Idaho Power has announced plans to build two new natural gas power plants, aiming to meet the increasing electricity demand driven by the state’s rapid population growth. The proposed facilities, named South Hills and Peregrine, will be located near Twin Falls and in Elmore County, respectively.
Addressing Growing Energy Needs
Eric Hackett, the director of power production and resource development at Idaho Power, emphasized the necessity of these projects. “With growth comes more demand across all of our service territory,” Hackett stated, highlighting the surge in residential, irrigation, manufacturing, and industrial sectors.
The South Hills facility is projected to open in 2029, followed by the Peregrine project in 2030. Combined, these plants are expected to add approximately 800 megawatts of natural gas-fired generation to Idaho Power’s system. To put this into perspective, the current system peak is about 4,000 megawatts, with expectations to exceed 5,000 megawatts in the near future.
Balancing Renewable and Conventional Energy
While Idaho Power continues to invest in renewable energy, with an addition of roughly 500 megawatts of renewable resources since 2021 and plans for another 500 megawatts of renewable energy and battery storage, Hackett noted that the state’s growth is outpacing these additions. Currently, hydroelectric dams provide about 40% of Idaho Power’s energy supply, with natural gas accounting for 20%, and another 20% coming from wind, solar, and battery storage resources.
Importantly, customers have not experienced any rate increases related to the proposed projects. However, future costs associated with the facilities could eventually be reflected in customer rates, pending a regulatory prudency review after the projects begin operating.
Project Timeline and Impact
Planning and permitting efforts for the projects began in 2021, with construction potentially starting as early as 2027. Each facility is expected to take about two years to complete, with South Hills scheduled for completion by the summer of 2029, followed by Peregrine in the summer of 2030.
Original reporting: KTVB (Boise metro) — read the source article.
