VERY IMPORTANT MEETING

The Payette Planning @ Zoning will have their public meeting on Langley Gulch on Monday May 18th at 10:15 to consider an application for the rezoning for the power plant. The Planning and Zoning already approved the zone change, and at this meeting, they will make the final approval. This would be a great meeting to attend.

Fox 12 Idaho interview

Idaho Press-Tribune by Bryan Dooley

Letter from JOHN HARTMAN

The citizens of Western Canyon County of Protect Canyon County would like to thank the Parma Task Force of Protect Parma Idaho and the Malheur County Citizens Group of Stop Idaho Power for their relentless efforts to inform the public and pressure Idaho Power on the importance of moving the B2H 500kV transmission lines and the Sand Hollow Sub Station (Northwest Source Substation) from the rural areas of Western Treasure Valley. Although these groups have a slightly different focus on this issue, the important point we all can agree on is the value of placing these transmission lines on public lands. It seems that Idaho Power has “seen the light” and the Sand Hollow Substation is no longer a priority for now. Idaho Power has said they will now establish local citizen involvement teams for input on recommendations for a less intrusive B2H route. Idaho Power has realized their mistake of not initially engaging and including members of local communities that will be affected by these potentially 190 foot tall towers. We would like to publicly thank Idaho Power for this little bit of breathing room and to now see the importance of community involvement in the placement of something that so profoundly affects us all.
We believe that each of the Western Treasure Valley groups must work together toward our common goal. The citizens of our communities must realize that this is only the beginning of a long process and that we all must continue to be actively involved. Write letters, spread the word and tell Idaho Power your story. We must make sure that all of the decision makers involved in the B2H Transmission Line Project understand that these transmission lines do not need to go over Prime Agricultural Lands and City Impact Areas. A POWER LINE FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD SHOULD BE ON PUBLIC LANDS.

MAY 5, 2009 PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Todd Lakey, (208)323-5393

Citizens Group Forms to Fight Construction of High Voltage Power Lines on Farmland
Protect Canyon County says Idaho Powerʼs current plans for 500kV transmission lines are bad for farmers and residents. A group of Canyon County residents have organized as Protect Canyon County to work with the public and Idaho Power to ensure that 190-foot tall, high voltage power line towers wonʼt threaten the livelihoods or traditions of area farmers and other residents.
Earlier this year Idaho Power proposed building the lines, part of a large expansion project stretching from Boardman, Oregon to a substation to be built near Melba, Idaho, through dozens of family-owned farms in rural Canyon County. After an outcry from local residents, Idaho Power tabled those plans and announced a “community advisory process.” Protect Canyon County will be actively involved in this process, advocating construction of the towers on more remote public lands.
John Hartman, a Canyon County farmer whose family has farmed their land for over 100 years, doesnʼt think Idaho Power understands the unique and highly specialized nature of farming in western Canyon County. “We donʼt farm large tracts of land like they do in most parts of the country, so we have to rely heavily upon technology and precision farming to stay competitive,” Hartman said. “Itʼs very hard to be precise if you have a 190-foot tower supported by a forty by forty foot concrete base in the middle of your field.”
Hartman and other area farmers say that if Idaho Power locates the new lines on farmland, the County will likely lose a large part of their economic base as the farmers are forced to switch to less profitable crops or reduce their acreage. “Our ground is extremely rich, which allows us to grow a lot of specialty seed and vegetable crops,” Hartman said. “Building these towers on our farms will make crop dusting and using existing irrigation and harvesting equipment very difficult, jeopardizing our livelihoods and those of the many companies that support us.”
For their part, Idaho Power has recently announced a series of public forums to gather input from residents and local community leaders on the details of the project, known as the Boardman to Hemingway (B2H) 500kV transmission project. “The decision to build giant high voltage power lines through working farms when there are clearly better alternatives, is something that should not be made hastily or without citizen involvement” said Todd Lakey, spokesman for Protect Canyon County. “We give Idaho Power credit for making an effort to be more thoughtful and communicative throughout this process and we look forward to encouraging citizens to become involved.”
Protect Canyon County is a grassroots effort by local farmers, businesspeople and other residents hoping to engage with Idaho Power, regulators and local governments to ensure that all options are being considered. They are cautiously optimistic that through ongoing community involvement, the lines will be placed in more remote areas. “We recognize that the transmission lines are going to eventually be built, ” Lakey said. “Our goal is to make sure they are built smartly, with serious consideration given to the families who live and work here.”
Protect Canyon County plans to educate and connect concerned citizens through a series of events over the coming months.

