Idaho Power customers set record for electricity use

BOISE (AP) — Idaho Power customers in southern Idaho and eastern Oregon used a record amount of electricity last week, the company said.

The utility company told KIVI-TV in a story on Friday that electricity use peaked at 3,745 megawatts on the evening of June 30. That’s more than 9% above the previous record of 3,422 megawatts set in July 2017.

Idaho Power has about 590,000 customers, about 50,000 more than in 2017. The state-regulated company said the additional customers and record-breaking heat led to the new electricity-use record.

Peak demands occur on hot summer afternoons as air conditioners and agricultural irrigation pumps turn on.

“We have experts who train year-round for exactly these types of scenarios,” said Adam Richins, Idaho Power’s chief operating officer. “Last week’s success in meeting extremely high demand shows just how skilled our people are and how resilient our system is. We also appreciate all our customers who helped lighten the load in the evening hours.”

The company hopes to bring online the Boardman to Hemingway transmission line as soon as 2026. That line will allow Idaho Power to import up to 500 megawatts, enough power for more than 175,000 homes.