New Energy-Focused Website Features Interactive Opportunities, Civil Discourse

BOISE, Idaho, May 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Something is missing... from the conversation about energy. And a new website, www.GetPluggedIn.com, is now online to help fill that void. This engaging public resource is sponsored by Idaho Power and devoted to fostering civil discourse on energy issues, including wind—a particularly hot topic in our state.

The heart of the new site is an interactive blog where experts and other interested parties share thoughts and information on energy-related topics. Members of the public are invited to comment, ask questions or submit their own energy blog posts for possible publication—no matter their position in the debate. Some contributing bloggers include Ralph Cavanagh (National Resources Defense Council), Rob Granatstein (the Toronto Sun) and Steve Priebe (Idahoans for Responsible Energy Policy).

Other site features include resources like upcoming energy-related events and a collection of news and opinion pieces on energy. Content will be updated regularly, keeping the site fresh. In the last three weeks www.GetPluggedIn.com has received 10,000 page views.

The guiding principle behind this website is that that all energy generation and delivery systems have impacts – economic, reliability and environmental. As a society we have to find solutions that balance what we can live with – literally and figuratively – and what we can afford.

For nearly a century, Idaho Power has been committed to clean energy. Today about half of the energy in our portfolio is generated from hydro, wind, solar, biomass and geothermal. We are proud of our small carbon footprint and a history of responsible energy that rivals any electric utility in the nation.

Idaho Power supports wind energy, as evidenced by more than 500 megawatts of wind currently on our system. But it is not free. We believe it is our responsibility to ensure that wind—and all other energy resources—are appropriately priced and reliable for the benefit of our customers.

To learn more, share opinions and make your voice heard, visit www.GetPluggedIn.com.

About IDACORP, Inc.:

IDACORP, Inc. (NYSE: IDA), Boise, Idaho-based and formed in 1998, is a holding company comprised of Idaho Power Company, a regulated electric utility; IDACORP Financial, a holder of affordable housing projects and other real estate investments; and Ida-West Energy, an operator of small hydroelectric generation projects that satisfy the requirements of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978. IDACORP's origins lie with Idaho Power and operations beginning in 1916. Today, Idaho Power employs approximately 2,000 people to serve a 24,000 square-mile service area in southern Idaho and eastern Oregon. With 17 low-cost hydroelectric projects as the core of its generation portfolio, Idaho Power's 492,000 residential, business and agricultural customers pay some of the nation's lowest prices for electricity. To learn more about Idaho Power or IDACORP, visit www.idahopower.com or www.idacorpinc.com.

SOURCE Idaho Power