The Boardman to Hemingway Transmission Line Project (B2H Project) is a proposal from Idaho Power to build and operate a 500 kilovolt transmission line from the Boardman Substation near Boardman, Oregon to the Hemingway Substation near Melba, Idaho.

Visit Idaho Power's Project Information page for more information.

The B2H Project would help reduce constraints on the Northwest's transmission system as demand for energy continues to grow. The transmission line would increase transmission capacity, improve system reliability and ensure Idaho Power can provide future service for its customers as well as other utility customers in Idaho and Oregon.

The proposed transmission line would transport energy from the Northwest to serve homes, farms and/or businesses in the region. Regardless of the electric service provider, this line would allow utilities to access low cost energy from the region. This would help electricity service providers maintain some of the lowest electricity rates in the nation.

The power imported on the proposed transmission line would come from a variety of northwest sources including hydroelectric, natural gas, coal, nuclear and wind resources.

The proposed transmission line would increase regional transmission transport capacity. The project is not related to any specific power generation resource. The added capacity generated by the B2H Project would relieve existing transmission congestion. The provided relief may stimulate interest in siting power generation facilities that were previously deterred due to transmission congestion. The line will be open to all generators who meet regulatory requirements, regardless of where the energy comes from.

No. The B2H Project would transfer energy from the Northwest to serve Idaho Power's service area as well as other utilities in the region. The transmission line would relieve congestion on the existing 230 kV transmission lines that interconnect Idaho Power’s electrical system to the Northwest. This relief may allow generation projects to interconnect on lower voltage transmission lines.

The Boardman to Hemingway Transmission Line would serve existing customers, as well as customers outside of Idaho Power’s service area. Electricity could flow from one substation to the other depending on the time of year and where the highest demand for electricity was occurring. For example, the communities in eastern Oregon and southern Idaho experience their highest power use in the summer months, while the western portion of the Pacific Northwest traditionally requires more power during the winter season.

Therefore, in the summer, the line would transfer power from Pacific Northwest generation plants to customers of Idaho Power, Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative, the City of Weiser, the City of Burley and others. Alternately, the line would serve western Pacific Northwest electric customers in the winter during their peak usage time. Idaho Power feels that it is a communally beneficial project that supports the energy requirements of customers throughout the region while strengthening the regional transmission grid.