widespread agreement on the need for expansion in the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere. The Oregon Supreme Court late last month turned aside a challenge to an amendment to B2H's state site certificate — as it had a challenge two years ago to the original site certificate. Now, though, the project is awaiting sign-off on documents and reports related to the National Historic Preservation Act. expand Adam Richins, chief operating officer, Idaho Power Idaho Power "They've had multiple reviews time and time again, and we still are in a position where we're going to have months of delays," Richins said. "We're probably hoping to break ground this summer if they can get these documents reviewed. And then we can go forward once and for all with breaking ground." A spokesperson for the Bureau of Land Management, the lead federal agency on the project permitting, told the Business Journal that "compliance with regulations that protect cultural resources continues to move forward in partnership with BLM, IPC, Tribes, the Oregon and Idaho State Historic Preservation Office and other consulting parties." Idaho Power's best-case scenario now is to have the line completed before the end of 2027. The 500-kilovolt B2H line would offer a new connection between the Pacific Northwest and the Intermountain West, running mostly through Oregon on a route between a new substation near Boardman, in Morrow County, and one near Melba, Idaho. Idaho Power is also involved in other significant regional projects, as is PacifiCorp. The projects are all about opening up corridors to move energy — including Washington and Oregon hydropower, Wyoming wind power and Great Basin and Desert Southwest solar — from where it's produced, to where it's needed, when it's needed. New transmission and "grid-enhancing technologies" applied to existing lines are seen as increasingly needed to meet rising demand, especially with intermittent clean resources. PacifiCorp's plan with B2H PacifiCorp has long included B2H in its biennial resource plans, although in a twist, it dropped the line from its "preferred portfolio" in its recently released 2025 Integrated Resource Plan. At an Oregon Public Utility Commission meeting last week, PacifiCorp officials said they did so because they learned that it faced delays in acquiring rights from Bonneville to redirect power from a new substation called Longhorn that is the terminus of the B2H line near Boardman. But it turned out that an unnamed "specific local customer" — the area is rife with data center and renewable energy development — could get to Longhorn and use the B2H path. So the line wouldn't be used to serve existing customers, and thus they wouldn't be billed for it. "So we've removed (B2H) from this (IRP) and are pursuing its construction, its arrangements, the cost of that facility, through a process outside of the IRP at this time," Rick Link, PacifiCorp's senior vice president of resource planning and procurement, told the PUC. "It does not mean that we're assuming the line doesn't get built. We're actively pursuing the things needed for that to be successful, as we speak."
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Some Idaho Power solar customers fear their investment won't break even under rate change
Idahoans hold up signs supporting solar energy at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise in 2024. (Courtesy of the Idaho Chapter Sierra Club) Hawk Sahlein installed 12 solar panels onto his Boise home in December 2023 with the hopes that it would build equity onto his home and promote clean energy. The 36-year-old spent $18,000 on panels, even taking out a loan from a credit union to finance the investment. The decision came after speaking to several solar companies about the cost, as well as speaking to other locals with solar panels whose Idaho Power bills reduced after installation. Sahlein was excited about producing his own energy from the solar panels, but now the thought is 'sour,' he told the Idaho Capital Sun. That's because Idaho Power put in a request with the Idaho Public Utilities Commission to decrease the amount it credits its non-legacy rooftop solar owners, or those who installed their systems after December 2019. The change is to ensure Idaho Power is paying equitable prices for the energy it buys, a company spokesperson told the Sun. If the rate changes are implemented, Sahlein's solar panels would barely save him money on his power bill, adding to his expenses on top of the loan he took to pay for the panels. He, and 13,700 other Idaho Power customers, would be impacted by this change. And many others have spent even more on their solar systems at home — ranging from $40,000 to $100,000, according to comments on the Idaho Public Utilities Commission website. Some Idahoans have installed rooftop solar because of the credits that reduce the cost of their power bill. When customers with solar power generate more energy than they use, the extra energy is sent to Idaho Power's grid. The company then credits those individuals for the energy at a set rate, called the export credit rate. In December 2023, the utilities commission made a final ruling on a new 'net billing' program, which requires that Idaho Power file an updated export credit rate each year on April 1. Solar advocates and owners said this year's proposed change in rates is drastic. 'People in Idaho go solar because it lowers their power bills, gives them energy freedom and security, and helps the environment,' Alex McKinley, the owner of Empowered Solar, said in an Idaho Sierra Club press release. 'Idaho Power is trying to take that opportunity away from people by skewing these rooftop solar rates in its favor. It's not right.' The credit rate varies depending on when the energy demand is the highest in the year, such as in the summer months — June 1 to Sept. 30. Idaho Power currently has the export credit rate set at: Summer on-peak hours: 16.99 cents/kWh Summer off-peak hours: 5.6 cents/kWh Non-summer: 4.8 cents/kWh The proposed export credit rate, which the commission will change by June 1, is: Summer on-peak hours : 14.05 cents/kWh Summer off-peak hours: 1.76 cents/kWh Non-summer: 0.959 cents/kWh 'I looked at the rates they're proposing, and it's bad,' Sahlein said. 