Report: ID utilities struggling to transition to clean energy

October 28, 2024

A new report grades utilities based on their commitment to transitioning away from fossil fuels.

The Sierra Club has graded utilities on their climate pledges since 2021 in its Dirty Truth report.

It finds marginal improvements nationwide, with utilities only committed to retiring 30% of their coal generation by 2030.

Director of the Sierra Club Idaho chapter Lisa Young said one troubling trend is that some utilities claiming to clean up their power generation are simply switching from coal to natural gas.

“Knowing that our ultimate goal and what we need to be doing to address the climate crisis is not replacing one fossil fuel with another,” said Young, “but replacing fossil fuels with 100% clean, renewable energy.”

The report graded two utilities in Idaho, giving Idaho Power a ‘C’ grade and PacifiCorp a ‘B’ grade.

While it operates in fewer parts of Idaho, PacifiCorp serves a large swath of the West – including parts of California, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

Idaho Power and PacifiCorp own a coal-fired power plant in Wyoming, with PacifiCorp in control of two-thirds of the plant.

Young said the utilities planned to convert the plant to gas power, which would have had some slight benefits in the long run.

But PacifiCorp changed its mind this year and said it would continue using coal, deciding to install carbon capture technology instead.

“That’s why Idaho Power gets a bad score in this report, because PacifiCorp – the co-owner – is making these poor decisions about continuing to burn coal past 2030,” said Young, “and it’s impacting Idaho Power and all of us as the customers and everyone in the region.”

Young said Idaho Power should push PacifiCorp away from coal.

“Even though it’s not the majority owner and this other utility, PacifiCorp, has most of the final say in what’s going to happen with that coal plant,” said Young, “Idaho Power does have an opportunity here and a point of leverage to really try to shut that coal plant down, and to stop burning coal at that plant.”

She also noted that Idaho Power should not put any barriers in the way of rooftop solar so that households can also be part of the renewable energy change.

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