Commission approves proposed Idaho Power asset transfer in Valley County

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) – The Idaho Public Utilities Commission has approved a proposed land transfer from Idaho Power to a private party.

The utility asked for approval from the commission to transfer a 1.2-acre strip of a former Union Pacific Railroad line while retaining a powerline easement over the land. Idaho Power will sell the property for $2,000. It said the transfer is intended to relieve the utility of maintenance costs related to the property without relinquishing the right to use it for a transmission corridor in the future.

In 1985, Idaho Power obtained approximately 90 acres of abandoned railroad line in Valley County from the Union Pacific Railroad, intending to use the land for a transmission corridor. Subsequently, Idaho Power has sold various parcels of the former railroad line to adjacent landowners while retaining easements authorizing the utility to build a transmission line in the future.