Comments on: Idaho Power Tells Commission Its “Over Powered”

By: chicago sam

chicago sam — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 01:06:12 +0000

buying @92.35/mwh and selling surplus @25/mwh brilliant
Sounds like my stock market picks

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:37:48 +0000

Bloomberg Energy Market Price for Electricity.. ELECTRICITY ($/megawatt hour)
Mid-Columbia, firm on-peak, spot 18.49 -0.17 -0.91% 13:20
Palo Verde, firm on-peak, spot 24.28 0.34 1.42% 13:20
BLOOMBERG, FIRM ON-PEAK, DAY AHEAD SPOT/ERCOT HOUSTON 25.15 -0.25 -0.98% 03/20

On a KWH basis the cost is about 2.5 cents per KWH.

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 15:49:26 +0000

Dear Dog..

FERC has mandated power companies take power from alternative sources even when the power from them isn’t needed. Bonneville Power cant’ refuse to take power from wind projects even when the Columbia River is full and spilling over all the hydro projects. They have more wind power than they need to meet minimum demand on their system and a river full of cheap dependable power.

Idaho Power got tangled up in the Dynamis project and will pay and average of $92.35 per MWH with the same power rates around $27.00/MWH on wholesale market. How is this good for consumers who are forced to underwrite this boondoggle?

Federal intervention in the free market is not helping the cause here. Alternative sources have to be competitive and they are not and nor will they be for the foreseeable future. Add to this the inability to store electricity efficiently in anything but some kind of battery farm make wind and solar questionable sources of power for anything but a third world country. PURPA rates apply to all alternative energy supplies if I have it right. PURPA rates are based on the costs to build additional sources at about $4-$6 Million/MWH.

Natural Gas prices are really low and making gas fired plants attractive over coal, nuclear, solar and wind.

By: Frankenstein Government

Frankenstein Government — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 15:09:21 +0000

Ya know, when I read stuff like this I think..what prevents Idaho Power from selling excess electricity to neighboring users at a profit? Is everyone oversupplied?

Why is “too much” energy at a low cost some horrendous liability? I don’t get it. Obviously.

By: dog

dog — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 02:12:00 +0000

Paul: Pocatello has a wind turbine blade factory paying good wages. If true market based capitalisim is really true, then shouldn’t our rates go down if there is a surplus of power?
If we have so much power, why aren’t manufacturing companies racing to get here. Oh I forgot, we don’t have a big convention center in Boise.

By: chicago sam

chicago sam — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 21:04:47 +0000

Finally Idaho Power is stepping up to the plate and doing what should have been done some time ago. The realization that large companys are gaming the system with little or no benifit for rate payers has finally switched a light bulb on. Simplot among others are also guilty of gaming the system receiving large subsidys for producing “renewable power” while being a large consumer of electricity and receiving lower rates for what they buy. Some attepts have been made in the legislature to give guidence to the PUC (who were practically begging for guidence) but efforts have been futile and stalled in committees. Keeping energy rates low will benefit Idahoans far more than any piddling tax relief that has been proposed

By: Zippo

Zippo — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 19:44:42 +0000

Shocking! Most unfortunate that we humans insist on touching the live wire rather than learn about it from those who did so in the past. It saddens me to see so many Americans looking out for only themself. It is a greater sadness that so many more Americans see the problems of selfish leadership and still refuse to use their power to vote the situation into a sensible sollution.

By: Paul

Paul — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 16:20:45 +0000

FERC, needs to stop forcing companies like Idaho Power into buying power they do not need at very high cost to their customers. Wind power needs to have a closer look given all the damage/death to birds, waterfowl, and eagles.

Turbines catch on fire out in the middle of nowhere and no way to keep the fires from spreading. My other issue with wind is money going to China…last report was $400 million to build the turbines and blades.

Last note…where does the Dynamis fiasco fit into this plea from Idaho Power to the PUC?