Idaho Power may shut off power to prevent wildfires in extreme conditions. What we know

A devastating wildfire consumed part of the island of Maui last August, killing over 100 people. Days later, a wildfire near Spokane burned 10,000 acres of land, killing one. In 2020, five simultaneous “megafires” in Oregon over Labor Day killed nine people and burned over one million acres.

In each case, the utility company serving each area was accused — and in Oregon, found liable — of causing the fire by keeping its power lines energized amid high-risk conditions, like strong winds that can cause the lines to fall down on or blow into vegetation or other equipment, causing sparks.

As the risk and extent of wildfires rises in the West amid extreme heat and drought, forces exacerbated by climate change, Idaho Power doesn’t want to be next.

In a presentation to Boise’s City Council, Jon Post, the company’s regional manager for the capital region, shared the company’s plans to follow California and other Western states in preventively shutting off power in cases of extreme weather or especially risky conditions.

“The question on everyone’s mind seems to be, why is Idaho Power trying to be like California?” Post said. “The answer is, we’re not trying to be like California. But what we are doing is paying attention to what’s going on around us.”

In recent months, the power company, which provides electricity to over 600,000 customers across Southern Idaho and eastern Oregon, has been trying to get the word out and lay the groundwork for the possibility that it may need to implement “public safety power shutoffs” in some areas when the risk of wildfire gets too high.

Post called shutoffs a “last-resort” measure in cases where dangerous conditions combine: high temperatures, low humidity, dry vegetation and winds above 50 mph. Those conditions are most likely to occur in late July and August, he said.

In more routine conditions, the company conducts regular inspections of its equipment and nearby vegetation, upgrading some equipment to prevent sparks.

Because the shutoffs occur in extreme conditions, it’s hard to say how long a given outage might last, Post said.

Dani Southard, the company’s wildfire mitigation program manager, told council members that the duration would depend on how long it takes for the extreme weather event to clear up, for Idaho Power to visit the site and assess any damage, and for repair teams to resolve the issue.

“I would jump in here and just caution the public to have an expectation of time … it takes awhile,” Mayor Lauren McLean said during the presentation.

In a worst-case scenario, Post said, outages could last up to 24 hours — though in that situation, the company would work with local officials to set up cooling centers and provide other resources.

In April, a Colorado utility company preemptively shut off power for 55,000 customers amid high winds and dry conditions — the first time a public safety shutoff was implemented in the state. Two days later, over 15,000 customers were still without power, and customers complained that they had not received enough advance warning or explanation of the shutoff.

Idaho Power has been working to avoid that kind of confusion, airing radio ads about the possibility of these shutoffs and reaching out to residents in high-risk zones to ensure that Idaho Power has their contact information.

Locations with the highest fire risk are also the most likely to experience preventative power shutoffs. Many of those buildings are in areas abutting the Foothills, or in Southeast Boise east of Federal Way. A map on Idaho Power’s website shows areas with the highest likelihood of experiencing a shutoff.

If a shutoff seems likely, Post said, customers will receive a phone call, text or email one or two days in advance, as well as text messages with status updates about when power will return. The company will also post updates on its website.

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