'It's less than one cent per kilowatt hour in the non-summer months, so it's like an 80% drop in the credit on any non-summer day or time. That's wild to me.' Sahlein said the changes would make it hard for him to break even on his investment. Idaho Power spokesman Jordan Rodriguez said the main reason behind the decrease in credit rates is that 2024 saw lower energy market prices compared to the 2022 market prices used to determine the current rates. 'The (export credit rate) reflects the market value of the energy at the time it is exported to Idaho Power, combined with additional compensation for the benefit on-site generators bring to the grid,' he said. Solar advocates say utilities proposal contradicts clean energy goals. Idaho Power disagrees. The change in rates ensures Idaho Power is paying fair market prices for the energy it receives, which are adjusted annually, he said. 'Idaho Power supports clean energy and is using an increasing amount of solar and other clean resources in our energy mix,' he told the Sun. 'On-site generation has the potential to reduce how much energy Idaho Power needs to generate or purchase during some hours of some days, but it's not sufficient to meet all our needs and is non-firm power, meaning there is no guarantee it will be generating and available when we need it.' The change would affect residents without legacy status, as well as large commercial, industrial, or irrigation customers who installed systems after December 2020, and Oregon customers who installed solar panels after June 2024. Rodriguez said 5,300 out of 19,000 Idaho Power customers have legacy status, so they would not be impacted. Individuals wanting to leave feedback on the proposed changes can leave comments on the Idaho Public Utilities Commission's website, using the case number IPC-E-25-15. The commission is expected to make a decision before the new rates take effect on June 1. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Want rooftop solar? What Idaho Power seeks to pay for your electricity
Lisa Young had said for years that if Idaho Power received approval to overhaul its method of compensating homeowners for power produced by their rooftop solar panels, the company would try still to pay them less. In early 2024, the utility got the green light from the Idaho Public Utilities Commission to change its compensation structure. Young, the director of the Idaho chapter of the Sierra Club, had fought the proposal. She argued that it undervalued customer-generated solar and added complexity to the system that could discourage Idahoans from investing in clean energy. While the changes mostly affected rooftop solar, they also applied to other methods of on-site energy generation like windmills, geothermal and small hydro projects. Idaho Power's net metering policy previously allowed customers to receive credits on their utility bills equivalent to retail electricity rates when they produced more energy than their households needed. For every kilowatt hour of solar energy sent to the grid, the customer received a kilowatt-hour credit. But the overhaul lowered that rate, known as the export credit rate, and replaced what's known as net monthly billing with real-time net billing. It shifted energy valuation to on-peak and off-peak times. Rates would be higher in the hot summer months — particularly in the evenings, when Idaho Power says it experiences its largest demand — and lower in the winter. Rates for homeowners were previously between 8 cents to 10 cents per kilowatt hour, depending on the amount of energy used. Now, the average annual rate is about 6 cents. The order from the commission gave Idaho Power a path to adjust the rates annually. Young had noted that, in prior cases, the company had valued customer-generated solar power as low as nearly 2 cents per kilowatt-hour. 'They have their sights set on a much lower rate,' Young previously told the Idaho Statesman. She was right. Idaho Power filed an application with state regulators on Tuesday asking to cut the amount of money paid to rooftop solar owners by more than half. The company proposed lowering the export credit rate for summer on-peak hours to 14 cents, down from 17 cents, and off-peak hours outside the summer season to 0.9 cents, down from 4.8 cents. It would compensate energy exported in off-peak summer hours at 1.7 cents, according to the application. The average annual rate would be 2.4 cents. Jeremy Brunson, a high school teacher who installed solar panels on his Meridian home, said in a statement through the Sierra Club that before the changes to the compensation structure, he generated enough power over the winter to completely cover his power bills. But not anymore. 'I have generated more energy than I have used over the last month, and I will still have a bill,' Brunson said. 'From what I understand with their recent proposal, this compensation rate is going to get only worse.' A spokesperson for Idaho Power did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday. The utility has said that the reduction in compensation rates is tied to the rising popularity of solar systems. Idaho Power argued that previous pricing overcompensated customers with solar at the expense of those without. About 12,000 customers, or 2% of the company's roughly 600,000 customers, participate in on-site generation. 'We're trying to achieve a fair and accurate valuation of customers' exported energy,' Jordan Rodriguez, a spokesperson for Idaho Power, previously told the Statesman. Hundreds opposed changes to rooftop solar credits in Idaho. It was just approved anyway Boise has promised carbon neutrality by 2050. Can the city meet its goals under Trump? Meta, Micron projects will guzzle Idaho electricity, lawmakers say. Who's going to pay? Boise Airport is now fully on clean energy. How city and Idaho Power cut reliance on coal
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Idaho Power reportedly agrees to $800,000 Valley Fire settlement
