20251002News Release.pdf

Idaho Public Utilities Commission Brad Little,Governor
P.O. Box 83720. Boise, ID 83720-0074 Edward Lodge, President
John R.Hammond, Jr.,Commissioner
Dayn Hardie,Commissioner
Case No. IPC-E-25-13
Order No. 36775
Contact: Adam Rush
Office: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
NEWS RELEASE: Commission approves electric utility's application to begin recovery of
capital costs for relicensing of Snake River dams.
BOISE (Oct. 2, 2025)—The Idaho Public Utilities Commission has approved an application
submitted by Idaho Power that will allow it to start recovering the capital costs it is incurring to
relicense the utility's Hells Canyon Complex (HCC) dams.
The utility received approval to increase customer rates by $29.7 million. That amount will be
used to recover incremental Allowance for Funds Used During Construction (AFUDC) costs.
AFUDC is the cost of capital incurred while a utility is working on a long-term project, and is a
way to account for money and recover financing costs a utility commits to long-term projects.
The $29.7 million is included in an ongoing general rate case Idaho Power filed with the
Commission.
The HCC consists of the Brownlee, Oxbow and Hells Canyon dams on a section of the Snake
River that forms the border between Idaho and Oregon. The dams are capable of providing 1,167
megawatts of energy for the utility's customers, which is approximately 30 percent of Idaho
Power's total generating capacity.
Idaho Power is required to obtain a license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
(FERC) to operate the HCC. The relicensing process includes public review and involves several
natural resource and environmental agencies. The utility said relicensing work began in 1991,
and that it began incurring relicensing costs in 1999. Those costs included paying for habitat
improvements and water quality improvements.
Until a new license is issued, Idaho Power operates the HCC under an annual license issued by
FERC.
Additional information is available at: puc.idaho.gov/case/Details/7516.