By Rep. David Leavitt, Dist. 25?
Across Idaho, families, farmers, and small business owners are opening their monthly utility bills and doing a double take. Electricity costs are rising, and not just by pennies. For many, it feels like another hit in a season of economic strain. But while the increase is real, the reasons behind it are far more complicated than a spike in temperatures or fuel prices. What’s really happening is that Idaho’s power market is being shaped by forces well beyond our borders—driven by regional energy politics, renewable energy mandates in other states, and federal land management policies that are reshaping the landscape of Idaho itself.
At the heart of the issue is Idaho’s participation in the Western Energy Imbalance Market, or WEIM. This is a multi-state energy trading system run by the California Independent System Operator (CAISO)¹, which allows states in the West to buy and sell electricity in real-time. Read more.
