Idaho Power to rebuild aging transmission line

Idaho Power plans to rebuild a 75-year-old transmission line that runs between Boise to Emmett.

Estimated to cost $17 million, the utility says the project will increase reliability and resiliency and allow more energy to flow between the two cities.

“We felt like it would be more cost-effective to rebuild the entire line, to upgrade it to a modern design standard. The big thing is resiliency, and a line that will be able to stand better and in such a way that is less likely to to cause any issues,” Jeff Maffuccio, facility siting coordinator at Idaho Power, said.

The 138-kilovolt transmission line begins just north of the Boise River and stretches about 35 miles across the Boise Foothills, ending near East Main Street in Emmett.

Idaho Power is working directly with landowners along the line to minimize any construction-related disruptions. The utility company also hosted a series of public open house meetings in 2022 to introduce the project and address any concerns.

“We’re really focused on minimizing the impact to our customers and working with them ahead of time,” Maffuccio said. “We have professional construction crews who know how to manage these situations, and we want to be careful in how we affect our neighbors, our customers and still be able to operate our system safely.”

Construction on the transmission line is slated to begin next year. The upgraded transmission line is expected to be in service by the end of 2025.