The city is making real progress on its renewable energy goals, at the airport and beyond
Bright future: Air travelers in Boise are getting a boost from the sun. Photo: Thomas Hawk/Flickr
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By Kendra Chamberlain. December 2, 2024. The city of Boise is steadily marching towards its goal to power 100% of municipal government functions with renewable energy by 2030.
The city’s airport and one of its wastewater treatment plants are now powered 100% by solar energy, according to the Idaho Capital Sun. The paper attributed the news to Steve Hubble, climate action manager for the city of Boise.
The city is buying solar energy from the Black Mesa Energy solar project located in Idaho’s Elmore County through a renewable energy program offered by Idaho Power. The facilities—two of the city’s three biggest energy users—bring Boise’s renewable energy share up to 25%.
The State of Idaho doesn’t have any renewable energy transition goals enshrined in law, but clean energy is proving popular among some of the state’s communities. The City of Boise adopted its 100% renewables mandate unanimously in 2019.
East of Boise, Blaine County (home to Sun Valley ski resort), along with the cities of Bellevue, Hailey and Ketchum, have pledged to transition to 100% clean energy for municipal energy use by 2030, and to provide 100% clean electricity for the Blaine County community by 2035.
Boise is the first city to participate in Idaho Power’s optional renewables program, which the Boise City Council approved unanimously in 2023.
In August, the Idaho Public Utilities Commission approved a 20-year contract for Idaho Power and the City of Boise to purchase 10 megawatts of power from the Black Mesa Energy solar farm to cover the energy requirements of the airport and the wastewater facility.
Meta is working on a similar deal with Idaho Power and solar builder rPlus Energies to cover the energy demands of its Kuna-based data center with 100% renewable energy.
Idaho Power itself has a stated goal of supplying 100% of power to its customers with renewable energy by 2045.
The majority of Idaho Power energy comes from hydroelectric dams, but nearly a quarter of the energy delivered is generated through coal burning. Idaho Power is investing in a web of wind and solar farms equipped with battery storage to eventually displace that coal, along with a new transmission line meant to carry clean energy from Oregon to Idaho.
