BPA credit adjustment to lower Idaho customer power bills

BOISE, Idaho — Rocky Mountain Power was authorized by the Idaho Public Utilities Commission to pass on a federal billing credit to certain residential or farm customers in Idaho. The change reduces the annual power bill of a typical residential customer by about $16.56 and takes effect Oct. 1, 2021.

The Bonneville Power Administration Residential Exchange Program is designed to share the benefits of the Federal Columbia River Power System with residential and small farm customers of investor-owned electric utilities in Idaho and other Northwest states. The program began in 1980 through the Bonneville Power Administration, a federal power marketing agency. The benefits have significantly lowered the bills of qualifying residential and small farm customers during the course of the program. The exchange benefits are passed directly to customers by Rocky Mountain Power and have no effect on the utility’s revenues.

The following is a summary of the percentage impacts by customer class:

• Residential Schedule 1 – 1.7% decrease
• Residential Schedule 36 – 2.1% decrease 
• General Service Schedule 6A – 2.3% decrease
• Irrigation Service Schedule 10 – 0.8% decrease
• General Service Schedule 23A – 1.9% decrease
• Public Street Lighting 7A – 0.4% decrease

The total amount of the credit for Idaho customers of Rocky Mountain Power is $10.3 million, which will be applied to monthly bills beginning October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2023.