Growth across the company’s service area has prompted a need for additional resources by summer 2023. Request for proposals will go out to developers this summer.
BOISE, Idaho — Idaho Power has issued a formal notice of intent to seek proposals for new resources that would come on-line in 2023 to help the company meet the growing demand for electricity in summer evening hours.
Idaho Power currently serves more than 590,000 customers in southern Idaho and eastern Oregon, a region that continues to experience some of the fastest growth in the nation. The company anticipates sustained growth in demand for electricity, requiring new resources to serve customers and maintain system reliability.
Additionally, recent changes in the regional transmission markets have constrained the transmission system outside Idaho Power’s service territory and significantly impacted the ability to import energy from western market hubs into Idaho Power’s system. Approximately 80 megawatts (MW) of additional peak-hour energy sources will be needed as early as summer 2023. That need could grow to roughly 400 MW by summer 2025, subject to timing of coal unit exits.
A megawatt is the amount of energy needed to power about 770 average-sized homes in Idaho Power’s service area.
To address the need, Idaho Power will request proposals for all types of additional resources that can meet peak summer demand — generally occurring in the late evening hours. The company intends to accept multiple proposals representing a diversity of resource types and bid structures.
The need for new peak hour energy sources is in addition to the 120 MW solar project near Twin Falls, scheduled to come on-line at the end of next year. The company is also working toward building the Boardman to Hemingway 500-kilovolt transmission line that will enable the import of energy from the Pacific Northwest as soon as 2026.
Idaho Power currently owns 17 hydroelectric power plants on the Snake River and its tributaries, which are the backbone of the company’s clean, low-cost energy mix.
Potential developers interested in submitting proposals, or others with questions regarding the notice of intent, can reference further details at idahopower.com/resourcerequests or email ResourceNOI@idahopower.com for more information.
About Idaho Power
Idaho Power, headquartered in vibrant and fast-growing Boise, Idaho, has been a locally operated energy company since 1916. Today, it serves a 24,000-square-mile area in Idaho and Oregon. The company’s goal to provide 100% clean energy by 2045 builds on its long history as a clean-energy leader that provides reliable service at affordable prices. With 17 low-cost hydroelectric projects at the core of its diverse energy mix, Idaho Power’s residential, business and agricultural customers pay among the nation’s lowest prices for electricity. Its 2,000 employees proudly serve more than 590,000 customers with a culture of safety first, integrity always and respect for all.
IDACORP Inc. (NYSE: IDA), Idaho Power’s independent publicly traded parent company, is also headquartered in Boise, Idaho. To learn more, visit idahopower.com or idacorpinc.com.
Contact:
Brad Bowlin
Communication Specialist
Idaho Power
208-388-2803 and bbowlin@idahopower.com