Idaho Power Is Working Creative Angles To Fulfill Growing Electricity Demand

With a significantly growing demand for electricity, Idaho Power has released a formal announcement of intent to pursue bids for new, innovative resources.

This is the second time this year that Idaho Power has issued a formal notice for new resources to meet electricity demands. Significant client growth and regional energy market changes have influenced the need for extra resources to sustain system dependability. The 2021 request for solutions will support resources to be used in the years 2024 and 2025. The overall goal is to fulfill recognized capacity shortages of 85 megawatts (MW) and 125 MW. Currently, Idaho Power is assessing the outcomes of its prior proposal to add capacity resources in 2023. 

Idaho Power has described its overall company goal by stating, “With 17 low-cost hydroelectric projects as the core of our energy mix, our residential, business, and agricultural customers pay some of the nation’s lowest prices for electricity. Idaho Power has set a goal of providing 100% clean energy by 2045 while continuing to keep prices low and reliability high” (Idaho Power, Company Facts). The goals such as this, the company is seeking innovative, new resources that will significantly impact the growing demand and need for a reliable grid system.

(The amount of energy needed to power approx. 770 avg. sized homes in the Idaho service area are one megawatt.)

Idaho Power services over 600,000 clients in southern Idaho and eastern Oregon. This area continues to experience some of the most rapid growth in the nation. Hence, Idaho Power expects a sustained increase in demand for electricity, which will require fresh resources to serve clients and maintain a reliable grid system.

In addition to growing client demand are the recent changes in regional transmission markets. Hence, transmission markets controlled the transmission system beyond Idaho Power’s service region which affected its capacity to import energy from western market hubs into Idaho Power’s system.

Idaho Power will welcome propositions for all varieties of resources that can satisfy the peak summer energy demand (inc. renewables & battery storage). Idaho Power plans to accept numerous suggestions representing a variety of resource sorts and bid structures. Currently, Idaho Power is working on constructing the Boardman to Hemingway 500-kilovolt transmission line. This will allow the import of energy from the Pacific Northwest as soon as 2026.

Here are some Idaho Power company facts:

1. Number of Full-Time Employees: 1,943
2. Total Annual Sales: 16,715,399 Megawatt-Hours (2020)
3. Peak Summer Load (June 30): 3,745 Megawatts
4. Peak Winter Load (Dec. 29, 2020): 2,219 Megawatts
5. All-time Summer System Peak (June 30, 2021, at 6 p.m.): 3,745 Megawatts
6. All-time Winter System Peak (Dec. 10, 2009, at 8 a.m.): 2,528 Megawatts
7. Nameplate Generation: 3,477 Megawatts

Learn more on the T&D World article HERE.

(All information comes from the T&D World article: Idaho Power pushes for new resources to meet electricity demand)

Idaho Power pushes for new resources to meet electricity demand. (n.d.). T&D World. https://www.tdworld.com/transmission-reliability/article/21183708/idaho-power-pushes-for-new-resources-to-meet-electricity-demand?utm_source=TW%20TDW%20Energizing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS211216071&o_eid=7017F2286956J2L&rdx.ident%5Bpull%5D=omeda%7C7017F2286956J2L&oly_enc_id=7017F2286956J2L