Lisa Grow on infrastructure
From Powering Idaho’s Future · · Boise Valley Economic Partnership BVEP
“I've never seen anything like this in my entire career in terms of the magnitude of resources that we need to build.”
On , Lisa Grow, Chief Executive Officer, President & Director at IDACORP INC, spoke about infrastructure during Powering Idaho’s Future on Boise Valley Economic Partnership BVEP.
About Lisa Grow
Lisa Grow, president and CEO of Idaho Power and its parent company IDACORP, has described the current period as unprecedented in her career, stating that the utility is "one of, if not the fastest growing utility by percentage in the country." She said that with known load under contract, the company expects to "put 40 years of growth in place in 5 years." Grow noted that the company is building a 15-acre substation near Boise, referred to as the "chip substation," to serve large customers such as Micron. She explained that the company's philosophy is that "growth pays for growth," with costs for infrastructure that benefits a single customer assigned to that customer, while system-wide benefits are socialized. Grow has emphasized the company's energy mix, stating that about 40% of its generation comes from hydroelectric power, which she called the "crown jewels" of the system. She said Idaho Power is adding wind, solar, and batteries, and is converting coal plants to natural gas, which she said "lowers the carbon footprint." She described the company's goal of being 100% clean with company-owned assets by 2045 as "a goal not a commitment," because the company cannot violate its stated mission of providing "safe, reliable, affordable and increasingly clean energy" in that order. Grow also noted that the company faces challenges in permitting and supply chain, including sourcing steel for transmission lines from India and Turkey<｜begin▁of▁file｜>.