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Idaho Power (2001) - Ranking Dams Letter from Reed Burkholder December 5, 2001

	Idaho Power Facility Name1	Generation (megawatt*hours)	Average Megawatts	% of Total
1	Jim Bridger (coal fired)	5,470,985	625	40.3 %
2	Valmy (coal fired)	1,856,039	212	13.7 %
3	Brownlee	1,654,443	189	12.2 %
4	Hells Canyon	1,416,874	162	10.5 %
5	Oxbow	724,768	83	5.4 %
6	Boardman (coal fired)	443,430	51	3.3 %
7	C.J. Strike	388,746	44	2.9 %
8	Bliss	324,316	37	2.4 %
9	American Falls	236,679	27	1.7 %
10	Upper Salmon Falls	223,892	26	1.7 %
11	Lower Salmon Falls	218,618	25	1.6 %
12	Swan Falls	123,375	14	.91%
13	Lower Malad	112,443	13	.83%
14	Shoshone Falls	92,360	11	.68%
15	Upper Malad	61,450	7	.45%
16	Twin Falls	59,037	7	.44%
17	Thousand Springs	58,173	7	.43%
18	Milner	39,826	5	.29%
19	Cascade	24,785	3	.18%
20	Clear Lake	15,373	2	.11%
	Other
Total Hydropower		5,775,158	659	42.6 %
Total Coal-fired		7,770,454	887	57.4 %
Total Idaho Power		13,545,612	1,546	100 %

¹ Power plants owned or partially owned by the Idaho Power Company

Source: Idaho Power Company - net generation, September 2001 (acquired through the Idaho Public Utility Commission)

Ten new power projects are listed in the November issue of BPA's monthly, "Journal." Several of these are quite large in output (though each will occupy just a handful of acres).

The gas turbine proposed for Wallula, Washington will be 1,300 megawatts.

BPA proposes to build 34 miles of 500-kV transmission line from a proposed 1,300 megawatt combined cycle combustion turbine gas-fired in Wallula, Wash., to McNary Substation, Ore. The turbine is proposed by Newport Northwest, LLC. BPA is working with the Washington Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council on environmental review of the entire project. A draft EIS is expected in January 2002.

BPA proposes to construct about 16 miles of 500-kV transmission line from the proposed Starbuck Power Plant to Lower Monumental Substation to connect the 1,200 megawatt, combined-cycle combustion-turbine into the power grid. Existing lines are near capacity. BPA is cooperating with the Washington Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council; EFSEC has the lead for environmental review of the generation project; BPA has the lead on integrating transmission. About 50 people attended a public scoping meeting Oct. 3. A draft EIS is expected in January 2002.

The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation have requested interconnection of the Wanapa Energy Center, a proposed new 1000-megawatt gas-fired combined-cycle combustion turbine power generation project, into the transmission grid. The project would be located on land held in trust by the United States for the benefit of the tribes. The Bureau of Indian Affairs intends to prepare an environmental impact statement on the project and BPA has requested to be a cooperating agency. BIA expects to release the draft EIS in April 2002.

1. Each of Idaho Power's hydro plants is averaging between 2 and 189 megawatts.
2. Only two of seventeen of Idaho Power's hydro projects are producing more than 100 megawatts - Brownlee Dam (which flooded nearly 60 miles of the Snake River) which is averaging 189 megawatts and Hells Canyon Dam which is averaging 162 megawatts.
3. All of Idaho Power's hydro plants combined have been averaging 659 megawatts.
4. Idaho Power's three coal-fired generators are producing more power than its seventeen hydro facilities - 887aMW from coal vs. 659aMW from hydro.

Related pages:
Idaho Power (1995) - Ranking Dams
Electricity in Idaho & the Northwest