PacifiCorp, which does business in southeastern Idaho as Rocky Mountain Power, has filed its every-other-year Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) with the Idaho PUC. Idaho’s three regulated electric utilities submit IRPs as non-binding roadmaps showing how they expect to meet customer demand in coming years. For instance, utilities may expect to meet growing customer demands by building new power plants, importing more power through transmission lines, or boosting the amount of non-generation energy efficiency and conservation. Or more often a combination of the three.
Like most utilities, PacifiCorp’s plan envisions future electricity demand or “load” growth is lower than in past IRPs, especially in the residential customer class. Reasons include more efficient lighting and improved overall energy efficiency, and a slower economy that tends to drive down electricity consumption. PacifiCorp also said 86 percent of its future load growth from 2015 through 2024 may be met with energy efficiency.
While the IRP envisions PacifiCorp to meet its claims that it is reducing greenhouse gas emissions from its sprawling coal fleet, the company remains among the West’s largest sources of coal plant carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
To access PacifiCorp’s IRP, supporting documents and other case documents, go to www.puc.idaho.gov and then “open cases” under “electricity” and scroll to PAC-15-04.
Meanwhile, Idaho Power is nearing completion of its IRP with a goal of submitting it to the PUC by the end of June.