County
PUC Plugs Into Dynamis-Idaho Power Deal
November 22, 2011 
The Idaho PUC is now on the punch list for the “trash to electricity” deal proposed for the Ada County landfill.
Idaho Power agreed to buy power from Dynamis’ project at the Ada County landfill for $92.35 per megawatt-hour. The proposal was submitted Tuesday to the Idaho Public Utilities Commission.
Regulators will evaluate it for fairness to ratepayers who will pay for it in addition to the $2 million Ada County taxpayers have already ponied up. The county claims the technology will gasify trash and produce electricity and also reduce its trash volume, extending the landfill’s life.
Dynamis Chief Executive Officer Lloyd Mahaffey told The Associated Press financing for his novel 22-megawatt, $60 million plant hinges on the power purchase agreement’s approval.
Not a bad gig if you can get citizens to pay for the design plans as well as the electricity generated.
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Nov 22, 2011, 8:35 pm
No wonder Idaho Power wants a rate increase. Paying 92.35/mwhr by my calculations is about 50% more than my last power bill. Only other source of revenue for this plant is charging more for the garbage they will burn. Guess who will get plucked on that one , also
Nov 22, 2011, 9:02 pm
Are we spending good money on a claim? Is there a credible scientific body that says this idea is for real. Why are they not popping up all over the world? Why is Idaho Power not a player? What does Idaho Power think of the idea? Is this a proven idea, or just another green gimmick making a public money grab? Are we having a space-available or airquality problem with the landfill?
This seems ideal for a cruiseship, polar camp, or national park hotel, but we don’t seem to have an issue here.
Please tell me the motive, I don’t see it.
Nov 23, 2011, 11:41 am
hey chicago sam, take note of the spot market for electricity on Bloomberg.com Energy prices. This deal with Dynamis is more than three times the going rate for power on the spot market today. Also, natural gas prices are way down from what they were more than 20 years ago due to new extraction technology.
Land fill capacity is not an issue in this valley for more than the next 100 years. I like to plan ahead but this is not a prudent investment plane with Dynamis.
Nov 23, 2011, 11:44 am
Take a look at energy prices at http://www.bloomberg.com/energy/ and the Dynamis deal is not even close to something any prudent investor would touch. Yet government with our tax dollars is full speed ahead.
Nov 23, 2011, 2:14 pm
Idaho Power charges non summer residential rates of 6.63 cents per kwhr for up to 800 kw. Now Idaho Power is buying power from this rent seeker at 9.24 cents per kwhr. Hmmm. Let’s see, government regulated public utility buying power for more than they sell it from a taxpayer funded private source who has contracted with a county government to build a power plant on public property to save space in a landfill that will not run out of room in my lifetime (unless more government regulations are put into place). Well that about covers it. I have one question for the ratepayers. Why wouldn’t Idaho Power want to charge more?
Nov 23, 2011, 4:26 pm
Next they’ll be spending money on an electric bus dealership.
Jan 20, 2012, 12:57 pm
“Dynamis Chief Executive Officer Lloyd Mahaffey told The Associated Press financing for his novel 22-megawatt, $60 million plant hinges on the power purchase agreement’s approval.”
I guess if the PUC shoots down the deal Dynamis will get to keep the 2 million given by the Ada County Commissioners. If the PUC approves it Dynamis gets to sell power at a higher rate. Either way Dynamis will probably make out at the expense of the taxpayers.