Coal-fired generation has become ever more important to Idaho Power for maintaining our ability to meet base load, the minimum amount of power we must generate on an ongoing basis. 

Because adding more hydro production is an unlikely solution, we may need to rely even more on fossil fuels to meet demand.

Today, Idaho Power uses abundant, low-cost fuel like coal to supplement its system of hydroelectric dams and relies more expensive natural gas to meet peak energy needs. Over the last 20 years, Idaho Power’s coal-fired plants have on average provided more than 40 percent of the total generation .