The Valley Fire burns in the Boise foothills on Oct. 4 in this file photo taken from Southeast Boise. (Courtesy of Robbie Johnson/Idaho Department of Lands) Subject to finalizing legal terms, Idaho Power has reportedly agreed to pay a $800,000 settlement to help the state restore winter wildlife habitat burned during October's Valley Fire in the foothills east of Boise. Reports of the settlement were included in budget documents provided to the Idaho Legislature's Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, or JFAC, on Thursday at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise. JFAC is a powerful legislative committee that sets every budget for every state department and agency. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX JFAC approved on Thursday a one-time $800,000 appropriation to the Idaho Department of Fish and Games wildlife program to allow the department to accept the settlement money and spend it on restoring burned areas within the Boise River Wildlife Management Area. The Valley Fire started Oct. 4 and burned 9,904 acres, including part of the Boise River Wildlife Management Area. A power line touching the ground was found responsible for starting the fire, the Idaho Capital Sun previously reported. CONTACT US The Idaho Department of Fish and Game does not have resources dedicated to fire rehabilitation loss, state budget documents show. Nevertheless, state wildlife officials and biologists view the Boise River Management Area as an important habitat for deer and elk that migrate away from their summer habitat in the Sawtooth Mountains to move to their winter home in the foothills above the Boise River. The wildlife management area is home to more than 300 species of animals and is an important winter range that is protected from the nearby development taking place in the foothills, according to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. 'The Department of Fish and Game recognized the burned area as an important winter range for deer, elk and other wildlife,' state budget documents provided to JFAC members stated. 'Following the fire, the department reseeded the burned range and applied pre-emergent herbicide to prevent the establishment of annual invasive grasses and weeds, such as rush skeleton weed, that often germinate and establish themselves following the fire.' The Idaho Department of Fish and Game would like to use the settlement money to complete rehabilitation and restoration work, including herbicide treatments, aerial and drill seeding, seedling planting and hazardous tree removal, state budget documents show. Idaho Power officials confirmed to the Sun on Thursday they have reached a voluntary settlement agreement in principle with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. 'Idaho Power reached an agreement in principle with IDFG to resolve restoration claims related to the Valley Fire, subject to finalizing legal terms,' Idaho Power officials wrote Thursday. 'This voluntary resolution reflects Idaho Power's strong commitment to its partnership with the state. Idaho Power values its relationship with state agencies and will continue to cooperate with them on a number of important initiatives.' Budget documents provided to JFAC offer some insight into the reported settlement. 'The Department of Fish and Game has been in discussions with Idaho Power Company regarding a settlement for the latter to fund the department's efforts to restore the area for public use,' those documents state. 'Subject to finalizing legal terms, Idaho Fish and Game and Idaho Power have reached a settlement of $800,000 for habitat restoration on the Boise River WMA related to the Valley Fire,' the documents state. 'The settlement will include standard legal terms, including payment without any admission of liability.' 'This is a settlement of disputed claims,' the documents continue. 'The settlement avoids costs and delays that would come with litigation. The settlement recognizes the benefit of putting resources on the ground faster for restoring vegetation and controlling invasive weeds.' JFAC members voted unanimously to approve the one-time $800,000 appropriation for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game's fiscal year 2026 budget in order to spend the settlement money. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Thunder-like booms rattled Southeast Boise this week. Here's where the blasts came from
Thunder-like booms rippled through Southeast Boise this week, shaking homes, rattling windows and leaving dozens of nearby residents wondering, 'What was that?' Some figured it was related to the work going on at Micron. The company is constructing a big new plant at its headquarters off South Federal Way, which it broke ground on in late 2022, and has been notorious for using explosives to occasionally blast bedrock at the site over the last few years. But that wasn't the source of the booms heard around 5 p.m. nearly every day this week. 'It startled me so bad that I threw my drink up in the air,' one resident said Wednesday evening on Nextdoor, an app where neighbors can discuss local news. Residents of Warm Springs Mesa, Painted Ridge, Breckenridge and other subdivisions in the area reported hearing the blasts. 'Our whole house shook,' another user said. So what was the culprit? Idaho Power is building a new segment of a transmission line to connect Micron's new substation to the existing grid, according to Sven Berg, a spokesperson for the company. The project involves using implosives to connect wires on that segment, hence the loud booms heard by those who live nearby. The company has kept Micron and Painted Ridge, the closest subdivision, apprised of the work, he said. Implosives are devices used in power line construction. They create strong connections between electrical conductors by using a sleeve containing a small explosive charge that, when detonated, implodes and permanently seals the conductors together, according to a video from Manitoba Hydro. 'It makes a more reliable and durable connection than traditional splicing,' Berg said by email. Idaho Power did some implosive blasting at the site in fall 2023 and started up again in December. Most of the blasting has been on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, he said. This week, however, it was done Monday through Thursday. The good news is that the blasting for the project is now complete. Helicopter crash onto the ice of an Idaho reservoir kills one occupant, injures the other Fire closed this breakfast stop at a 'crazy' Meridian intersection. Will it reopen? 'Everything must go:' So long to this big nonanchor fashion store at Boise Towne Square
