Pocatello airport to develop $75mn solar panel project

IPhoto eastidahonews

Pocatello Regional Airport is developing a 120-acre solar panel project valued at more than $75 million.

The project is first of its kind for the Southeastern Idaho area, developed by Intermountain Energy Partners.

The Pocatello Solar 1 LLC and Pocatello City Council have reached on a lease agreement in November, for the beginning of the project.

In initial stages, the project aims to produce about 2,531 megawatt hours in a month.

IPhoto eastidahonews
IPhoto eastidahonews

Idaho Public Utilities Commission may approve and finalize the project soon after which everything will be up and running.

“It’s a good little green energy program we are getting into here,” said city of Pocatello legal counsel Kirk Bybee. “It benefits the city and it benefits the taxpayers.”

Initially, the city of Pocatello will receive $1,500 per year during the panel construction for the two years.

After that, the city of Pocatello will be paid 3.4 percent of the operation’s next revenues for next 20 years.

The panels will be a commercial-grade version of the modules, with a measure of 3 feet by 5 feet. A track is provided between each row wide enough for the average car to drive through.

According to the contract with Idaho Power, Pocatello Solar 1 could get as much as $115 per megawatt hour when there is a large demand for energy, or as little as $34 per megawatt hour when there is a small local demand for energy.

Intermountain Energy, located at Idaho is developing 500 megawatts worth of solar projects across the United States with 221 megawatts of that development located in Idaho.

Intermountain Energy Partners largest Idaho project is being developed between Boise and Mountain Home.

Sabeena Wahid
[email protected]