SANDPOINT – This week the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (PUC) agreed to hold a virtual public hearing on Aug. 5 regarding Avista’s long-term plans for energy generation. Since March, the Idaho Conservation League, City of Sandpoint, Idaho Forest Group, and many Avista customers have called for such a hearing by state regulators.
ICL encourages Avista’s North Idaho customers to participate Aug. 5 as it’s an opportunity to communicate directly to the PUC and the electricity utility how Idahoans want to generate the electricity we all use – whether it’s from clean resources like wind, solar, and hydro or dirty resources like coal, oil, and gas. PUC staff will facilitate the public hearing by telephone (details below).
Ben Otto, ICL’s energy associate, said, “The best path to keeping our energy costs affordable and our energy system reliable is for Idaho’s electric utilities to divest from coal-fired power plants and transition to clean energy sources like wind and solar. Avista and Idaho’s other electricity utilities have generally come to the same conclusion and we hope they work toward a speedier transition to a clean energy future that benefits all Idahoans.”
The PUC’s public hearing on Avista is scheduled for Wed., Aug. 5 at 5 p.m. PT. To participate, call 1-800-920-7487 shortly before the designated time and enter confirmation code 667 4832# when prompted.
Over the next few months, all three of Idaho’s electric utilities (Avista, Idaho Power, PacifiCorp) will come before the PUC to unveil their new long-term plans. These Integrated Resource Plans, as they’re called, examine the costs, reliability, and risks of the utility company’s energy sources and new resources over a 20-year period.
Public written comments to the PUC on Avista’s plan are due by Aug. 19, 2020. To learn more and submit a personal comment visit: https://p2a.co/Xj9wg4U
###
ICL protects Idaho’s air quality and climate stability by working to eliminate Idaho’s reliance on fossil fuels for electricity. ICL engages with Idaho utilities, regulators, and customers to create policies that encourage developing Idaho’s own clean energy sources. Unlike out-of-state fossil fuels, solar, wind and geothermal power is produced right here in Idaho and puts electricians, home builders and other local companies to work.