Oregon’s Energy Facility Siting Council on Tuesday approved a permit to build the Boardman to Hemingway transmission line across five eastern Oregon counties. The line will move power between the Pacific Northwest and Intermountain West, helping meet customer needs during peak seasons. Construction is expected to start in 2023.

SALEM, Oregon – Idaho and Oregon will soon share more safe, reliable, affordable, clean energy. Oregon’s Energy Facility Siting Council on Tuesday approved a site certificate for the Boardman to Hemingway (B2H) transmission line. The permit, once finalized, will authorize construction of the 290-mile, 500-kilovolt line across five eastern Oregon counties. Federal agencies have already granted permission for the line to cross land they manage.

B2H will connect a new station near Boardman, Oregon, to Idaho Power’s existing Hemingway Substation in southwest Idaho. It will provide a crucial link to move energy, much of it from hydroelectric, wind and other clean sources, between the Pacific Northwest, where energy use peaks in the winter, and the Intermountain West, where energy use peaks in the summer.

Existing connections between the two regions are full — they can’t carry any more power during peak periods. Industry experts, environmental groups and government agencies agree that building more high-voltage transmission lines is crucial to incorporating a growing amount of clean energy on the grid. B2H will help Idaho Power pursue its goal of providing 100% clean energy by 2045. It will also support the clean energy goals of other energy providers in the West.

“It would be hard to overstate the importance of this project, not just for Idaho Power customers, but for homes, businesses and farms all across the western U.S.,” said Lindsay Barretto, Idaho Power’s 500-kilovolt and Joint Projects Senior Manager. “More and more energy from wind, solar and other sources is coming online. Better transmission connections to surrounding regions will help incorporate this clean energy while enhancing grid reliability and keeping customer prices affordable.”

B2H’s site certificate follows a multi-year process in which residents, tribes, local governments, the federal government, interest groups and other stakeholders provided input on the project.

“We’re extremely grateful to all the people — many of them unpaid representatives of their communities — who spent so many hours analyzing this project, communicating with us and testifying in public meetings,” Barretto said. “The result is a better project that balances the need for reliable, affordable, clean energy in the West with the values of communities near the transmission line.”

Idaho Power and Portland-based PacifiCorp plan to own B2H jointly. Bonneville Power Administration participated in the project’s permitting. Construction of B2H is expected to start in 2023, with the project coming online in 2026. For additional information, visit idahopower.com/b2h.

Forward-Looking Statements
In addition to the historical information contained in this press release, this press release contains (and oral communications made by IDACORP, Inc. and Idaho Power Company may contain) statements, including, without limitation, estimated key operating initiatives, that relate to future events and expectations and, as such, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements that express, or involve discussions as to, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, outlook, assumptions, or future events or performance, often, but not always, through the use of words or phrases such as “with the intent,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “continues,” “could,” “estimates,” “expects,” “guidance,” “intends,” “potential,” “plans,” “predicts,” “projects,” “targets,” or similar expressions, are not statements of historical facts and may be forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve estimates, assumptions, risks, and uncertainties. Actual results, performance, or outcomes may differ materially from the results discussed in the statements. In addition to any assumptions and other factors and matters referred to specifically in connection with such forward-looking statements, factors that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements are included in IDACORP, Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, which was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and subsequent reports filed by IDACORP, Inc. and its subsidiary, Idaho Power Company, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for management to predict all such factors, nor can it assess the impact of any such factor on the business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. IDACORP and Idaho Power disclaim any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information, whether in response to new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

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 600,000 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:
Sven Berg
Communications Specialist
Idaho Power
sberg@idahopower.com
208-388-2905