Title
Wind Energy in Idaho
Document Type
Student Presentation
Presentation Date
4-15-2013
Faculty Sponsor
Scott Lowe
Abstract
This presentation describes a legal and economic conflict between Idaho power and a series of small wind energy producers, overseen by the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (PUC). The conflict revolves around the fact that Idaho Power is legally required to purchase energy from these producers at prices determined by the PUC. We have explored a series of possible steps which could be taken to resolve this conflict, and have come to the conclusion that a combination of a carefully managed tax on carbon emissions produced by coal-fired facilities and a subsidy program to the purchase of wind power could resolve the problem to the satisfaction of all the different stakeholder’s competing interests.