Connections
January 2016
Cover
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
2016 Marks 100th
Anniversary
Historical Exhibit
Travels to Six Cities
Employees Get Involved
Through Community Parades
Cookbook Highlights
100 Years of Electric Cooking
Leading the Way
As Idaho Power President and CEO Darrel Anderson reflects
on the company’s rich history, he’s also focused on the most
cost-effective and responsible ways to provide reliable
electricity for future generations.
Powering Generations for 100 Years
Idaho Power invites communities
we serve to join our year-long
celebration marking 100 years
of reliable, fair-priced energy
and a bright future for generations
to come.
“Our success is largely due to the
dedication and skill of our workforce,
their commitment to our core values
of integrity, safety and respect, and the
community partnerships we’ve forged
along the way,” said Darrel Anderson,
Idaho Power President and CEO. “Those
The quality of life enjoyed by those of us
that came before us created a strong
who live and work in southern Idaho and foundation on which we continue to
eastern Oregon is closely linked to the
build. To celebrate this legacy, the
services delivered by Idaho Power. For
company is proudly recognizing
100 years, the company has been locally- employees and retirees, and sharing
based to provide the electricity that fuels our rich history with our communities
the economy, powers lives and makes
through traveling and online exhibits.”
this area a more comfortable place to live.
Additional activities will be announced
throughout the year.
Celebrating the Past
Founded Aug. 1, 1916, when five
companies merged, Idaho Power
initially served 18,000 customers.
Today, the company serves over 520,000
customers in a 24,000 square-mile
area. During our 100-year history,
world events like The Great Depression,
World War II, the Cold War, the energy
(continued on page 2)
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Powering Generations (continued from page 1)
Traveling Exhibit Coming to
a Community Near You
Displayed by each decade of our 100-year
history, Idaho Power’s historical exhibit
debuting in Ontario, Oregon this month,
will make its journey to five other locations
throughout our service area this year. Please
join us at the location nearest you.
January & February:
Four Rivers Cultural Center/Harano Gallery
676 SW 5th Ave.
Ontario, Ore.
March & April:
Twin Falls Visitor Center
2015 Nielsen Point Pl.
Twin Falls, ID
May & June:
Nampa Public Library
215 12th Ave. S.
Nampa, ID
July & August:
Discovery Center
131 W. Myrtle St.
Boise, ID
September:
Salmon Public Library
204 Main St.
Salmon, ID
October & November:
Idaho Museum of Natural History
Idaho State University
698 E. Dillon St.
Pocatello, ID
Reddy Kilowatt
Reddy Kilowatt was created
in 1926. Utility companies
across the United States
used Reddy in advertisements
to humanize companies and
praise the benefits of electricity.
During the 1930s, Reddy was a
bright spot — clever and quirky
— in a dim period of American
history. Idaho Power used
Reddy’s high-voltage smile to
show how electricity could make
life’s work easier.
2
In the early 1900s, the Swan Falls Power Plant was the first hydroelectric dam
on the Snake River. When fully developed, the power plant had 10 generators
producing 10,400 kilowatts.
crisis, and vast technological
and cultural changes have
challenged our efforts to balance
reliable energy, fair rates and
environmental concerns. A few
of the other bumps in the road
included drought, changing
regulations, building new
infrastructure to serve growing
energy needs and concerns
for employee and public safety
around electricity.
“Despite these and other hurdles
we’ve faced together, Idaho
Power’s customers have enjoyed
some of the lowest rates in the
nation for a century,” Anderson
said. Idaho Power is one of the
few investor-owned electric
utilities with a primarily
hydroelectric generating base.
Building the Future
One hundred years ago, we
relied solely on power produced
by nine hydroelectric plants
along the Snake River to meet
customers’ energy needs. Today,
Idaho Power’s generation
resource mix comes from 17
hydroelectric power plants, three
natural gas-fired plants and
three jointly-owned coal-fired
plants. Our newest addition,
Langley Gulch, is a natural gasfired plant that began production
in July 2012. We also purchase
renewable energy such as wind,
solar and geothermal from
independent power producers.
When needed, the company
purchases energy from the
wholesale electric market to
meet customer demand.
In the early years, bringing
power to rural areas and low
rates helped fuel industries
like mining, agriculture, and
phosphate and manufactured
food industries. As we served
the growing base of residential
customers, Idaho Power
traveling salesmen sold allelectric appliances and home
economists hosted cooking
classes to promote electricity use.
Growing energy use led to
construction of new dams,
ending with the completion, in
the 1960s, of the last two dams
We built on the Snake River:
Oxbow and Hells Canyon.
Community Parades
Highlight the Old and
the New
This year, Idaho Power is proudly
sponsoring parades throughout our
service area to recognize employees and
retirees and to celebrate our 100-year
legacy of partnering with our communities.
We will feature a vintage 1965 lineman’s
truck and a new electric vehicle.
In 1994, the historic Swan Falls powerhouse and all generating equipment
were taken out of service and retired. The new power plant has two
generators — increasing production capacity to 25,000 kilowatts.
Growth also strengthened
the company’s commitment
to the environment. From
fish conservation efforts to
raptor protection to watershed
management, the company has a
rich legacy of caring for the land
and rivers in our service area.
Idaho Power also operates and
maintains over 50 recreational
facilities along the Snake River,
providing outdoor activities to
visitors from around the world.
Until the 1960s, we encouraged
customers to use more electricity.
As the energy crisis of the 1970s
surfaced, however, Idaho
Power began to promote energy
conservation. Helping customers
use energy wisely is still a priority
today. The company offers
energy efficiency incentives to
our commercial, irrigation and
residential customers. This helps
customers use energy wisely and
avoid waste. “Our commitment
to helping customers effectively
manage their energy use spans
decades and will be an important
part of our energy future,” said
Anderson.
