The app for independent voices
🔥Idaho Power's Rate Hike: Who Pays the Price? A message and call to action from the Gang of 8. By Zito for Idaho (06/06/25, Last update 10/20/25, 11/07/25)
__________
📌11/07/2025 Update — IPC-E-25-16: Commission amends schedule for electric utility application to increase rates. 🆕 Press Release from Idaho Public Utilities Commission (11/06/25): tinyurl.com/ytkeve58
📌10/20/25 Update — Hearings Canceled: 🆕Commission vacates customer hearing and testimony deadlines in electric utility’s general rate case. Press Release from Idaho Public Utilities Commission (10/17/25): tinyurl.com/5ykjjnar
📌10/11/25 Update: 🆕CALL TO ACTION: Idaho Power's $199 Million Rate Hike. A Monopoly at Work. By David J Leavitt (10/10/25): tinyurl.com/48dzrzat
📌08/25/25 Update: 🆕 News Release Commission schedules meeting dates and written comments deadline for electric utility's application to increase rates (08/22/25)
__________
News Release: tinyurl.com/bdxsa8mj
Summary (Grok ai, edited)
Case No. IPC-E-25-16
Order No. 36731
NEWS RELEASE (August 22, 2025): Idaho Public Utilities Commission schedules meeting dates and written comments deadline for electric utility's application to increase rates.
The Idaho Public Utilities Commission announced schedules for public input on Idaho Power's proposed 13.09% rate increase ($199.1 million) for energy production, grid investments, and wildfire resilience.
Average residential bills will increase by $21.66 monthly for 900 kWh users.
Events & Deadlines:
September 26 online workshop
October 27 Twin Falls hearing
November 20 Boise hearing
December 2-5 technical hearings
Written comments due by November 20
See full News Release for details about the rate increases, how to attend the online workshop and other hearings, how to submit written comments, and more.
__________
Sen. Zito’s Article 06/06/25
Idaho families deserve transparency, fairness, and a utility that works for them, not just for corporate growth. — Idaho Sen. Christy Zito
What’s Happening?
Idaho Power is about to slap customers with a huge rate increase. We’ll summarize the details in a moment, but first…
🔥CALL TO ACTION
The Idaho Public Utilities Commission (IPUC) has announced a public hearing date for Idaho Power's general rate case, Case No. IPC-E-25-16, filed May 30, 2025, and currently under review.
Online hearing has been scheduled for 09/26/25 from 6pm - 9pm MDT. You can stay informed by regularly checking IPUC's News Release page and IPC-E-25-16 Case page — see References below.
SUBMIT COMMENTS via the IPUC Case Comment Form, being sure to reference Case No. IPC-E-25-16 in your submission:
__________
SUMMARY (Grok ai, edited; images from article)
Overview
Idaho Power's proposed 2026 rate hike (Case No. IPC-E-25-16), seeks a 17.02% increase in residential base rates, a 67% rise in monthly service charges, and higher per-kWh rates, disproportionately impacting families, farmers, and small businesses compared to large industrial users like Meta and Micron.
The Gang of 8 opposes this hike, which unfairly shifts the cost of Idaho’s growth and infrastructure investments, including coal plant transitions and regional energy market participation, onto everyday ratepayers.
Public comments highlight concerns over affordability and fairness, urging the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (IPUC) to reject the proposal to prevent Idaho from facing rate hikes and accountability issues seen in states such as California.
Key Points of the Proposal
Rate Increases:
17.02% increase in residential base rates.
Monthly service charge rises from $15 to $25 (67% increase).
Higher per-kWh rates for all usage levels.
Time-of-Use Pricing:
Optional plan to shift usage to off-peak hours.
Limited first-year bill protection caps increases at $10 above standard plan.
Cost Shift:
$46.8 million in power costs moved from Power Cost Adjustment to permanent base rates.
Infrastructure Investments:
Funds coal plant closures, renewable energy, and regional market infrastructure.
Includes smart meters, transmission lines, and corporate facilities.
Who Pays and Who Benefits
Uneven Burden:
Residential and small business customers face over double the percentage rate increase of large commercial/industrial users.
Families, seniors, and farmers bear the brunt, while big corporations benefit.
Regional Energy Market Concerns:
Investments support Western Energy Imbalance Market, potentially serving out-of-state demand.
Questions raised about Idaho ratepayers funding non-local benefits.
Wildfire Mitigation Costs
Cost Shift:
$25 million for wildfire mitigation included in rate hike.
Seen as bypassing accountability under Idaho’s Wildfire Standard of Care Act (S1183).
Risk of Precedent:
Similar policies in California led to massive rate hikes and blackouts.
New York’s climate legislation adds $3 billion annually to resident costs.
Public Response
Concerns Raised:
160 public comments oppose the rate hike.
Issues include affordability, fairness, and prioritizing corporate expansion.
Sample Comments:
Opposition to blocking private solar as a cost-saving option.
Unfair burden on seniors with fixed incomes.
Large data centers (e.g., Meta, Micron) should bear more costs.
Existing customers shouldn’t subsidize new hook-ups or big users.
Call to Action
IPUC Process:
Case No. IPC-E-25-16 filed May 30, 2025, under review.
Public hearing date pending; check IPUC News Releases or case page.
How to Comment:
Submit views via IPUC’s Case Comment Form, referencing Case No. IPC-E-25-16
References:
🔥IPUC’s Case Comment Form (reference Case No. IPC-E-25-16): tinyurl.com/43mvckes
IPUC News Releases: tinyurl.com/4287f2vw
Idaho Power: Case No. IPC-E-25-16: tinyurl.com/56y4y8xs
Wildfire Standard of Care Act (S1183): tinyurl.com/4c8zahdx | Substack Note opposing: tinyurl.com/26vhja3f
Related:
🆕 News Release Commission schedules meeting dates and written comments deadline for electric utility's application to increase rates (08/22/25): tinyurl.com/bdxsa8mj
🆕 Power Lines, and the Power That Lies. The Towers Are for Power. The Motive Is Control. By David J Leavitt (07/04/25): tinyurl.com/yc4m4m7u | Substack Note: tinyurl.com/3fzxh8km
ED NOTE
Thank you, Sen. Christy Zito, for bringing this power grab from darkness to light (which we soon won’t see much of if this rate increase is allowed).
This rate increase is outrageous. It clearly favors Non-Idaho Regional Interests, Green Energy Fanatics, and Big Corporate stakeholders -- not everyday citizens who will suffer greatly. Sadly that could be their plan: to drive everyday citizens out of their homes and into poverty.
Many have rightly stated (though we don't know who first said this): “He who controls energy controls the world.”
Data centers (especially for AI), cloud seeding, wind farms, solar, smart meters, S1183 wildfire immunity (which we urged the legislature to oppose) — all these insane ideas are destroying America and have already proven disastrous for Europe. Look at what’s happening in England, Spain, France and closer to home, CA and TX.
The push toward a surveillance state and the climate change hoax we’ve all been sold as truth were covered well during a recent segment of The Highwire:
* thehighwire.com/ark-vid…
This is NOT the world we want.
Everyone, please take the call to action. Speak up or risk having those in power think your silence is approval.
