Now available: This Is Server CountryGet the book→
ID — Power Infrastructure Updated January 2026

Idaho

Power generation, transmission, storage, and interconnection topics relevant to data center power supply in Idaho.

WECC Natural Gas Nuclear Solar Wind Storage Data Center PPAs Queue Bottlenecks Transmission Constraints

Overview

Idaho’s grid is in the middle of a major buildout. Idaho Power is adding new natural gas plants and converting coal units while connecting hundreds of megawatts of solar and wind — including a 325 MW solar portfolio backed by Meta for its Kuna data center. The state is also preparing for three major 500 kV transmission lines (Boardman to Hemingway, Gateway West Segment 8, and SWIP-North) that will unlock access to regional markets and support nearly 1,000 MW of new peak load in the next five years.

Generation Projects

Natural Gas

Idaho Power is advancing two new gas sites and coal-to-gas conversions.

  • Bennett Mountain Power Plant expansion proposes a nine-unit addition in Mountain Home with flexible output between 10 MW and 167 MW, targeting construction in 2026 and operations in 2028.[1]
  • Peregrine Energy Center is a proposed site in Elmore County on 160 acres, positioned near existing and planned transmission lines for future gas generation.[2]
  • Idaho Power’s 2025 integrated resource plan (IRP — a utility’s long-term plan for meeting demand) includes 550 MW of new gas and 611 MW of coal-to-gas conversions over 20 years.[3]

Nuclear

  • Oklo Aurora at Idaho National Laboratory is a compact fast reactor designed for up to 40 MWth / 15 MWe. DOE documentation for site characterization was approved in September 2024.[4]

Solar

Idaho Power’s solar pipeline includes utility-owned projects and independent power producers.

  • Jackpot Solar, a 120 MW project south of Twin Falls, began delivering electricity in December 2022.[5]
  • Franklin Solar is a planned 100 MW solar facility with a 60 MW, four-hour battery system owned by Idaho Power.[5]
  • Pleasant Valley Solar 1 & 2 are being developed by rPlus Energies. Solar 1 is 200 MW and under construction. Solar 2 is 125 MW with a PPA between Idaho Power and Meta, and broke ground after a November 2024 announcement.[6]

Wind

  • Lava Ridge Wind Project received a Bureau of Land Management Record of Decision in December 2024 for a preferred alternative with 723–1,205 MW of capacity and up to 241 wind turbines, plus a 500 kV generation intertie line in Jerome and Lincoln counties.[7]

Transmission and Grid

Idaho Power is coordinating three major 500 kV transmission lines to support load growth and renewable integration.

  • Boardman to Hemingway (B2H) is a 500 kV line running approximately 290 miles from Boardman, Oregon to the Hemingway Substation in Owyhee County, Idaho, with up to 1,000 MW in each direction. Idaho Power expects construction in 2025 and energization in 2027.[8][9]
  • Gateway West Segment E includes two 500 kV lines spanning about 616 miles from Populus to Hemingway. Segment E8 is a 128-mile 500 kV line from Midpoint (Jerome) to Hemingway (Melba). Idaho Power expects its western portion to come online as soon as 2028.[10][11]
  • SWIP-North is a 285-mile line with approximately 2,000 MW of capacity from Twin Falls, Idaho to Ely, Nevada. DOE’s Transmission Facilitation Program lists construction anticipated to start in 2025.[12]

Idaho Power’s 2025 IRP assumes B2H in 2027, SWIP-N in 2028, and Gateway West Segment 8 in 2028–2030 as part of its preferred resource plan.[3]

Battery Storage

Idaho Power is deploying utility-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS — utility-scale battery facilities) to support grid reliability.

  • Hemingway BESS is an 80 MW battery system at the Hemingway substation in Owyhee County, under construction or commissioning.[5]
  • Black Mesa BESS is a 40 MW battery being built next to the 40 MW Black Mesa solar project in Elmore County.[5]
  • Franklin Solar BESS is a 60 MW four-hour battery owned and operated by Idaho Power, planned alongside the Franklin Solar project.[5]

Data Center Power Agreements

  • Meta and Idaho Power signed a long-term PPA (power purchase agreement — a contract to buy electricity) with rPlus Energies for 125 MW of Pleasant Valley Solar 2 in Ada County. The project is described as supporting Meta’s Kuna data center and uses Idaho Power’s Clean Energy Your Way – Construction Program. Pleasant Valley Solar 1 is 200 MW and under construction.[6]

Interconnection Queue

Idaho Power faces significant load growth and generation queue pressure.

