Rocky Mountain Power, City of Idaho Falls request approval of service allocation agreement

Rocky Mountain Power and the City of Idaho Falls recently requested that the Idaho Public Service Commission approve a service allocation agreement that would create a process for determining which utility would provide service to new consumers in certain areas.

The City of Idaho Falls’ electric department, Idaho Falls Power, provides electric service to approximately 28,000 customers mostly within the city’s municipal boundaries. The service territory of Rocky Mountain Power surrounds its municipal boundaries and includes approximately 77,000 customers.

The agreement establishes each utility’s service territory and identifies processes for service transfers for Rocky Mountain customers in newly annexed areas and for new consumers outside of a utility’s service territory.

It also directs the two companies to collaborate on identifying duplicative facilities and minimizing duplicity when constructing new facilities, as required by the Idaho Electric Supplier Stabilization Act (ESSA).

The agreement would take effect immediately upon commission approval and continue for five years. After five years, it would automatically renew unless one party decides to end the agreement. The pending arrangement replaces a service allocation agreement that expired in 2015.

The commission will accept written comments on the proposed agreement until Nov. 10.