Idaho Falls Power
140 S. Capital Avenue , Idaho Falls, Idaho, United States

Idaho Falls Power is a municipal electric utility serving the corporate city limits of Idaho Falls, Idaho. The City has operated the utility continuously since its establishment in 1900. 

Hydropower Projects

The City of Idaho Falls has operated a municipal electric generation system since 1900, when a small generator was installed in an irrigation canal to create electricity for street lights. Today the City owns and operates five hydropower plants along the Snake River, providing on average about one-third if the electricity used in the City. Most of the balance is purchased from the Bonneville Power Administration, a federal agency that markets electricity generated at 31 hydro facilities along the Columbia and Snake rivers, along with one nuclear plant.

Current System

The Citys hydropower system is composed of two main projects - the Bulb Turbine Project and the Gem State Project. The Bulb Turbine project replaced or augmented three hydroelectric facilities constructed along the Snake River between 1912 and 1940. The plants at the original Upper and City sites were destroyed by the Teton Dam collapse and flood in 1976 and required replacement. The Old Lower Plant facility did not sustain as much damage and was retained. The new bulb turbine facility was constructed adjacent to it.

Bulb Turbine Project

Construction of these three plants - the Upper, City and Lower plants - began in 1978 and was completed in 1982. The Bulb Turbine Project was one of the first in the United States to use the European technology of placing the turbine-generator entirely within a horizontal water passage. The generator is enclosed in a water-tight seal or "bulb" and connected to a downstream runner by a horizontal shaft. The advantage of using this technology over the more common vertical-shaft turbines, is that it better utilizes the relatively low-head (water height) in the stretch of the river around Idaho Falls. The available head at each of the three sites is approximately 19 feet, which is low compared to most utility-scale hydroelectric projects. Each of the three plants channels up to 6,000 cubic feet per second of water through the turbines to produce up to 8 megawatts of energy each. The total production from the three plants sites produces approximately 100 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.

Surplus Energy

Idaho Falls Power (IFP) may, from time to time, have surplus electric energy to sell. IFP hereby provides notice of the potential availability of surplus energy and capacity for durations of one day and longer depending on circumstances. Available quantities and prices of surplus energy will vary.  IFP will make such surplus electric energy sales under terms consistent with Bonneville Power Administrations Policy on Determining Net Requirements of Pacific Northwest Utility Customers under Sections 5(b)(1) and 9(c) of the Northwest Power Act.

Carbon Free Power Project

The Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS) formally launched the Carbon Free Power Project (CFPP) in 2015 as part of its long-term strategy to reduce carbon emissions and replace aging coal-fired plants with non-fossil fuel, and medium-sized, flexible power generating source.  The project will construct a Small Modular Reactor (SMR) power plant at the Idaho National Laboratory site. The proposed SMR plant would have 12, 60-meggawatt modules that could generate 720 megawatts of clean electricity (if operating at 100 percent capacity). The plant is projected to be fully operational by 2027 and provide electricity to Idaho Falls other member cities of UAMPS.

Business

Idaho Falls Power is proud to provide our customers with a variety of programs and information that will help them save money, save energy, and save time. Through participation in our energy efficiency programs, you can save money on your electric bill while making energy improvements to your business. Idaho Falls Power offers both rebates and zero-interest loans for commercial customers who participate in our energy efficiency programs.  Our net metering program allows business owners to generate power for their  business, while obtaining a financial incentive for excess energy produced by your system.