The Southwest Intertie Project-North (SWIP-North) is a proposed 500-kilovolt (kV) transmission line. The line will run from eastern Nevada near Ely to Idaho Power’s Midpoint Substation near Twin Falls. Idaho Power is a partial owner.  

Residential, agricultural, and business growth in the Magic Valley and beyond are driving energy demand higher than ever. Idaho Power has been planning for this growth for decades. Those plans include the Southwest Intertie Project-North (SWIP-North). This transmission line will increase Idaho Power’s access to abundant, low-cost energy generated in the Desert Southwest, especially during the winter months.

SWIP-North will allow Idaho Power to bring up to 500 megawatts of power into southern Idaho after it’s generated in states like Arizona and California. That’s enough to power more than 225,000 homes during peak winter demand.

Idaho Power’s only interest in SWIP-North is to import energy from south to north. Our ownership stake does not involve selling energy to California or anywhere else. 

Desert Southwest solar farms and other resources generate as much as 13,000 MW of surplus energy in the winter. That’s 3.5 times the amount of energy our entire service area uses on our hottest summer day. The companies that generate that power make it available for purchase — at low costs — during the winter, when customers in Arizona, southern California, New Mexico, and other Southwest states don’t need as much energy.  SWIP-North will allow Idaho Power to tap into that supply and import low-cost energy for our customers.

SWIP-North will help Idaho Power meet the growing energy needs of homes, farms, and businesses in the Magic Valley and beyond.  

Transmission investment also brings long-term local benefits. The project will generate new property tax revenue for counties and schools and help keep power bills affordable by giving Idaho Power the flexibility to buy the most affordable energy available, even in other regions. 

No. Idaho Power’s only interest in the project is to import power and improve grid resiliency by expanding our connections to neighboring states and electric markets. The project will increase our ability to import power to keep customer costs low. 

Idaho Power’s only interest in SWIP-North is to import energy from south to north. Our ownership stake does not involve selling energy to California or anywhere else. 

While SWIP-North is part of a broader regional transmission corridor that moves power into and out of the region, Idaho Power’s role is limited to importing energy for our customers, not selling it to other utilities. Idaho Power’s Integrated Resource Plan did not evaluate the ability or economics associated with exporting power. This line is needed for importing power.

Why doesn’t Idaho Power just build more local energy resources?  

We are. Our approach to reliably serving our growing customer base is an “all of the above” approach. Idaho Power evaluates all available resources every two years as we develop our IRP. That plan looks at cost, risk, and reliability to determine the best resource options for our customers. Our analysis identifies the SWIP-North project as a critical piece of our ability to continue delivering affordable energy to our customers. 

Idaho Power is already adding natural gas, battery storage, and transmission capacity to our system. We’ll continue adding resources in the coming years to ensure our customers can get the energy they need. 

There has been a recent increase in local opposition to local resource development (wind and solar). However, given the significant electricity demand growth in Idaho Power’s service area, Idaho Power must meet those needs whether the resources are local or out of state. 

SWIP-North is not a new project. It is the final segment of the larger Southwest Intertie Project, which began decades ago. Idaho Power was SWIP-North’s original developer in the 1990s. The urgency of completing the project has grown as rising energy demand across the western United States strains the grid. Much of the preliminary work required for siting and permitting SWIP-North has already been completed. 

SWIP-North has undergone years of federal and local reviews, including public hearings and comment periods in Twin Falls, Jerome, and Cassia counties. The project’s line corridors are approved for Cassia and Twin Falls counties. The Jerome County Planning and Zoning Commission held a public hearing June 30 and approved a special-use permit for SWIP-North. That decision has been appealed. 

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has issued a Record of Decision, permitting the construction of SWIP-North across land the agency manages, following a full Environmental Impact Statement, which included extensive public outreach, tribal consultation, and agency coordination. Idaho Power’s Integrated Resource Plan has for many years identified SWIP‑North as a cost-effective solution for improving winter reliability. The Idaho Public Utilities Commission has adopted Idaho Power’s Integrated Resource Plan, which identifies SWIP-North as an important asset for meeting customer needs, following substantial public engagement and examination.

No. SWIP-North’s developer is Great Basin Transmission, an affiliate of LS Power. It is not affiliated with the Lava Ridge Wind project.