WHAT'S NEW:

No recent state activity has been identified.

AIR EMISSIONS REGULATIONS:

Air Quality Status	5 areas are in moderate nonattainment for PM-10. EPA's Nonattainment Areas
Major Source Threshold	PTE 250 tons (100 for listed sources) of any criteria pollutant in attainment areas. 100 tons in nonattainment areas.
Minor Source Permitting Exemption	See list below, engines up to 600 hp and meeting certain operating/fuel requirements are exempt.
Minor Source Treatment	Modeling required, controls unlikely
Emergency Generating Limits	500 hrs per year

 

DE MINIMIS EXEMPTIONS

Stationary internal combustion engines of less than 600 hp which are fueled by natural gas, propane gas, liquefied petroleum gas, distillate fuel oils, residual fuel oils, and diesel fuel are exempt from permitting requirements if they are operated in accordance with the following limits -

Size	Operating Limit
100 hp or smaller	unlimited operation
101-200 hp	less than 450 hrs/month
201-400 hp	less than 225 hrs/month
401-600 hp	less than 150 hrs/month

No state notification is required, but a letter is recommended and owners must keep operating records. Engines using waste oil, gasoline or refined gasoline cannot be used.

MINOR SOURCE PERMITTING

Sources with a potential to emit less than 250 tons per year of all criteria pollutants in attainment areas and 100 tons per year in nonattainment areas will not be subject to controls of any kind. A unit may be subject to modeling if any HAPs are released by the unit. If modeling shows the emissions unit contributes to a violation of the NAAQS, then controls are required. Controls would most likely be restriction on the hours of operation, or perhaps a limit on the type (i.e. fuel sulfur content) of fuel combusted.

There is a 30-day public comment period and the entire permitting process takes about 135-150 days.

DEQ permitting information can be found here:

State Office Air Quality Division

Bill Rogers
(208) 373-0437

Dan Pitman
(208) 373-0500

Air Quality Permitting Hotline: 1-877-5PERMIT

MAJOR NSR/PSD PERMITTING

A potential to emit 250 tons (100 tons for listed sources) per year of a criteria pollutant triggers PSD in attainment areas. 100 tons per year triggers NSR in nonattainment areas.

TREATMENT OF EMERGENCY ENGINES

Stationary internal combustion engines used exclusively for emergency purposes, which are operated less than 500 hours per year and are fueled by natural gas, propane gas, liquefied petroleum gas, distillate fuel oils, residual fuel oils and diesel fuel are exempt from the permitting process. Waste oil, gasoline, or refined gasoline cannot be used.

SITING REQUIREMENTS FOR NON-UTILITY GENERATORS:

Idaho does not have a statewide siting authority. The Idaho Public Utilities Commission only issues Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity for new regulated utility plants, See 61-526 of the Idaho Statutes. Unregulated (merchant) plants do not require the commission's approval, but they must have the approval of the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality for their proposed air and/or water emissions. Local planning and zoning officials deal with the actual site development. However, the PUC acts as the mediator of disputes between a developer and local planning and zoning officials.

A bill was enacted in the state in 2006, which places a two-year moratorium on the building or permitting of coal-fired power plants. The bill, HB 791 can be found here.

BUILDING, ZONING AND FIRE CODES:

Building Codes: Idaho enforces mandatory minimum building codes which can be adjusted at the local level. As of Jan. 1, 2008, Idaho enforces the 2003 IBC w/ no additions and some exclusions. [1]

• Division of Building Safety

Energy Codes: As of Jan. 1, 2008, Idaho enforces the 2006 IECC w/ no additions, mandatory for all commercial and residential buildings. [2]

Fire Codes: Idaho has adopted the 2006 IFC with no exceptions.[3]

• Idaho State Fire Marshall

Zoning: Zoning and planning happens at the local level, enabled by state legislation. Check with each jurisdiction regarding their planning codes

Resources (information may not be as current as provided above)

A general overview of each state’s enacted codes can be found HERE.

The International Code Council Adoption page gives state-by-state adoption status of specific ICC codes, as well as information about code adoption by some municipal governments within that state.

Information about energy codes can be found at the DOE’s Building Codes for Energy Efficiency page or at the Building Codes Assistance Project

INTERCONNECTION REQUIREMENTS:

Idaho does not have statewide interconnection standards. Relevant provisions for Idaho utilities are summarized below.

Avista: For net-metered systems the capacity limit is 25 kW, and the limit is 10 MW for PURPA qualifying facilities that are not net-metered. Avista's interconnection guidelines for net-metered systems up to 25 kW require an external disconnect, and all equipment must meet IEEE, UL, NESC, and NEC requirements. Avista has separate interconnection rules for DG systems up to 300 kW in capacity. There is a $100 application fee for these systems and they have to follow the same general guidelines as smaller net metered systems, such as having an external disconnect and applicable national standards. The Utility allows for DG systems up to 10 MW with QF status to connect.

Idaho Power has an established interconnection procedure and two levels of interconnection - one for systems smaller than 20 MW, and the other for systems larger than this threshold. There are standard interconnection application and agreement forms. For systems larger than 20 MW, $10,000 must be deposited with the utility and may be used for interconnection studies. There are set interconnection timeframes, but the entire procedure is quite lengthy. Insurance and technical requirements are not discussed in detail.

EXIT FEES:

Idaho has no statewide policy on exit fees. However, no utility charges them for DG.

UTILITY STANDBY RATES:

Idaho does not have a statewide policy on standby rates. Relevant provisions for Idaho utilities are summarized below.

Avista Corp: There is no standard standby rate. Customers seeking standby service would need to contract with the utility to be charged under a regular tariff. Typical rates have moderate demand and energy charges. Demand charges are based on the maximum 15 minute demand of the month. Rates are available at: http://www.avistautilities.com/prices/rates/state.asp?state=id

Idaho Power Co - Schedule 45: Standby service is provided to customers that contract with the utility for a specific amount of standby capacity. A demand based reservation charge is assessed every month. Actual usage is charged through Schedule 19 along with a standby demand charge based on the maximum 15 minute demand of the month. There is a penalty for exceeding the contract demand. Rates are available at: http://www.idahopower.com/aboutus/regulatoryinfo/tariffs.asp?state=id