Renewable energy resources are looming as a part of federal legislation. A quote from Barron's on what may be in store: http://online.barrons.com/article/SB122937973044308433.html?mod=googlenews_barrons
"Expect Federal Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) to provide a base-level of renewable energy production at the state level. Currently 20-plus states have an RPS, ranging from 10%-20% by 2015-2020."
(Keep this in mind when reading references to renewable energy in the IRP Addendum.)
From the Integrated Resources Plan 2006 Addendum (Download the 198-page pdf HERE)
Page 7:
The Boardman to Hemingway project is important for the development of renewable resources. Northeast Oregon has the potential for both wind and geothermal resource development.
(Are these Renewable Portfolio Standards according to the state where they reside or the power company developing them? What about Idaho's RPS?)
Idaho Power and Horizon Wind Energy (Houston, TX) recently developed the first phase of the 101 MW Elkhorn Valley Wind Project in Union County, Oregon. . .
. . . It is considerably less expensive to build the substation and equipment necessary to connect to the 230 kV system and new renewable resource projects may find it more cost effective to connect to the existing transmission line if transfer capacity is available on the 230 kV system.
(Small renewable energy generators can't connect to 500 kV lines!)
Page 20:
Given the potential for renewable resource development in eastern Oregon and transmission-constrained access to existing and future Pacific Northwest resources, along with renewable energy and wind integration issues within the region, transmission capacity improvements beyond those identified in earlier Idaho Power resource planning analyses are warranted.
(This is all there is about renewable energy resources in the IRP Addendum.)
Page 4: (page 11 of the pdf)
In the time since the 2006 IRP was filed, the name of the McNary to Boise project was changed to Boardman to Hemingway to more accurately reflect regional landmarks and revised termination points. The line capacity was also increased to 500 kV for engineering reasons and to accommodate Idaho Power’s 225MW as well as additional third party requests for bulk-power interstate transmission service on the new line.
(Third parties may also be required to pay part of the costs of construction.)
The Hemingway-Boardman [Boardman to Hemingway] and the Gateway West projects have both been identified as “fast track” projects by NTTG [Northern Tier Transmission Group] because both projects provide considerable benefits to the regional transmission system.
(Oregon agencies have assured us that "fast track" is not part of the state site application process.)
The purpose of this document, the Integrated Resource Plan Addendum, is to obtain acknowledgement of the Boardman to Hemingway Transmission Project from both the Idaho and Oregon PUCs. Neither utility commission has formally commented on the Boardman to Hemingway Transmission Project at this time.
(Until this document was submitted, the OPUC was not aware that Sand Hollow was an essential gas generating substation for this line.)
Page 9:
New housing growth and the associated increase in air conditioning load in southern Idaho is driving much of Idaho Power’s peak-hour load growth. . .
The 65 MW of growth per year is 5 MW per year less than predicted in the 2008 IRP Update. However, peak demands in the first ten years of the forecast period reach nearly 80 MW higher than the previous forecast.
(Why is Malheur County's way of life being sacrificed to southern Idaho's air conditioning?)
The higher peak demand in the current forecast is primarily due to the increased demand of Idaho Power’s newest special contract customer, Hoku Scientific, Inc.
(Why is Malheur County's way of life being sacrificed to Hoku Scientific?)
Hoku Scientific is a polysilicon manufacturer (photovoltaic cells for solar panels) in Pocatello that has contracted with Idaho Power to build a substation there. This link details the agreement is for June 2007. http://www.techagreements.com/agreement-preview.aspx?search=govlaw&gov=16&num=340932&title=Hoku%20Scientific%20-%20Agreement%20For%20Engineering%20of%20Hoku%20Electric%20Substation%20And%20Assoc.%20Facilities
A January article about Hoku's problems finishing their factory in Pocatello: http://seekingalpha.com/article/115089-hoku-scientific-s-dilemma-what-happens-when-your-customers-can-t-pay?source=yahoo
Here's a really happy thought:
Page 16:
An added operating cost reduction for Idaho Power’s Idaho and Oregon customers is that Idaho Power will have transmission rights over the entire length of the Boardman to Hemingway transmission path. . . . Idaho Power customers will no longer pay the BPA wheeling charge for the Boardman energy when the Boardman to Hemingway project is completed.
This IRP identifies "Aurora Electric Market Model Analysis" as Idaho Power's "routing tool" for siting the energy corridor almost exclusively through private land. IPCo's stated reason that EFU and other private land were disregarded by this tool is that it was not given the "weight" other constraints (such as sage grouse) were given.
(It was the computer's fault! )
