Project: Rathdrum Power Project
Location: Rathdrum, Idaho

Overview:

The Rathdrum Power Project, a 268-megawatt (MW) combined-cycle, natural gas-fired power plant located outside Rathdrum, Idaho, was developed and built through a partnership between Charlotte, North Carolina-based Cogentrix Energy, and Washington-based Avista Corporation.

During the project’s development phase, a citizens group spearheaded by local labor unions challenged the environmental permitting of the project. The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ) rejected the challenge, and that decision was appealed to the Idaho Board of Environmental Quality. The appeal began to impact the project’s closing, causing concern amongst institutional investors reluctant to commit funds until the appeal was resolved.

At this point, the lender’s agent, wanting an educated opinion on the likelihood of the Idaho Board of Environmental Quality reversing the IDEQ’s decision, asked E3 to get involved as the independent engineering and construction advisor for a consortium of lenders.

E3 Services Provided:

• Reviewed the technical merits of the appeal, and concluded that Cogentrix and Avista had developed an environmentally compliant project

• Issued a letter report to the lender group, analyzing the appeal, point by point

Project Spotlights:

• Based on E3’s report, the investors committed funs and closed the project before the Idaho Board of Environmental Quality ruled on the appeal.
  
  
• The Board upheld the IDEQ’s original air permit, ruling in favor of the project.