Idaho Power supports our
communities through employee
volunteerism, corporate
donations and community
sponsorships. We also look to the
future by enabling the success of
students through scholarships
and educational programs.
“Just as we have throughout
our history, Idaho Power will
look to both present and future
employees to rise to the many
challenges the company will
face and lead us into the future
by prioritizing the needs of
shareholders, customers and
our workforce,” said Anderson.
“From the environment to the
economy, we are committed
to the prosperity of our
communities. The company has
powered lives with reliable, fairpriced energy for a century and
will continue this legacy many
years into the future.”
May:
Parade America, Nampa
Payette Apple Blossom Festival, Payette
Twin Falls Western Days, Twin Falls
June:
Meridian Dairy Days, Meridian
Emmett Cherry Festival, Emmett
July:
Eagle Fun Days, Eagle
Aug.:
Chubbuck Days Parade, Chubbuck
Cassia County Fair Parade,
Burley
Sept.:
Air Force Appreciation Day,
Mountain Home
Oct.:
Boise State University
Homecoming Parade, Boise
Nov.:
Veterans Day Parade, Boise
Holiday Parade, Boise
Dec.:
Winter Wonderland Parade,
Ontario, Ore.
Christmas Parade of Lights,
Mountain Home
Festival of Lights, Twin Falls
To learn more about Idaho
Power’s identity and focus over
the last 100 years, visit our online
centennial exhibit.
idahopower.com/100years
Vintage 1965 Idaho Power lineman’s truck.
3
100 Years of Cooking
with Idaho Power
In celebration of our 100-year history
of serving you, Idaho Power collected
favorite recipes from our newsletter,
employees, families and friends for a
centennial cookbook!
Spaghetti with Clam Sauce
8 oz spaghetti noodles
I cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Dash of thyme
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
I Tbsp olive oil
3 (6 ½ oz) cans chopped clams
Idaho Power has been sharing recipes with
our customers and employees since the
1920s when the company began offering
electricity education and cooking classes.
Access the cookbook from our centennial
exhibit online.
idahopower.com/100years
Makes 4 servings.
Pepper Steak
Watch
“Idaho
CEOs Pl
‘Just Dr
ive.’”
January • 1993
Dash of pepper
2 medium green peppers, cut
in ½-inch strips
8 oz egg noodles, cooked
NOTES:
Serves 4.
1 14
Annual Art Contest Winner
Find a complete list of overall and regional winners,
and view their artwork, on Idaho Power’s website.
idahopower.com/artcontest
Dessert
Orange Coffee Cake
½ cup brown sugar
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
1 ½ Tbsp grated orange rind
¹/³ cup chopped nuts
2 Tbsp butter
Line the bottom of a fry pan with 3 sheets of wax paper or one of aluminum foil. Preheat fry pan to
275°. Sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together. Cut in shortening. Add combined eggs and
orange juice. Stir just enough to blend. Spread batter in fry pan. Sprinkle combined brown sugar,
cinnamon, orange rind and nuts over top; dot with butter. Cover, open steam vent, and bake for
30–35 minutes or until done. Serve warm.
4
edge to
1 lb beef round steak
16 oz can tomatoes, cut in
chunks
½ medium onion, thinly sliced
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp salt
Trim excess fat from steak. Cut meat in 2 x ¼-inch strips. In a
medium skillet, brown meat and drain off fat. Drain tomatoes,
reserve liquid. Add reserved tomato liquid, onion slices, garlic,
Worcestershire sauce, salt and a dash of pepper to browned
meat strips. Cover tightly and simmer mixture over low heat for
50 minutes. Stir in green pepper strips and tomato chunks. Cook
meat mixture, covered, till green pepper is tender, about 6–8
minutes. Serve over hot noodles.
From The Electric Kitchen – 1959
2 ¼ cups sifted flour
3 tsp baking powder
¾ cup sugar
½ tsp salt
¹/³ cup shortening
2 small eggs, beaten
¾ cup orange juice
Oran
Combine clams and thyme and marinate for ½ hour. Sauté
chopped garlic in olive oil until light brown, add drained clams
and parsley and heat thoroughly. Cook spaghetti until done.
Spoon sauce over hot spaghetti and cover with cheese.
Well into the 1960s, Idaho Power home
economists brought cooking classes to
communities throughout our service
area, emphasizing the benefits of
electric appliances that made cooking
fast, easy and economical. Women
flocked to these schools to learn how
to use the latest appliances — purchased from
and serviced by Idaho Power — to cook the
most modern recipes.
As the era of encouraging customers to use
more electricity shifted to wise energy use
in the 1970s, Idaho Power began publishing
recipes in this newsletter. Today, these recipes
are selected for nutritional value and low
energy use in preparation, and approved
by registered dieticians with Central District
Health in Boise. Thank you to all who
contributed over the decades. We hope
you enjoy these recipes and share them
with future generations.
September • 1992
NOTES:
Anne Nygard, a student
at North Junior High
School in Boise, was
the overall winner
in the “100 Years of
Energy” category in
Idaho Power’s annual
art contest. More than
2,100 works of art were
submitted by students
throughout our service
area during Energy
Awareness Month in
October.
Connections is published monthly to inform
our customers about services we provide,
programs we offer and industry issues impacting
our service area in southern Idaho and eastern
Oregon. Our goal is to engage and inspire you
to learn more about Idaho Power and how we
are working together to meet your energy needs
today and tomorrow.
Comments or questions are welcome at
idahopower.com/contactus
or contact us at: Corporate Communications
P.O. Box 70, Boise, ID 83707
This month’s special recipe is an excerpt from the
upcoming Idaho Power cookbook. The featured
recipe is from 1959.
Printed on recycled paper
Chila