Idaho Power reaches new winter peak in demand 

Idaho Power Co. on Dec. 10 reached a new winter system peak in demand for electricity: 2,527 megawatts.

That beat the previous winter peak, 2,468 MW, which the company hit early Dec. 9. The company’s winter peak prior to the most recent cold snap was 2,461 MW, which occurred in January 2008, the Boise-based company said Dec. 14 in a weekly newsletter. A megawatt is 1 million watts.

Idaho Power said that because the company plans for sharp peaks in electricity and has three natural gas-fired plants to help meet peak demand, reliability was not jeopardized.

But the recent peaks show the increasing customer demand for electricity, especially during extreme weather, the company said. Mike Youngblood, Idaho Power pricing manager, said that although the company has some of the lowest rates in the nation, this is the first winter with the current tiered rate structure. “It is important customers are aware of where they fall within those tiers and adjust their use accordingly to suit their budgets,” he said.

Customers can sign up at the company Web site as an “Account Manager” to access their usage data to better manage their bills, according to Idaho Power, which said it also has programs to help customers change how and when they use electricity and in turn help reduce peak demand.

Winter electricity demand remains well below the summer system peak of 3,214 MW set June 30, 2008, the company said.

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