Second Letter from CAMPBELL TRACTOR

I have recieved the Western Canyon County 500 KV A line projected path for Canyon and Ada counties and we are VERY concerned about the route. It looks to take over prime agriculture lands as it makes its way across the valley. The area we service from our stores in Jerome, Gooding and Elmore counties appear not affected as the line looks to turn farther south over unimproved lands. The areas of Ada and Eastern Canyon Counties have had poorly planned residential development and we need to all work together to do a much better job with the location of this power line path so as to protect some of the best agricultural land left in this area. I realize the need for added power capacity to this valley, but at the same time, we must make sure not to damage our ag base that has been the back bone of the Treasure Valley.

Sincerely,

Dan Campbell

Letter from VALLEY AIR SERVICE, INC.

April 9, 2009

Dear Mr. Payne,

This letter is to inform you that we cnanot make application to onions at the intersection of Willis and Hartley due to the position and height of power lines. It has been deemed a safety hazard for aircraft entering and existing said field.

Sincerely,

Jim Welch
Valley Air Service

(This problem would be the same for various fields in and around the Canyon County.
Ten Davis Rec)

Letter from WESTERN STATES AG

April 9, 2009

RE: Boardman Hemingwway 500 KV Transmission Line Project

Dear Jim and the Ten Davis Area Farmers,

Our conversation regarding the proposed Transmission Line Project and the potential negative impact this could have on your farming business has prompted a few questions in my mind. The success of our customers greatly impacts our business. Like you, I am not opposed to the construction of the transmission line; however, there may be further considerations that need addressed.

Is there a more suitable route for the transmission line that would avoid or at least minimize the impact to private property value?

Would a more suitable route avoid further reducing prime farm ground by routing through public and BLM ground?

what impact will the proposed transmission line have on the farmers' ability to move machinery between fields?

To be in full support of this project, I would need these concerns addressed.

Steve Huling
Ag Sales Manager
Western States Equipment

LETTER FROM CAMPBELL TRACTOR

April 22, 2009

From: Terry Maybon
Manager; Campbell Tractor
John Deere Dealer

Re: High voltage lines crosiing agricultural farm ground

It has recently come to our attention the proposal of a 550,000V Transmission line to be ran through much of our valued farm ground in Canyon County.

As one of the leading agricultural businesses in the area, this is of great concern because of the many negative impacts this could be to many of our customers.

One of the greatest areas of concern is the disruption and interruption of the Satellite directed steering systems that are being used to guide/steer most row crop tractors in the proposed area.

This system uses a network of privately owned and "waas" satellites along with a radio frequency to triangulate a signal to sub-inch steering accuracy. Great cost has been invested by growers to seek the efficiency benefits of this system.

In our initial reviews of this concern with the John Deere support group of this division, we have been told there very likely could be distortion or complete interruption of the Satellite portion of the signal being received by the tractor or the RTK base station.

This not only raises issues about lost productivity and investment in the systems but even more so the great Safety Concerns cause by inaccurate or lost steering on a large Farm Tractor.

We are all aware of the huge percentage of commerce that is brought into this valley by our Farmer customers and related agricultural businesses. I hope that those involved in making these decisions will be sensitive to their best interest and seek other alternatives to the placement of this transmission line.

Thank You
Terry Maybon

LETTER FROM SENATOR MIKE CRAPO

April 17, 2009

Maria Weber
30680 Shelton Rd.
Parma, Idaho 83660

Dear Maria:

Thank you for contacting me to express your concerns regarding the location of Idaho Power's proposed 500 kilovolt transmission line. I appreciate hearing from you and welcome the opportunity to respond.

My office has had numerous similar comments over the past several weeks. We have regularly been sharing your concerns and mine with Idaho Power and have recently been told that they do intend to relocate this transmission line well away from Parma in an entirely different location.

I share your concerns with the proposed construction of this transmission line, but as you probably know, state and local entities, such as county planning and zoning boards and the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (PUC), ultimately hold the authority to approve projects. As such, I urge you to remain vigilant and in contact with these authorities to ensure your complaints are heard until final approvals are issued.

