Below is the ad that was placed with the Post Register in response to the 'Current Connections' newsletter that Idaho Falls Power sent out with their bills. I modified it slightly to fit the format of this website, and also added a few thoughts of my own to the letter. My additions are written in blue.
Attention Idaho Falls Power Customers
You recently received the “Current Connections” newsletter with your power bill which
contained many false statements concerning
the North Loop Project.
Please read the true facts below
What Idaho Falls Power told you:
Electricity use has increased 400
percent in the past 40 years, pushing IFP’s electrical transmission system
throughout the core of the city to the brink of capacity. This puts customers at risk for extended
outages.
What the researched truth is concerning the project:
The city claims that there will be extended outages without the North Loop project; however, there have not been any extended outages of your power with the current system. It would be a redundant line that was deemed necessary by a flawed study done in the early 1970’s that incorrectly predicted the future growth west of town. Also, there are many ways to increase the electric capacity of the city without building an invasive and expensive loop around the whole city. No other city in Idaho uses a massive loop to provide electricity to its citizens. Increasing capacity is necessary, the North Loop is not.
What Idaho Falls Power told you:
Burying the line would cost five to 10
times as much as installing it overhead.
What the researched truth is concerning the project:
Burying the line is more expensive, but the entire loop would not need to be buried and the distance of the loop could be dramatically shortened. If proceeding with this project responsibly means that it would cost 5 to 10 times more than current projections, perhaps IFP should think of more responsible ways to achieve their goals. They are trying to buy a Mercedes for the price of a Hyundai.
What Idaho Falls Power told you:
The state prohibits utility structures
along the interstates unless there is no other alternative. Additionally, restricted air space around the
airport prevents IFP from reaching one of three key destination points. This route would also require larger
structures, driving up the cost.
What the researched truth is concerning the project:
The State Highway Department states that power lines are allowed adjacent to the interstate right-of-way. The short portion along the north end of the runway could be buried.
What Idaho Falls Power told you:
The project team has worked to limit
impact (on agricultural operations) by paralleling existing corridors as opposed to cutting through fields
and disturbing pivots.
What the researched truth is concerning the project:
Spray planes would not be able to operate around the power lines, disrupting farming operations. IFP is planning on taking possession of a potato cellar along the side of the road to be razed at a later date. How does this not disrupt a farming operation?
What Idaho Falls Power told you:
No study has ever found that exposure
to stray voltage causes health problems in humans. IFP will follow Idaho Public Utilities
Commission rules governing complaint investigation.
What the researched truth is concerning the project:
What Idaho Falls Power told you:
Transmission is not jurisdiction
specific. Most of the power for
residents of Bonneville County comes from outside the state on transmission
lines crossing state and county lines to deliver power.
What the researched truth is concerning the project:
IFP produces less than 30% of the power they transmit to you. The balance is purchased from other sources. The obvious difference is that rural Bonneville County residents are being served by the utility that places poles near our homes.
What Idaho Falls Power told you:
A few trees will likely be removed,
but most will only need to be trimmed.
No structures are required to be removed with the current design and
alignment.
What the researched truth is concerning the project:
IFP will remove dozens and dozens of trees including mature Blue Spruce trees and American Elm trees 65 years old. One man was told by IFP that he would either need to leave his home or sign a waiver of liability to live there. One family has farmed the same parcel of land for 100 years and will now have the power pole easement within four feet of their front door! This statement by IFP is a flat out lie. "
What Idaho Falls Power told you:
Idaho Falls residents are Bonneville
County residents. IFP’s reliable,
low-cost electricity helps fuel the local economy and affects the services that
all residents receive from businesses throughout the city.
What the researched truth is concerning the project:
The Bonneville County residents who will have their property condemned for the project will not be able to receive power from the line. All rural Bonneville County residents that live along the proposed loop will experience a significant drop in their property value, which in turn affects the local economy. Also, while IFP helps fuel the economy, it is agriculture that is the engine driving our local economy. The North Loop project will negatively affect the agricultural lands it intersects.
What Idaho Falls Power told you:
There will be no rate increase
associated with the North Loop; the project will be funded with capital
improvement funds the utility has been responsibly setting aside for years.
What the researched truth is concerning the project:
The Idaho Falls rate payers must have been paying too much for years for IFP to have put aside enough money for this project. Because IFP is not regulated by the PUC, they are able to raise your rates without following PUC regulations such as having public hearings. Because IFP is a consumer-owned utility, you should have a say on how your money is spent. IFP recently raised rates. Perhaps if they had not been setting aside a significant amount of money for an unnecessary project they would not have had to raise rates.
protect.property.rights@gmail.com
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