Idaho Power community solar case settlement would lower fees
Parties to a case regarding Idaho Power’s proposal for a 500-kilowatt community solar project in Boise have reached a potential settlement that would lower subscription fees and increase the credit customers would receive on their monthly bill.
Idaho Power’s planned solar project would consist of a $1.16 million single-axis installment at the intersection of Amity and Holcomb Roads that would allow up to 1,093 residential customers and 470 non-residential customers to subscribe to the 25-year project.
Parties including the Idaho Conservation League, the Idaho Irrigation Pumpers Association, the Sierra Club, the Snake River Alliance, and the city of Boise countered Idaho Power’s initial proposal of a one-time $740 fee, arguing that it was too high. The parties also sought to alter the planned 3-cent per kWh credit that would be paid to residential customers, stating that subscribers would be unable to recoup their investment. The new proposal calculates a solar energy credit that takes into account the embedded cost of energy and reduces the initial subscription fee to $562.
The Idaho Public Utilities Commission (PUC) will be receiving comments from interested members of the public until Oct. 18. Comments may be submitted online at the Idaho PUC website or by mail.