If you have remaining questions or concerns about the process, you may wish to call or email comments and concerns to Idaho Power Company. It is my hope that this situation may be resolved favorably for all parties involved. In the meantime, please rest assured that I will continue to work to ensure Idaho's views are represented at the national level.

Again, thank you for contacting me. Please feel free to contact me in the future on this or other matters of interest to you. For more information about the issues before the U.S. Senate as well as news releases, photos, and other items of interest, please visit my Senate website, http://crapo.senate.gov.

Sincerely,
Mike Crapo

United States Senator

IDAHO POWER WILL INCREASE RATES UP TO 11%

News Releases
April 15, 2009

Idaho Power Files Annual Power Cost Adjustment


BOISE, Idaho—Idaho Power today filed for the annual power cost adjustment (PCA) with the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (IPUC). This filing reflects a true-up of last year's forecasted costs to actual expenses, as well as anticipated fuel costs for generating electricity, power purchases and offsets from the benefit of off-system sales for the coming year. The PCA, an annual filing in place since 1992, is strictly a cost recovery mechanism that passes on both the benefits and costs of supplying energy to Idaho Power customers. It does not contain a profit component.

If approved, today's filing means a rate increase of $93.8 million for the company's Idaho customers, or 11.40 percent overall. For the typical residential customer using 1,050 kilowatt-hours of electricity each month, the monthly increase will be approximately $7.20. The actual percentage of change varies by customer group based upon the rate they pay for electricity.

For more info, visit http://www.idahopower.com

QUESTIONS???

If you have a question you would like answered, we will do our best to find the FACT. Just post your question under "comments", and we will post answers as soon as we have them.

QUESTION FOR THE DAY - 4-15-09

What is the Community Advisory Process?

Following the review of comments received during scoping, Idaho Power initiated the Community Advisory Process to recommend proposed and alternate routes for the proposed Boardman to Hemingway Transmission Line Project.

Representatives from local communities will serve on the teams and will make recommendations to Idaho Power on a proposed and alternate line routes.

Teams will meet four or fives times to learn the basics about electricity, infrastructure, rates, siting requirements and other topics. Next they will work with maps that show constraints and opportunities to place lines on the map that represent their preferred locations for siting the line.

Check back soon to learn more about Idaho Power’s Community Advisory Process.

LATEST NEWS

A "Pause" in the Process

Remember, the PUC bestows the power of eminent domain.
April 10

Via Electronic Mail
ALJ Arlow
Public Utilities Commission of Oregon
PO Box 2148
Salem, OR 97308-2148

Re : Docket LC-41

Dear Judge Arlow:

For the reasons discussed below, Idaho Power Company, ("Idaho Power") respectfully requests that the public meeting scheduled in this docket for April 15th, 2009, be cancelled, and the remainder of the schedule temporarily suspended.

Last month at the public participation meetings in Baker City and Ontario, Idaho Power heard significant concern about the timing of this Addendum filing--both with respect to the proximity to the 2009 IRP that will be filed this summer, and the length of time that has elapsed since the 2006 IRP was acknowledged. In addition, the Company has recently heard that Commission Staff shares some of these concerns and would like to see additional analysis of the Boardman to Hemingway line that was not contained in the addendum.

At the same time, the Company has recently agreed to a "pause" in the EFSEC process to allow for further discussions and negotiations among stakeholders regarding the siting of the line. Accordingly, the expected "on-line" date for the Boardman to Hemingway Project is now pushed out beyond 2013.

In view of these developments, the Company would like to consider its options for proceeding in this docket. The pause in the EFSEC process allows the Company some additional time to consider how it might accommodate the issues raised by intervenors and Staff, and the company wishes to take advantage of that opportunity before presenting its case to the Commission. For this reason, Idaho Power requests that the April 15 Public Meeting be cancelled. Because the schedule in this docket is fairly tight, the Company understands that a cancellation of the Public Meeting will require the remainder of the schedule to be continued. For this reason the Company asks that the entire schedule be temporarily suspended. Once the Company has determined how it wishes to proceed, it can consult with the other parties and request a pre-hearing conference.

Idaho Power has discussed the report with Staff and Staff supports its request.

