Idaho Power briefs Valley County on transmission upgrades, wildfire mitigation and local community programs

Dylan Martin, representing Idaho Power, told Valley County commissioners at their June 22 morning meeting that the utility has expanded large-scale battery systems and is pursuing several local transmission and resilience projects to bolster reliability.

Martin said Idaho Power recently surpassed one million customers across southwest Idaho and surrounding territories and has been adding utility-scale battery packs to smooth peaks and cover evening loads when irrigators and air-conditioners drive demand. "Those really help, when the wind and solar, you know, is maybe peaking at a time where we don't need it, we can use these large scale battery packs to hold that power until we need it," he said.

The company described a locally focused set of upgrades: a Clear Creek Substation intended to relieve capacity on the east–north side of Cascade and a Perpetua-funded transmission upgrade that would convert the corridor from Lake Fork toward Warm Lake and Cascade to 138 kilovolts (kV) using taller steel structures. Martin said the Lake Fork–to–Cascade conversion is intended to increase resiliency and carry more load; he added Idaho Power also expects to undertake a rebuild over the next several years to bring additional lines to 138 kV specifications and better interconnect the system.

A commissioner asked whether work on Cascade-area hydro projects would cause interruptions; Martin said large multi-state complexes (for example, Hells Canyon) can present additional coordination challenges but he had not heard of specific problems with the Cascade dam relicensing and associated operations.

Martin outlined a suite of wildfire-mitigation measures the utility is employing: replacing some poles with taller wood or steel structures where needed, upgrading cross arms to fiberglass, installing sparkless fuses and reclosers that can reduce outages and limit the chance of ignition. He described a stepped-up vegetation program—moving beyond a five-year pruning cycle in some areas—and said crews are working with local fire crews on mastication and other treatments. "Those wood poles, there was some like, the fire crews really helped us out with some mastication around those lines," he said, noting dead trees present disposal challenges and are typically the landowner's responsibility.

Martin also described technology investments: Idaho Power has funded AlertWest cameras—AI-driven lookout cameras that send 24-hour smoke alerts to fire partners and utilities—and is installing weather stations that the company plans to publish on the National Weather Service map for near-real-time public access. He said the utility contracts drone teams for aerial inspections (thermal and visual) because drones are faster and safer than manual inspections, and that the company is working on better customer notice practices (postcards and other outreach) to reduce surprise when drones fly near private property.

Martin mentioned community investments and incentive programs: the company reported about $1,500,000 in regional contributions last year, sponsorships of local events such as the McCall winter carnival and Cascade Medical Center golf tournament, and incentives for local public lighting projects. He said Idaho Power is partnering on workforce and resiliency planning in the region, including a West Central Mountains electrical plan and a recently completed planning effort meant to guide growth and infrastructure for the next decade.

Idaho Power gave commissioners projected time frames for the work—saying some substation work could be completed this year and that larger transmission rebuilds are planned over the next several years—and encouraged ongoing coordination with county staff.

Martin concluded by inviting commissioners and staff to Idaho Power events and trainings and offering to continue outreach as projects progress. The company will follow up with more detailed notices to potentially affected customers as specific construction schedules are finalized.