Idaho Falls Power kicks off energized community efforts to pursue federal infrastructure funding – Local News 8

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Idaho Falls Energy is in search of group concepts and enter as the general public energy utility pursues federal funding for native vitality infrastructure.

Town’s municipal electrical utility is in the midst of a once-in-a-generation nationwide funding via the Infrastructure Funding and Jobs Act. As Idaho Falls Energy proceeds via a grant utility course of, the town displays on a 122-year historical past of group involvement to create one of many nation’s most reasonably priced, dependable, and accountable vitality utilities.

“Idaho Falls Energy sits in a novel place the place our community-owned utility can compete for infrastructure funding that would probably be tens of hundreds of thousands of {dollars},” stated Idaho Falls Energy Common Supervisor Bear Prairie. “Idaho Falls Energy has a profitable historical past of working with the U.S. Division of Vitality on superior vitality expertise deployment tasks, together with after we retrofitted our hydropower within the late Seventies. As we transfer via this grant course of, we need to interact our group, the lifeblood of our not-for-profit, community-owned utility that retains the lights on for over 30,000 properties and companies.”

The aggressive funding announcement from the U.S. Division of Vitality as a part of the Infrastructure Funding and Jobs Act got here simply earlier than Thanksgiving. Idaho Falls Energy, which has already been wanting effectively into the utility’s future wants and capabilities, was anticipating the announcement and hit the bottom working to pursue it.

“We really worth all concepts and views as we work together with key group stakeholders and organizations, ” Prairie stated. “When planning for future tasks for Idaho Falls Energy, we have to have a look at how we are able to maximize the advantages of this infrastructure funding all through the group.”

Idaho Falls Energy is seeking to develop plans involving group labor and engagement, high quality jobs and job coaching; range, fairness, inclusion, accessibility; and enabling deprived communities. Idaho Falls Energy invitations group members and companies to dialogue between now and the tip of January.

For these considering collaborating within the dialog about the way forward for Idaho Falls Energy and the way to enhance our group, contact Wid Richie, vitality providers supervisor, at wrichie@ifpower.org.

If Idaho Falls Energy receives the grant, it’ll permit federal {dollars} to come back again to Idaho Falls, funding essential infrastructure enhancements reasonably than paying historically via electrical charges immediately from our prospects.

“Idaho Falls has a protracted historical past of offering reasonably priced and dependable energy to our group for generations,” stated Idaho Falls Mayor Rebecca Casper. “The creation of our first hydroelectric facility in 1900 began as an thought. Equally, we discover ourselves ready to develop new ideas, concepts and plans that can profit our metropolis for generations to come back.”