Idaho Power aims to end use of coal and natural gas -- a 'big deal,' conservationist says

Idaho Power has announced a bold goal to operate its grid entirely on clean energy by 2045.

The investor-owned utility is one of the first to set such an ambitious goal. Only six years ago, Idaho Power used coal for more than 40 percent of the power it generates for its 560,000 customers across Southern Idaho and part of eastern Oregon.

“This is a big deal,” Ben Otto, an energy attorney for the Idaho Conservation League, said in a telephone interview. “There’s only a handful of utilities in the country that are doing this.”

Darrel Anderson, the president and CEO of Idacorp, the parent company of Idaho Power, has taken the utility back to its roots before 1974, when its power was all carbon-free hydroelectricity. He said the company is giving customers what they want.

Read more: https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/environment/article228300044.html