20260507Comment_1.pdf

The following comment was submitted via PUCWeb:
Name: Mark Parsons
Submission Time: May 7 2026 1:46PM
Email: [e-mail]
Telephone: [phone]
Address: 2687 W Neff St
Boise, ID 83702
Name of Utility Company: Idaho Power
Case ID: IPC-E-26-10
Comment: "I respectfully urge the Idaho Public Utilities Commission to carefully scrutinize Idaho
Power's proposed 2026 rate increase and prioritize the affordability impacts on Idaho families and
small businesses.
While I understand Idaho Power cites lower projected hydropower generation and increased power
supply costs as the primary drivers behind this request, Idaho customers have already experienced
multiple recent increases in utility and living costs.Just last year, customers benefited from a
significant decrease in rates, and now another increase is being proposed on top of the broader
2026 general rate increases already approved or under consideration. ()
For many Idahoans,wages are not keeping pace with rising housing, insurance,grocery, and utility
expenses. Even a"modest"increase of several dollars per month adds up quickly, especially for
seniors on fixed incomes,working families, and residents dealing with Idaho's increasingly hot
summers and cold winters.
encourage the Commission to:
Require Idaho Power to demonstrate that all reasonable cost-control measures have been
exhausted before passing additional costs to customers.
Ensure that residential customers are not unfairly subsidizing rapid regional growth, large
commercial expansion, or energy demands from major industrial and data center projects.
Evaluate whether shareholder impacts and operational efficiencies have been adequately
considered before increasing rates on captive utility customers who have no alternative provider.
Continue expanding and supporting meaningful energy efficiency and demand-management
programs that help reduce long-term system costs for everyone.
Reliable electricity is essential, but affordability matters as well. Idaho has historically benefited
from relatively low-cost power, and preserving that affordability should remain a central priority of
the Commission.
Thankyou for considering public input on this matter."
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