2023 Idaho Strategic Energy Alliance Reliability & Resiliency Task Force Report

The health of Idaho's economy depends on its ability to access reliable energy. While the state's energy industry has a strong track record of maintaining reliable service, increasing and emerging threats require partners in the private and public sectors to work continually to ensure Idaho is making the appropriate investments in reliability and resiliency projects. Minimizing the effects of energy disruptions requires building system resilience against major risks, fostering local talent, establishing mutual aid partnerships, and strategic investing. Idaho has experienced rapid population growth within the past few years. Idaho has been identified as the second-fastest growing state within the past decade.1 Not only are more individuals moving to the state, but tourism and the local industrial sector in Idaho has grown as well. As the number of people and businesses in Idaho increases, so does demand for affordable, reliable, and accessible energy. Restoring energy access after a disruptive event is a complex task, and a speedy restoration requires significant logistical expertise, including skilled workers and specialized equipment. Major risks to the state's energy system include natural disasters like storms, wildfires, and droughts; infrastructure failures due to compromised or aging equipment, accidents or human error, cyberattacks, and physical attacks. Certainty in energy provision and access requires the consistent ability to meet energy demand despite these risks and supply energy to Idahoans when and where they need it. The Idaho Strategic Energy Alliance (ISEA) created the Reliability and Resiliency Task Force and charged this group with preparing a report that reviews the opportunities and barriers to enhance energy reliability and resiliency in Idaho. This report 1.) discusses the importance of energy reliability and resiliency for the State’s economy and overviews Idaho’s energy risk profile, energy emergency planning documents, and legal authorities, 2.) reviews current state, local, federal, and private sector efforts to enhance reliability and resilience, 3.) considers opportunities and challenges to further improve reliability and resilience in Idaho, including: funding, planning, investment in infrastructure modernization, vegetation management, cybersecurity, supply chain constraints, and permitting and siting constraints, and 4.) discusses the importance of cost-effective investment in the state’s energy infrastructure. The report concludes with acknowledgement of the following critical actions: 1. We must make strategic investments in hardening and modernizing our grid; 2. We must integrate our planning efforts between public, private, and community stakeholders to ensure we are mobilizing resources and planning instruments in a productive manner; and 3. We must improve state, local, and federal policies that support thoughtful infrastructure outcomes.