  • Idaho Power’s 2025 IRP projects approximately 1,700 MW of peak load growth over 20 years, including nearly 1,000 MW in the next five years, which drives the need for new generation and transmission.[3]
  • Interconnection.fyi lists 64 active Idaho generation interconnection requests totaling 12.27 GW, as of January 7, 2026 (treat as a third-party snapshot, not a regulatory filing).[13]
  • Idaho Power’s resource plan ties new additions to major transmission projects (B2H, SWIP-N, Gateway West), signaling that intertie capacity and long lead times are the main constraints for large new loads.[3]

What to Watch

  • B2H transmission line construction in 2025 and energization in 2027 — a critical path for new renewable integration and load serving.
  • SWIP-North and Gateway West Segment 8 construction timelines in 2025–2028, which will determine regional transfer capacity.
  • Bennett Mountain expansion permitting and construction in 2026–2028, as Idaho Power prepares for near-term gas capacity needs.

Sources

[1] Idaho Power, “Bennett Mountain Power Plant — Proposed Expansion,” February 20, 2025, https://www.idahopower.com/energy-environment/energy/energy-sources/natural-gas/bennett-mountain-power-plant-proposed-expansion/ (accessed January 8, 2026).

[2] Idaho Power, “Peregrine Energy Center — Proposed Site,” n.d., https://www.idahopower.com/energy-environment/energy/energy-sources/natural-gas/peregrine-energy-center/ (accessed January 8, 2026).

[3] Idaho Power, “2025 Integrated Resource Plan (Final),” 2025, https://docs.idahopower.com/pdfs/AboutUs/PlanningForFuture/2025IRP/2025%20IRP%20Final.pdf (accessed January 8, 2026).

[4] U.S. Department of Energy, Idaho National Laboratory, “CX Posting No. DOE-ID-INL-23-097 R1: Oklo Power Plant Site Characterization (Revision 1),” approved September 24, 2024, https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2025-03/CX-033071.pdf (accessed January 8, 2026).

[5] Idaho Power, “Idaho’s Largest Energy Storage Projects Under Construction; More Solar on the Way,” March 3, 2023, https://www.idahopower.com/news/idahos-largest-energy-storage-projects-under-construction-more-solar-on-the-way/ (accessed January 8, 2026).

[6] Kimberly Warner-Cohen, “Idaho Power, Meta Sign PPA for Pleasant Valley Solar 2 Project,” Solar Industry, November 12, 2024, https://solarindustrymag.com/idaho-power-meta-sign-ppa-for-pleasant-valley-solar-2-project (accessed January 8, 2026).

[7] Bureau of Land Management, “Lava Ridge Wind Project Record of Decision,” December 2024, https://eplanning.blm.gov/public_projects/2013782/200493266/20124423/251024403/Lava%20Ridge%20ROD_508.pdf (accessed January 8, 2026).

[8] Idaho Power, “Boardman to Hemingway: Purpose and Need,” n.d., https://www.idahopower.com/energy-environment/energy/planning-and-electrical-projects/current-projects/boardman-to-hemingway/purpose-and-need/ (accessed January 8, 2026).

[9] Idaho Power, “Boardman to Hemingway: Schedule and Permitting,” n.d., https://www.idahopower.com/energy-environment/energy/planning-and-electrical-projects/current-projects/boardman-to-hemingway/schedule-and-permitting/ (accessed January 8, 2026).

[10] PacifiCorp, “Energy Gateway: Gateway West,” n.d., https://www.pacificorp.com/transmission/transmission-projects/energy-gateway/gateway-west.html (accessed January 8, 2026).

[11] Idaho Power, “Gateway West,” n.d., https://www.idahopower.com/energy-environment/energy/planning-and-electrical-projects/current-projects/gateway-west/ (accessed January 8, 2026).

[12] U.S. Department of Energy, Grid Deployment Office, “Transmission Facilitation Program Selections,” n.d., https://www.energy.gov/gdo/transmission-facilitation-program-selections (accessed January 8, 2026).

[13] Interconnection.fyi, “Latest Active Idaho Generation Interconnection Queue Requests,” updated January 7, 2026, https://www.interconnection.fyi/?state=ID (accessed January 8, 2026).