IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

Case No. IPC-E-10-19, Order No. 32593

July 16, 2012

Contact: Gene Fadness 208.334.0339 (office) 208.890.2712 (cell)

PUC adopts amended agreement between solar developer, Idaho Power

The Idaho Public Utilities Commission is approving an amended power purchase agreement that gives a solar developer more time to complete a project west of Mountain Home.

The amended sales agreement proposed by Idaho Power Company and Grand View Solar One establishes an operating date of Jan. 12, 2013. The project, 16 miles west of Mountain Home, will generate up to 10 average megawatts.

Idaho Power claims the scheduled online date was Jan. 30, 2011. Grand View Solar One claimed it had a “rolling” scheduled operation date for which a deadline had not expired.

Under terms of the new agreement, Grand View Solar One posted an $810,000 security for Idaho Power in case the project is not operating by Jan. 12, 2013. The project also paid $475,000 in a construction deposit. The agreement also states that if Idaho Power is the cause of any delays, the operation date can be extended to accommodate those delays without penalty to the developer.

Commission staff stated it is inappropriate to allow any qualifying facility under provisions of the federal Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) to have a rolling scheduled operation date under which the project “can, in effect, unilaterally dictate when it wishes to come on-line.”

The manager of the Grand View Solar PV One project is Robert Paul of Deseret Hot Springs, Calif.

For more information about this case, go to the commission’s Web site at www.puc.idaho.gov. Click on the electric icon, then on “Open Electric Cases,” and scroll down to Case No. IPC-E-10-19.

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