Building up Idaho's energy infrastructure

No matter where you live in Idaho, the odds are high that you depend on some form of energy. You may be tied to the grid or totally offline with a generator. But you require power to handle necessary tasks.

Energy demands have only increased as more devices make their way from research labs into our homes. A 2023 consumer survey estimated an average of 17 connected devices per U.S. home with internet access. Think of your smartphone, your smartwatch or your security system.

Extending those numbers out a bit across homes with broadband (approx. 117 million), and you’re looking at close to 2 billion devices just in the U.S. All those devices require energy to function, and the numbers don’t account for appliances and other electronics in the home. We need and use a lot of energy, which means what happens on our energy grid matters.

In 2024, we consumed 4.1 billion kilowatt hours of electricity, an estimated 4.2 billion kWh in 2025, and a projected 4.3 billion kWh in 2026. Over the last year, a lot of discussion has focused on how the cost of things continued to increase, including power bills.

The increases come from multiple sources, including increasing demand from new data centers, aging infrastructure repairs, and losses due to natural disasters. While we can’t fix supply and demand challenges overnight, we can act to make it easier and faster to meet the demand.

We’re behind on building new transmission lines, making it difficult for new energy sources to come online. The Department of Energy estimates that by 2030, we’ll need to expand our transmission systems by 60%. That number may triple by 2050. We can help by reviewing the state’s permitting process and ensuring that projects are happening quickly and safely.

We also can’t stop natural disasters from happening, which can destroy our energy infrastructure. But with the Wildfire Standard of Care Act we passed last session, Idaho’s power companies must now develop, file and implement wildfire mitigation plans with the Idaho Public Utilities Commission. With utilities accountable for reducing risk from potential wildfires, we’re taking proactive steps to help reduce the possibility of avoidable expenses passed on to you.

Finally, we need to press forward with the research and development of new energy technology. The Idaho National Laboratory remains a leader on small modular reactors. We need that type of innovation and investment to help increase the resiliency of our electric grid and build additional capacity capable of meeting demand.

Idaho has a bright future with so much potential. We must take steps now to advance those opportunities and ensure we have invested in the necessary resources. I look forward to working on energy issues during the next legislative session and finding ways to build up Idaho’s energy infrastructure.