Very truly yours,

Lisa Rackner
McDowell & Rackner PC

You can see copies of all PUC filings on the B2H line at http://apps.puc.state.or.us/edockets/docket.asp?DocketID=13697

QUESTION FOR THE DAY - 4-13-09

What will the towers look like?

Design and Construction
A variety of transmission line structure designs may be used for the project. The structures may be a combination of single and double circuit towers and steel lattice and tubular steel towers. The proposed design aspects for the towers are listed below:
Tower height
Steel lattice: 140 to 190 feet
Steel pole H-frame: 100 to 150 feet
Tower footprint: 40 feet x 40 feet
Span length: 1,200 to 1,500 feet
Ground clearance: minimum of 35 feet
Right of way width: 250 feet




Construction
Construction of the proposed transmission line would begin after Idaho Power receives permits from the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service, and a site certificate from the Oregon Department of Energy. If the project is approved, Idaho Power could begin construction by mid-2011.
Idaho Power will oversee all transmission line and substation design and construction. Idaho Power plans to contract with construction companies to build the line.
During construction, Idaho Power will utilize best management practices in order to prevent the spread of invasive plant species.

LATEST NEWS

04/03/09
Idaho Power Removes Sand Hollow Station from the Boardman to Hemingway Transmission Line Project
In conjunction with the Community Advisory Process (CAP), Idaho Power has removed the Sand Hollow Station from the project and the CAP. Idaho Power has notified the Bureau of Land Management and the Oregon Department of Energy-Energy Facility Siting Council of this decision.
For more information view the Idaho Power letters to the BLM and ODOE-EFSC.

Crop Dusters and Power Lines

Testimony of James Jennings of Farmers Aerial Applicators, Ontario, OR, to the Oregon House Sustainability and Economic Development Committee April 9th, 2009: Thank you for the opportunity to testify on Oregon House Bill 3153. . . We are a small two airplane operation which employs two pilots year round and up to six other people on a seasonal basis. We are based at the Ontario airport and most of our customers are located in the Ontario, Nyssa, and Vale areas . . .At the start of the row crop spraying season, the plants are small and can be treated with ground sprayers if necessary. As the plants mature, they "close over the row" and a ground sprayer can't get through the field without running over the foliage.This is where the airplane comes in. We don't touch the foliage and can spray even if the field is wet. So during this period, aircraft are almost exclusively used for applying pesticides to these crops. It is necessary for us to be able to get good coverage of these fields. . . because the pests we miss eradicating can multiply and reinfest the whole field in a surprising short amount of time. . . The more obstacles there are in the vicinity, or actually in the field, the more difficult it is to get good coverage. Your normal (50 ft) power line that you may see running along the side of the road is one thing, and we can usually deal with them. But this 500 kV line with 195 foot tall towers is a whole other thing . . .In our day-to-day operations we have, on occasion, had a closer encounter with a power line . . . this 500 kV line, however, has wires that are 18" in diameter as I understand it. If an airplane hits one, the airplane will be destroyed, and probably the pilot too.When dealing with a field that has a powerline running through it, there are basically two ways to go. One can fly the field parallel to the line or perpendicular to the line.If parallel to the line, then we have to solve the problem of how to get material on the part of the field directly under the wires in between towers.If perpendicular, we can go under the wires, but what happens when we get to a support tower? The options are to pull up out of the field early and climb over the tower, or side-slip past the tower and go under the wire. Either one of these maneuvers will require a pullout and circle around to restart our pass on the other side of the tower.Here we have the same two choices: Go back under the wire and side-slip back onto course which is very difficult to accomplish, or come over the top of the tower and dive back down onto the field on course.The downside is we don't want to spray the whole countryside by leaving the spray on as we climb/descend the 200 feet needed to clear the tower. Either way, we will have to come in and clean up around the towers by making short passes near the base of the tower to be sure we have coverage there.A possibly worse situation is when the field is near this power line. The power line acts like a big airplane fence. It will restrict our room to maneuver. Sometimes we get very focused on the field we are spraying and its environs because we are looking for problems, like people that appear out of nowhere or watching where the spray drift is going, instead of looking to see what is in front of the airplane as we are turning. It can be very easy to miscalculate the wind as one is turning and get blown right into an obstacle such as this power line. To read more from this article, click here : http://stopidahopower.blogspot.com/