Last years closure of potato dehy plant of North American Foods in Glenns Ferry sparks dispute

February 25, 2009

From 1996 through October 2007, officials say Glenns Ferry cogeneration sold power to Idaho Power under a contract;but now Idaho Power Company is seeking $11.15 Million in damages for an alleged breach of that contract.

Gene Fadness, Spokesman for Idaho Public Utilities Commission says, "Under the levelized contract the same amount is paid by the utility to the small power producer over the entire 20 year contract but the utility pay more than the actual value of the electricity in the early years, so Idaho power is claiming they paid more than the electricity they got in return since the plant shut down."

Officials say the cogeneration plant used natural gas as an energy source which produced steam for the potato processing plant in Glenns Ferry that closed in 2008.