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29 August 2006 -- Idaho Power this month filed for an amendment to its newly issued federal license to operate the 12.5-MW Shoshone Falls Power Plant.
In its application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the company is seeking permission to expand the hydroelectric facility with a second powerhouse that would provide an additional 50 MW of power from the station. Originally built in 1907, the last upgrades to the historic facility were done in 1936.
"It's our intention to make the architecture of the new powerhouse closely match that of the existing plant," said Idaho Power Project Engineer Jim Leonard. "We want this addition to appear as though it's been there all the time to balance the present with the past."
The application also addresses possible increased flows over the scenic Shoshone Falls. Currently Idaho Power annually provides 300 cubic feet per second (cfs) of water over the 212-foot-high falls during daylight hours from April 1 through Labor Day weekend for aesthetic purposes, regardless of power plant requirements for water for generation.
Leonard said that in its application Idaho Power has proposed a flow schedule that will accommodate both energy production and visitors to the nearby Shoshone Falls Park.
The proposed flow schedule would make more water available from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. during spring weekends when park usage is at its highest. If the FERC approves the expansion of the Shoshone Falls Power Plant construction could start sometime in 2008.
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