In Idaho, birds of prey (or raptors) are a common sight throughout the region and our company’s service area. Over 50 years ago, Idaho Power recognized these birds’ importance to our environment, and the importance of protecting them. Today, raptors are thriving. Our company’s vision, combined with one man’s lifelong dedication to raptor protection, has contributed much to their success. See our Protecting Raptors page to learn more.

Idaho Power takes actions to manage the risks of cyber threats and vulnerabilities to protect its network from cyber attacks, carefully steward data, and protect the reliability of the electric grid.

The CDP collects and manages the largest global collection of self-reported climate change, water and forest-risk data. Please refer to the CDP website to access our annual responses.

Idaho Power is committed to providing safe, reliable, affordable, and clean energy while protecting natural resources and planning for the future. Idaho Power furthers this mission through various business practices and procedures, collectively its Environmental Management System (EMS). The EMS is informed by licenses and permits, among other things, that contain the requirements for Idaho Power’s obligations. Idaho Power’s implementation of the processes in its EMS ensures we comply with all regulatory requirements and agreements with state and federal resource agencies, local governments, and tribes, while successfully managing environmental risks.
Idaho Power values its EMS, which undergirds its Environmental Compliance and Environmental Affairs Departments, and the senior managers who oversee the EMS through these departments report directly to an executive officer of Idaho Power. Through them, our EMS:

• Strategically develop goals to meet environmental and operational objectives consistent with resource allocations
• Identify legal and regulatory requirements, clearly delineate roles and responsibilities, and develop task-specific procedures to meet all permit and license requirements
• Help ensure our compliance activities are consistent with Idaho Power’s environmental compliance policy
• Track and evaluate Idaho Power’s environmental risks and impacts as part of our overall risk management
• Create internal tools and controls to support compliance
• Design reporting protocols, internal audits, process improvement, and feedback to improve synergy between our operations and environmental departments
• Support timely reporting, coordination, and documentation with an emphasis on transparency
• Prompt internal trainings on our environmental programs and compliance updates
• Spur asset protection, adaptive operations, and overall planning related to a changing climate

Child Labor

IDACORP and Idaho Power have no children in their respective work forces. Idaho Power restricts hiring anyone under the age of 18 for safety-sensitive or Commercial Driver’s License-required positions. Idaho Power and IDACORP have no employees under the age of 18.

Human Rights

IDACORP has strong policies in place that promote a diverse workforce, a respectful workplace environment and protect against harassment. IDACORP expects contractors to comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, those pertaining to environmental, safety, employment, human rights, and child labor laws.

The company makes employment decisions (including apprenticeship training) without regard to race; color; religion; sex; gender identity; sexual orientation; pregnancy; national origin; age; disability; genetic information; protected veteran status and/or military service; or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local laws and ordinances. Equal employment opportunity (EEO) is an integral part of Idaho Power’s operating philosophy, and our management is dedicated to ensuring the fulfillment of this policy with respect to hiring; placement; promotion; transfer; demotion; layoff; termination; recruitment advertising; pay; and other forms of compensation, training, and general treatment during employment.

Keeping our operations as cost-effective as possible, while doing what’s best for the environment, is a win–win. That’s why we recycle, reuse and reduce waste whenever possible. Items not deemed reusable by the company are either re-purposed or recycled for revenue, when possible.

Note: In 2023, cardboard was recycled but numbers were not reported by our recycling agency.

Used Transformer Recycling and Reuse

Our TransTest team receives used distribution transformers after they have been removed from service. Material handlers do a preliminary check to see if the units can be refurbished. The units that can be refurbished are saved, and the units that are not are drained of oil and sent to Investment Recovery for recycling. The oil from each transformer is checked to ensure it contains less than 1 parts per million (ppm) of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB). The used oil goes into the recovery tank and is treated with Ethanox and circulated through the Vacudyne system to remove any moisture. After treatment, it is tested for the dielectric properties to ensure it is within specification of 32 to 50 kilovolt-amperes (kVa). This process allows Idaho Power to reuse transformers and oil instead of disposing of the transformers and replacing with new. Ensuring maximum use of the product means less waste and a cost savings to Idaho Power customers. Our TransTest employees refurbish up to 2,000 transformers a year!

Idaho Power manages damaged power poles, replacement parts and obsolete equipment and other waste in accordance with local, state and federal regulations. In the case of a distribution pole damaged by a vehicle or weather, the pole is replaced and the damaged pole, with its equipment (transformer, insulators, switches, etc.), is transported to our Investment Recovery facility in Boise. We then assess the parts for repair and/or reuse.

Idaho Power routinely engages in public policy discussions, advocating for a variety of interests that affect costs to customers and owners, safety, reliability of service and our responsibility to the environment, our employees and our communities. Our voluntary, non-partisan employee political action committee (IDA-PAC) participates in the political process through contributions to candidate campaigns, other political action committees and ballot measure campaigns in compliance with applicable laws. Those contributions are made in furtherance of the company’s interests and without regard to the personal political preferences of our directors, executives or employees. All such activities are reviewed annually by the Governance/Nominating Committee.

Safety first is a core value at Idaho Power. The company’s goal is to maintain an injury-free work environment and to protect the safety of its employees, customers and the public. Safety is each employee’s responsibility and is always more important than the work being performed.

All employees are required to comply with the company’s safety policy and standards. Specifically, employees are expected to adhere to the following:

• Comply with applicable safety rules, laws and regulations, including those of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
• Comply with the provisions of the company’s Safety Standards.
• Stop work and question unforeseen hazards.
• Speak up to their leader or the employee in charge when safety issues arise.
• Report willful or repeated violations of the company’s safety policies and report general disregard for established safe work practices or employee or public safety.

The company maintains an Executive Safety Committee to ensure implementation of these safety policies and to assess and update them as needed.

Idaho Power does not operate in a High Baseline Water Stress area or an Extremely High Baseline Water Stress area. Using the World Resources Institute’s Water Risk Atlas, Idaho Power’s service area is in Low and Low-to-Medium Water Stress Areas.

Water Withdrawal Risk Management

Idaho Power and multiple other entities withdraw water from the Snake River Basin. To address impacts on available groundwater and surface water, Idaho Power implements a successful weather modification program in the Snake River Basin. The company partnered with an existing program in the upper Snake River Basin and has cooperatively expanded the existing weather-modification program, along with forecasting and meteorological data support. In 2014, Idaho Power expanded its cloud-seeding program to the Boise and Wood River basins, in collaboration with basin water users and the Idaho Water Resource Board (IWRB). Wood River cloud seeding, along with the upper Snake River activities, will benefit the Eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer (ESPA) Comprehensive Aquifer Management Plan (CAMP) implementation through additional water supply. These efforts are ongoing.