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Bannock County commissioners hear how new battery storage could bolster reliability and curb peak costs
Summary
At an informational session, Renewable Northwest and RWE presenters described how lithium-iron-phosphate battery systems work, safety features and testing results, and urged county officials to consider ordinance language requiring compliance with standards and emergency-response planning.
Presenters at a Bannock County Board of Commissioners informational session on battery energy storage on Dec. 20, 2025, told commissioners the technology can help meet rapidly growing electricity demand while offering safety features not present in earlier systems.
Aaron Menenburg, Idaho policy manager for the nonprofit Renewable Northwest, told the commissioners the state faces ‘‘front-loaded’’ demand growth and that "these next coming 5 years of demand growth is the same as the last 40 years of demand combined," a trend he said makes storage important to keeping electricity reliable and affordable. Menenburg framed the issue as part of Idaho Power’s 20-year integrated resource planning process and said county land-use decisions can affect the utility’s ability to serve roughly 637,000 customers in its service territory.
Scott Rinsley, senior director…
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