Idaho Power Co. proposals for spending $500,000 on energy education projects in southern Idaho schools dovetail nicely with suggestions from other groups, those involved in a workshop Thursday in Boise said afterwards.

The state Public Utilities Commission is considering whether to spend the money on energy-efficiency education at schools in Idaho Power's service territory. The funds are left over from the sale of sulfur dioxide emission allowances last year.

The utility brought forward three areas of its programs it thought could be expanded for two years, using $250,000 a year. About $90,000 would pay for tying a home energy audit program more closely to the classroom. Student teams could use $85,000 to examine energy use at their schools and present possible efficiency measures to district administrators and others. And $75,000 could build on a program that puts solar panels on top of school buildings and uses them as an educational tool. The school in Castleford was the first to benefit from the solar program, and the panels will soon be installed at 11 schools total.

Theresa Drake, the utility's manager of customer relations and energy efficiency, said the workshop went well and that company officials think the other proposals they've seen so far are also very good.

Buhl activist Bill Chisholm, who first suggested the funds be used for energy education, said he feels the process is moving forward and that he was pleased with the power company's ideas. Chisholm has suggested a couple of ways to spend the money through his Idaho Energy Education Project.

"I feel pretty positive," he said, adding that his only concern is that the materials provided through Idaho Power not be biased toward the company's practices.

Paul Kjellander, director of the Idaho Office on Energy Resources and a former PUC commissioner, said the pieces seem to be coming together for a final proposal. OER and the Idaho State Department of Education made a joint proposal for use of the money.

"(Idaho Power's) options seem to capture a lot of what I think all of us were interested in trying to do," he said.

Beyond the benefits to the schools and students, he said, the energy saved through the projects could be used for expanding the state's business growth and development.

"So it's a win-win-win," he said.

Chisholm has pushed for some sort of ratepayer oversight of the funds, and said he hopes the PUC tabs an existing energy-efficiency advisory board to watch whatever's approved. At the workshop, commissioners said they didn't want to create yet another separate regulatory board.

"If I was a farmer and I put a seed in the ground, I feel at least that I've now seen it sprout," Chisholm said.

Though the idea came up of using money from future sulfur dioxide sales for similar projects, Drake said she wasn't aware of any official proposal along those lines.

The PUC is collecting comment on the proposals through Feb. 5.

Nate Poppino may be reached at 208-735-3237 or npoppino@magicvalley.com.

Speak out To submit comments on the energy education proposals, visit http://www.puc.idaho.gov, click on "Comments & Questions," fill in the case number (IPC-E-08-11) and enter your comments. Or mail them to: P.O. Box 83720, Boise, ID 83720-0074, or fax: 208-334-3762.