Idaho Power issues third RFP for new capacity and energy resources in two years

Idaho Power, which serves customers in both Idaho and Oregon, recently issued its third request for proposals (RFP) for new capacity and energy resources in two years, hoping to bring a variety of new tools to bear against growing demand by 2027.

The RFP seeks both resources that provide approximately 350 MW of peak capacity and up to 1,100 MW of variable energy resources. The company intends to use this to address anticipated growth in demand for electricity, particularly during periods of peak summer demand such as late afternoons and evening hours. For this, it will accept bids for energy or capacity incremental to the Idaho Power system beginning in the summer of 2026 from both resource-based products and market purchase products.

Bids will be evaluated independently for Oregon’s side of things, but all bids will be due by June 12, 2026, after which final selections and contract negotiations should begin in September.

Idaho Power stressed that it either holds or expects to hold transmission rights on a variety of paths potentially usable for energy delivery of the new resources. This includes the upcoming Boardman to Hemingway (B2H) transmission line project, a 500 kV line expected to connect a proposed Longhorn substation near Boardman, Oregon to the Hemingway substation in Owyhee County, Idaho prior to summer 2026.