Idaho power outages by utility
6 Idaho utilities report outage minutes to EIA. The state median is 99 minutes a year; the range runs from 7 to 199.
Ranking by outage minutes
Idaho, SAIDI without major event days, 2024; lower is better; 6 utilities.
| Rank | Idaho utility | Owner type | Idaho home accounts | SAIDI min | Interruptions (SAIFI) | SAIDI with storms | Idaho storm share | Price ¢/kWh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fall River Rural Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | 15,433 | 7 | 0.06 | 9 | 21% | 11.11 |
| 2 | United Electric Co-op, Inc | Cooperative | 5,100 | 40 | 0.43 | 50 | 19% | 7.89 |
| 3 | City of Idaho Falls | Municipal | 28,142 | 72 | 0.65 | 72 | 0% | 9.25 |
| 4 | Kootenai Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | 30,378 | 125 | 0.81 | 187 | 33% | 12.21 |
| 5 | Idaho Power Co | Investor Owned | 525,751 | 164 | 1.21 | 206 | 21% | 11.76 |
| 6 | Salmon River Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | 2,383 | 199 | 2.00 | 199 | 0% | 9.00 |
Idaho outage minutes by owner type
In Idaho, 70% of 868,141 home accounts sit with the 6 qualifying utilities out of 8 in the file. Idaho customer-weighted SAIDI is 153 minutes against a median of 99, and 3 of 6 Idaho utilities exceed the U.S. median of 99. Counting major event days adds a median 20% to SAIDI.
| Idaho owner type | Idaho utilities | Idaho home accounts | Idaho median SAIDI | Idaho weighted SAIDI | Idaho median SAIFI | Idaho storm share | Idaho median price ¢/kWh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investor Owned | 1 | 525,751 | 164 | 164 | 1.21 | 21% | 11.76 |
| Cooperative | 4 | 53,294 | 83 | 86 | 0.62 | 20% | 10.05 |
| Municipal | 1 | 28,142 | 72 | 72 | 0.65 | 0% | 9.25 |
By owner type, Municipal utilities have the lowest median SAIDI in Idaho (72 minutes, 1 of 6) and Investor Owned the highest (164 minutes, 1 of 6).
Idaho utilities that stand out
| Why it stands out | Idaho utility | Idaho owner type | Idaho accounts | Idaho SAIDI min | Idaho SAIDI rank | Idaho SAIFI | Idaho SAIDI with storms | Idaho price ¢/kWh | Idaho price rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| the most reliable | Fall River Rural Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | 15,433 | 7 | 1 of 6 | 0.06 | 9 | 11.11 | 4 of 6 |
| the least reliable | Salmon River Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | 2,383 | 199 | 6 of 6 | 2.00 | 199 | 9.00 | 2 of 6 |
| the largest | Idaho Power Co | Investor Owned | 525,751 | 164 | 5 of 6 | 1.21 | 206 | 11.76 | 5 of 6 |
| the most storm-driven | Kootenai Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | 30,378 | 125 | 4 of 6 | 0.81 | 187 | 12.21 | 6 of 6 |
| the one that slipped most | United Electric Co-op, Inc | Cooperative | 5,100 | 40 | 2 of 6 | 0.43 | 50 | 7.89 | 1 of 6 |
Does a higher price buy fewer outages?
Each dot is one of 6 Idaho utilities.
Idaho, 2024: 6 rows
| Home price, cents per kWh | SAIDI, minutes a year | |
|---|---|---|
| Fall River Rural Elec Coop Inc | 11.11 | 7 |
| United Electric Co-op, Inc | 7.89 | 40 |
| City of Idaho Falls | 9.25 | 72 |
| Kootenai Electric Cooperative | 12.21 | 125 |
| Idaho Power Co | 11.76 | 164 |
| Salmon River Electric Coop Inc | 9.00 | 199 |
6 rows from EIA-861 survey.
CSVIdaho utilities, change in their own SAIDI
First to last year each utility reported, best change first.
| Rank | Idaho utility | Idaho years | Idaho SAIDI first | Idaho SAIDI last | Idaho change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fall River Rural Elec Coop Inc | 2018 to 2025 | 225 | 7 | -97% |
| 2 | Kootenai Electric Cooperative | 2018 to 2025 | 206 | 94 | -55% |
| 3 | Salmon River Electric Coop Inc | 2023 to 2025 | 533 | 356 | -33% |
| 4 | City of Idaho Falls | 2016 to 2025 | 22 | 17 | -23% |
| 5 | Idaho Power Co | 2015 to 2025 | 166 | 141 | -15% |
| 6 | United Electric Co-op, Inc | 2023 to 2025 | 49 | 118 | +139% |
Analyst note
Storm share stands out in Idaho: a median 20% of SAIDI comes from major event days, rank 35 of 40. Of 6 Idaho utilities with 1,000+ home accounts that report SAIDI, Fall River Rural Elec Coop Inc is lowest at 7 minutes a year and Salmon River Electric Coop Inc highest at 199, a 29.3 to 1 spread. The state median is 99 minutes, -1% against the U.S. median reporter. Over each utility's own record, Fall River Rural Elec Coop Inc improved most (225 to 7 minutes, -97%, 2018 to 2025) and United Electric Co-op, Inc changed the other way (49 to 118, +139%); 5 of 6 fell. Home price and outage minutes line up at r = +0.17 across 6 Idaho utilities: price tells almost nothing here. That is Idaho's pattern, not a cause.
Questions on Idaho outages
How much do major storms add to Idaho outage time?
A median 20% of SAIDI across the reporters, rank 35 of 40 states.
Which Idaho utility has the fewest outage minutes?
Fall River Rural Elec Coop Inc: 7 minutes a year, SAIDI without major events, 2024.
Which Idaho utility has the most?
Salmon River Electric Coop Inc: 199 minutes a year in 2024.
What is the typical SAIDI in Idaho?
The median of 6 reporting utilities is 99 minutes, -1% on the U.S. median reporter.
Do cheaper Idaho utilities have more outages?
Across 6 utilities r = +0.17, so the link is weak.
How much of Idaho outage time comes from storms?
At Kootenai Electric Cooperative 33% of all-event SAIDI is major event days.
How reliable is the largest Idaho utility?
Idaho Power Co serves 525,751 home accounts and reports 164 minutes, rank 5 of 6; weighted by customers the state figure is 153.
Do Idaho co-ops and investor-owned utilities differ?
3 owner types report in Idaho: Cooperative 4 utilities with 53,294 home accounts, Municipal 1 utility with 28,142 home accounts, Investor Owned 1 utility with 525,751 home accounts.
What share of Idaho home accounts do these utilities serve?
70% of 868,141 accounts, 6 of 8 utilities; 3 are above the U.S. median of 99 minutes.
More on Idaho
- Idaho state hubprices, map, utilities