Idaho Power Co. has filed a new 20-year plan that favors cleaner electricity to meet surging demand in southern Idaho and eastern Oregon.
The 2026-45 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) would add about 2.15 gigawatts of renewables-sourced generation: 1,445 megawatts (MW) of solar and 700 MW of wind. The plan also eyes 885 MW of battery energy storage capacity, 611 MW of gas power via coal conversions, 550 MW from natural gas, 344 MW of energy efficiency and 20 MW of incremental demand response.
The company expects its peak load to grow by around 1,700 MW over the 20 years, with nearly 1,000 MW in the next five years.
“Continued customer growth is driving demand, and the average annual number of metered customers is expected to increase from the December 2024 level of nearly 648,000 to 867,000 in 2045”, the plan states.
“Idaho Power’s IRP analysis has shown consistent need for transmission dating back to 2009 and the 2025 IRP again includes transmission as a cost-effective way to facilitate regional energy exchange and provide capacity and energy for Idaho Power customers”, Idaho Power says.
The plan targets to start work on the 500-kilovolt (kV) Boardman-to-Hemingway transmission line, which would connect the Pacific Northwest and Idaho, in December 2027; the 500-kV Southwest Intertie Project North (SWIP-N) between Idaho and Nevada, with connectivity to the Las Vegas area, in 2028; and the 500-kV Midpoint-Hemingway #2 (Gateway West segment 8) line, in 2028 for phase 1 and in 2030 for phase 2.
In other near-term goals, the plan seeks to convert Valmy units 1 and 2 from coal to gas power generation, install 125 MW of solar capacity under the company’s Clean Energy Your Way (CEYW) program and add 250 MW of storage through four-hour batteries under the company’s 2026 Request for Proposal (RFP) – all by 2026.
By 2027, wind’s share should increase by 600 MW through the 2026 RFP, while solar and storage capacities should grow by a combined 100 MW through the 2026 RFP. CEYW is targeted to add a further 320 MW of solar by 2027.
In 2026-30, Idaho Power seeks 80 MW of energy efficiency and 10 MW of DR.
Additionally Idaho Power eyes a gas conversion for Bridger units 3 and 4 in 2030. The plan says the company will work with Bridger co-owner and operator PacifiCorp to resolve differences in plans as the latter wants to enable carbon capture and sequestration for the station and let it stick with coal until 2042 and then retire.
The plan acknowledges, “Idaho Power finds itself in an era of heightened uncertainty where numerous probable events could occur that would materially change the resources selected in the near-term action plan”.
“Specifically, Idaho Power is focused on the real possibility for additional large load customers and changes in federal and state policy”, the plan adds.
“On the large load customer front, Idaho Power continues to have significant interest from potential industrial customers. As such, the 2025 IRP studies multiple additional large load scenarios with both 300 MW and 500 MW cases.
“For policy consideration, significant uncertainty exists around the eventual fate of the recent changes to the 111(d) rule regarding carbon emissions for existing and new resources. To better anticipate either of these major factors changing in the near term, the 2025 IRP studies both large load and 111(d) rule reversion and the combinations thereof”.
Mitch Colburn, Idaho Power vice president for planning, engineering and construction, said in a statement, “Our plan really highlights the work we are doing to identify resources that will provide safe, reliable energy for our customers at the lowest cost over the long term”.
Idaho Power said, “The public utility commissions in Idaho and Oregon will set a schedule for public review and comment before deciding to acknowledge the plan”.
To contact the author, email jov.onsat@rigzone.com
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