BIKE: OT Wind, Geothermal, Hydro cheaper than Natural Gas in Idaho

[alan_drake]

http://cascadiascorecard.typepad.com/blog/2004/12/idaho_power.html

December 28, 2004
Idaho Power

Old timers jest that the state of Idaho is actually named after Idaho
Power, the ultra-influential utility that furnishes most residents of
the Gem State their electricity.

So it's welcome news that Idaho Power—among the most old-guard of all
Northwest utilities in what is arguably the most conservative part of
Cascadia—has recognized the economic advantages of the clean-energy
revolution. The company's latest proposal to the state utility
commission is packed full of plans for major investments in energy
efficiency and renewable power, including both wind and geothermal.
ConWEB reports here and here. (Links in online version above).

These proposals would begin to align Idaho Power with the Fifth Plan
of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, which we've praised.
The Fifth Plan is no longer a draft; it was formally adopted earlier
this month.

Idaho stands to gain much from clean energy. It uses more energy per
capita than any other Cascadian state, as we documented here in the
Cascadia Scorecard's energy indicator.
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Idaho is a relatively high cost NG area, with good wind resources and
some, but limited, undeveloped geothermal & hydro resources. So it
can be expected to be among the first to see a shift from NG to wind
et al.

It is good to see the first general economic shift taking place there !

Higher natural gas prices and progressively better/cheaper* wind turbines will spread the geographic areas where wind is cheaper than NG in the future.

Alan :-))

* The rate of improvement in wind turbines by the Danes has been relatively slow but steady since the 1970s.  No major breaktroughs, just   "bigger & better" every few years, a step at a time w/o gov't R&D surprisingly enough. (The competitors of the Danes DID get major gov't R&D with VERY limited results).

By *FAR* the most cost effective gov't help was a Danish gov't database that collected operating information (including maintenance costs & reliability) between different models installed in Denmark.  This promoted the better models and punished the "bad" makes & models.  There was also a small "carbon" tax that indirectly subsidized wind power.  The Danes now also have a major export industry as well.

Today (per memory) Denmark gets ~20% of their electricity from wind (they trade with the Swedes & Norwegians; effectively wind power on windy days late @ night for hydropower on still days during peak demand).