Idaho lawmakers said that the state’s electricity rates, which are some of the lowest in the country, have attracted out-of-state investment for data centers and other power-intensive projects. But they worry those benefits may come with a catch.
Such rates attracted investments from companies such as Meta, which has invested in an $800 million data center , and Micron, which is planning a $15 billion semiconductor plant in Boise, lawmakers said. The companies have promised the projects would entail massive investments in the Treasure Valley that bring economic growth, the Idaho Statesman previously reported .
But these projects will also draw heavily on the state’s power grid, lawmakers said at a recent public hearing on a new bill. Several said they feared the added cost of that energy would fall on customers…