Idaho just switched on a big solar farm – and a much larger one is next
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- rPlus Energies brought the 125 MWac Pleasant Valley Solar 2 online and started construction on the 400 MWac Blacks Creek Energy Center in Ada County, with combined investment exceeding $750 million
- rPlus Energies' Idaho footprint now totals more than 1 GW of solar and storage across operating, under-construction, and contracted projects
- Idaho ranks 34th nationally with 1,301 MW of installed solar as of June 2026, supplying 9.01% of state electricity and drawing $2 billion in cumulative industry investment, per the Solar Energy Industries Association
- Idaho Power president and CEO Lisa Grow called the two projects "important additions" to the state's energy infrastructure, citing reliability and affordability goals
- Pleasant Valley Solar 2 project partners contributed $375,000 in workforce development scholarships to Boise State University and the College of Western Idaho
- The projects will create hundreds of construction jobs and permanent onsite roles, while generating ongoing state and local revenue under Idaho's 3.5% solar energy tax on gross earnings
Why it matters: Pleasant Valley Solar 2's 125 MW is roughly 10% of Idaho's entire installed solar base of 1,301 MW, and the 400 MW Blacks Creek project will more than double that footprint once complete — a material jump for a state that sources the vast majority of its electricity from hydropower. The $750M combined investment and recurring tax revenue under Idaho's 3.5% gross-earnings solar levy give Ada County direct economic gains, while Idaho Power gains dispatchable-adjacent capacity to complement its hydro fleet.
