Southeast Idaho Load Service

The Southeast Idaho Load Service (SILS) is comprised of six statutory preference customers serving parts of Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. (The term “statutory preference customers” refers to entities that are entitled by statute to preference and priority to the power sold by BPA. See 16 U.S.C. § 832c(a); 16 U.S.C. § 839c(a).)

BPA began serving SILS preference customers in 1963, when service to these and other public utilities was assigned from the Bureau of Reclamation to BPA.
 
BPA has been evaluating ways to reliably, cost effectively, safely, and environmentally meet its power supply and transmission service obligations to its SILS customers. 

BPA Request for Offers (April 2025)

BPA plans to release a Request for Offers (RFO) on April 22, 2025, with the intent of acquiring power to serve a portion of its Southeast Idaho public utility customer loads.   BPA has developed a Term Sheet to provide an outline of the forthcoming RFO.  

  • Term Sheet Cover Letter, which includes the April 8, 2025 conference call information to answer questions 
  • Term Sheet 
  • RFO Q and As (forthcoming as questions are received)
  • RFO (forthcoming, estimated to be released April 22, 2025 and ending May 9, 2025 at close of business)

BPA’s RFO to acquire power to serve Southeast Idaho customers is consistent with the Bonneville Power Administration’s contractual obligation to provide reliable, low-cost service to its preference customers. This RFO is a continuation of BPA’s strategy to provide interim service to SE Idaho customers until the Boardman to Hemingway project is complete.

Boardman to Hemingway (B2H) Transmission with Transfer Service

(2019-present)

 On January 18, 2022, BPA signed a non-binding term sheet that clarified and updated BPA’s role in Idaho Power’s and PacifiCorp’s proposed Boardman to Hemingway transmission line from Boardman, Oregon, to Hemingway, Idaho. This proposal, referred to as B2H with Transfer Service, would allow BPA to reliably and cost-effectively meet firm power service obligations to southeast Idaho customers by acquiring transmission service from Idaho Power rather than becoming a part owner in the B2H line as previously considered.  BPA released a letter to the region on January 18, 2022 describing the history of BPA’s service to the southeast Idaho customers, the B2H negotiations, and providing an overview of the B2H with Transfer Service terms reflected in the nonbinding term sheet.      

BPA, Idaho Power, and PacifiCorp have finalized the terms for the agreements associated with B2H with Transfer Service.  BPA is proposing to execute the agreements and is holding a public process before making a final decision.  On January 9, 2023, BPA released a letter to region describing the agreements that BPA proposes to execute, the business case for B2H with Transfer Service, and details for the public process, with comments on the proposal due from stakeholders by February 9, 2023.  BPA’s final decision and response to stakeholder comments will be in a Closeout Letter issued on or around March 23, 2023.

2023

2022

Archived Proposals