Planning commission approves Idaho Power expansion to add 200 MW battery storage at Boise Bench substation

The Boise City Planning and Zoning Commission on Jan. 27 approved a conditional use permit to expand the existing Boise Bench electric substation at 2001 E. Amity Road with a battery energy storage facility that Idaho Power says will provide up to 200 megawatts of four‑hour capacity.

The commission voted 4‑2 to approve CUP 24‑41 after hearing presentations from staff and Idaho Power, technical testimony from a fire protection engineer, and roughly two dozen public comments that ranged from support for clean energy to concerns about fire risk, air quality and proximity to homes.

Planning staff summarized the proposal as a modification to an existing conditional use permit for the Boise Bench substation on a roughly 45.6‑acre parcel. The application would place about 350 prefabricated lithium‑iron‑phosphate (LFP) battery containers on concrete pads within a roughly 9‑acre fenced and secured area, install a small transformer/AC conversion area, relocate nearby transmission lines to Holcomb Road frontage, and construct an 11‑foot concrete perimeter wall and a landscaped buffer. Staff said the batteries would be set back approximately 200 feet from the nearest residences and that the wall would be about 150 feet from the adjacent neighborhood. A multiuse pathway and street‑tree landscaping along Holcomb Road were included as conditions of approval.

"We have a definitive need identified in the future to add new generation resources that are both safe, reliable, affordable, and ultimately serve clean energy purposes," said Eric Hackett, projects and resource development director for Idaho Power, during the applicant presentation. Hackett described the project as one of several the utility identified through its integrated resource planning and competitive solicitation processes and said the facility is intended to be online in 2026 if permits and construction proceed on schedule.

Fire protection engineer Derek Post of Fire and Risk Alliance described industry testing and response protocols for utility‑scale battery systems, noting modular containerized designs and the fire code and laboratory standards used to evaluate propagation and off‑gassing. "In order to respond to an incident, the typical fire department response is to provide exposure cooling water on adjacent containers," Post told the commission, and he explained that separation, built‑in thermal and battery‑management safeguards, and site design are used to limit propagation.

Idaho Power said each container will include internal fire‑mitigation measures (thermal management, battery management systems and containerized suppression where applicable), the site will maintain cleared vegetation and a comprehensive fire monitoring plan, and the company has agreed to conditions requested by Boise Fire. Planning staff said the applicant will be required to comply with Boise Fire Department recommendations and building and design review requirements before the facility can be energized.

Public testimony was mixed. Several neighborhood residents who live on the bench and adjacent ridgelines said they were alarmed at the proximity of a large battery site and asked for either a different location or additional documentation, including formal analysis of a worst‑case event, information about air emissions and soil contamination in a large thermal failure, and an updated, written concurrence from Boise Fire beyond the department’s written letter in the packet. Others, including representatives of Citizens’ Climate Lobby and other speakers, supported the project as necessary to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and to help Idaho Power meet peak‑demand challenges. Several speakers asked the commission to delay action until the fire department’s operational guidance and the city’s zoning tools for energy storage could be updated; commissioners discussed that option during deliberations.

Commissioners who supported approval said the staff report found the expansion meets the conditional‑use criteria when subject to the recommended conditions and noted that the Boise Fire Department said it could approve the project subject to code compliance and additional conditions at building permit. Commissioners who opposed or voted no cited remaining concerns about the scale of stored energy near homes, the speed of evolving battery safety guidance, and gaps between the most recent NFPA and ICC guidance and the city’s adopted codes.

Votes at a glance

- Consent agenda: motion by Commissioner Moore, second by Commissioner Schaeffer; roll call unanimous (Shaffer: yes; Dan Lynch: yes; Moore: yes; Mooney: yes; DeHaak: yes; Torres: yes). Included acceptance of meeting minutes from Jan. 6 and Jan. 13 and placement of SUB 24‑45 (Callister Village), CPA 24‑2 / CAR 24‑19 (Rocky Mountain Companies annexation/rezoning) and CUP 24‑45/CVA 24‑34 (Wildflowers Boise childcare) on the consent agenda. Outcome: approved.

- Deferral: SUB 24‑53 (Greenacres Property Subdivision at 11230 W. Joplin Road) deferred because site posting was not timely; moved to March 3. No formal vote recorded beyond staff action to defer.

- CUP 24‑41 (Idaho Power, Boise Bench battery expansion): Motion to approve by Commissioner Moore; second by Commissioner Schaeffer. Roll call: Shaffer — yes; Dan Lynch — yes; Moore — yes; Mooney — no; DeHaak — no; Torres — yes. Outcome: approved 4‑2. The packet and approval include conditions to satisfy Boise Fire and building department requirements prior to operation.

What remains before construction

Approvals at the hearing are land‑use decisions. Idaho Power must obtain design review, building and grading permits; the Boise Fire Department and building officials retain authority to require additional conditions at permit review, training for first responders and site changes as needed. Planning staff noted the company agreed to several specific conditions and to coordinate with Boise Fire. The hearing record also notes that decisions can be appealed to the Boise City Council within 10 days by anyone who testified at the hearing.

Why it matters

Idaho Power and supporters say battery storage is a scalable tool for integrating renewable generation and for meeting late‑summer peak demand. Neighbors and others said modern battery stations have new failure modes and that the public deserves a thorough, written operational agreement with Boise Fire and detailed off‑site risk analysis when large energy storage farms are sited near established residential areas. The commission’s approval moves the project to design review and permitting stages, where fire‑safety plans, construction details and building‑permit conditions will be required before the site can be energized.

Ending note

Planning staff and Idaho Power said they will continue coordination with Boise Fire and city building staff; Idaho Power said it expects to pursue construction and operations permitting with a 2026 in‑service target. The commission’s land‑use decision may be appealed to the City Council within 10 days by anyone who testified at the hearing.