Idaho Power Expects Nearly 200k New Customers in Next 20 Years

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho Power officials say a key part of the company's plan for supplying a growing number of customers in southern Idaho and eastern Oregon over the next two decades is maintaining 17 hydroelectric projects.

The company last week submitted its updated Integrated Resource Plan to the public utility commissions in both states, predicting an increase from 516,000 customers to 711,000 in 20 years. The 144-page plan says that in 2014 the company generated 77 percent of its own power, with 36 percent coming from hydropower, 34 percent from coal plants, and 7 percent from natural gas.

The company purchased 23 percent of its power, with at least 13 percent coming from alternative resources such as wind and solar. A review process includes public meetings planned for this fall.