IDAHO FALLS — Idaho Falls Power received nationwide recognition as one of the most reliable public power utilities.

The American Public Power Association named Idaho Falls’ municipal power utility among the top quarter of public power utilities with the 2022 Certificate of Excellence in Reliability. The certificate recognizes Idaho Falls Power’s exceptionally reliable service and power to their customer's businesses and homes.

“At Idaho Falls Power we understand the importance of reliable electricity in our daily lives, and we strive to ensure that our customers have access to the energy they need,” said Idaho Falls Power General Manager Bear Prairie. “With this certificate, customers can remain assured that Idaho Falls places reliability as a top priority. We also take pride in being able to provide this reliability at a rate that is well below most other electric providers' cost of electricity.”

To calculate the top-performing public power utilities, APPA looks at the average total duration of outages (in hours) experienced by a customer averaged out over five years. Among the 219 utilities who had the lowest duration of outages, Idaho Falls Power is the only public power utility in the Gem State to receive the 2022 Certificate of Excellence in Reliability.

“It’s encouraging to see year after year that public power’s track record for providing highly reliable service is backed up by data,” said APPA Director of Research and Development Paul Zummo. “These utilities are the best of the best when it comes to keeping the lights on. And these communities should be proud of their local power providers and appreciate the hard work that goes into earning this recognition.”

Idaho Falls Power is one of the oldest public power communities in the Pacific Northwest. The utility is able to keep its heritage of providing affordable and reliable power through five city-owned hydroelectric projects that on average, provide about one-third of the electricity used in the city. Idaho Falls Power also focuses on keeping its infrastructure maintained with strategic long-range planning with the City Council and Mayor, which is responsible for the regulation of the utility. 

In 2022, Idaho Falls Power cut the ribbon to the Paine Substation on the north end of Idaho Falls alongside the newly constructed Sugar Mill to Paine transmission line. The $20-million-dollar investment signified the completion of decades-long vision to improve reliability through a more redundant localized grid. 

“While it’s a great honor to get this certificate, it is not a final destination for Idaho Falls Power,” Prairie said. “We remain committed to continuing to find and implement ways to improve our operations and service to our customers.”

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Media Note: For more information or to schedule an interview please contact City of Idaho Falls Public Information Officer Eric Grossarth at (208) 612-8562 or [email protected].