Wildfire Resilience Investment Program

The Idaho Governor’s Office of Energy and Mineral Resources is administering the Wildfire Resilience Investment Program under the Energy Resiliency Grant Program. This program is designed to make strategic investments that strengthen Idaho’s electric grid against the risks of wildfire, enhance long-term resiliency, and provide benefits to utilities with significant wildfire exposure and limited capital resources. The program builds on prior rounds of the Energy Resiliency Grant Program and is supported entirely by state funds appropriated by the Idaho Legislature. It is authorized by Executive Order 2024-09 and multiple appropriations bills, with clear direction to lead on sustainable and innovative energy strategies. The program’s mission is to reduce the likelihood and consequences of wildfire impacts on Idaho’s electric infrastructure through investments in grid hardening, vegetation management, wildfire monitoring technologies, and operational response systems. Eligible projects include replacing or reinforcing poles and crossarms, upgrading conductors and reclosers, undergrounding distribution lines, deploying automation and SCADA equipment, purchasing vegetation management tools such as UAVs and mastication systems, and installing wildfire weather stations and sensors. Projects must be located in Idaho and align directly with the program’s resilience goals. Ineligible projects include land acquisition, new generation sources, cybersecurity initiatives, or any project already funded under previous ERGP rounds. Applicants must be electric utilities with customers in Idaho, provided they are not suspended or debarred under federal regulations. Both large and small utilities may apply, with a maximum of two applications allowed per applicant. Award funding is competitive, capped at 650,000 per project, and projects must be completed within two years of executing a subaward agreement. Each applicant is required to provide a cost match: large utilities must match at least 100% of the award, while small utilities must match at least one-third of the award. Applicants may also voluntarily contribute additional cost share funds. Reimbursements are made on an activity basis, and funded projects must comply with state, federal, and local requirements, including insurance and public records laws. The application process involves submission of three required documents: the application form, a budget worksheet, and a project site location map. All applications must be emailed by October 10, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time with the subject line “Idaho WRIP Application – [Company Name].” OEMR will first review applications for completeness and eligibility. If total requested funds exceed available program resources, applications will undergo a technical evaluation scored on wildfire risk, mitigation strategies, project management, customer benefits, financial need, and whether the applicant is a first-time subrecipient. Applications are ranked by score, and conditional awards are issued until funds are exhausted. The anticipated timeline includes applicant Q&A through October 3, 2025, final answers posted by October 8, 2025, and conditional award notifications expected November 14, 2025. Awardees then enter an onboarding and conditional award period before executing subaward agreements. Performance reporting requirements include quarterly progress reports, completion reports, reimbursement requests, and a one-year results report. These ensure measurable tracking of resilience improvements, transmission and storage capacity upgrades, stakeholder engagement, and reliability metrics. Program contacts are identified as Jett Hawk, Project Coordinator, and Meghan Matyas, Financial Specialist. Applicants are instructed to submit final applications to Jett Hawk by email and to direct general program questions to comments@oer.idaho.gov. A recorded pre-application webinar was hosted September 24, 2025, and the full Request for Applications document is available on OEMR’s website. This program represents a significant opportunity for Idaho utilities to strengthen energy resilience while mitigating wildfire risks statewide.

Ensure cost match is documented; clearly describe wildfire risk and mitigation strategies; provide reliability metrics (SAIDI, SAIFI, etc.); emphasize customer benefits and financial need; note if first-time ERGP applicant