Four permits associated with Perpetua Resources’ Stibnite mine were approved earlier this month by Valley County.
The approvals allow Idaho Power to build three new substations needed to power the gold and antimony mine near Yellow Pine, including one on Warm Lake Road about a half-mile from Idaho 55.
The Warm Lake Road site will be on about 5.5 acres that will contain a concrete control building, a transformer, breakers, and a microwave tower.
“It will increase electrical capacity for Valley County, but it’s very important for the Stibnite Gold Project,” said Leon Letson, a facility siting coordinator for Idaho Power.
Transmission poles at the substation will be about 50 feet tall, though Letson said landscaping will help screen their view from Idaho 55—a designated scenic byway.
Letson also presented Idaho Power’s similar plans for two other substations—one in Scott Valley about 8.5 miles east of Idaho 55, and another at Stibnite itself, which is about 14 miles east of Yellow Pine.
The substation work is being funded by Perpetua, which awarded a $90 million contract to Idaho Power earlier this year, as Valley Lookout reported.
The Valley County Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to approve permits for each of the substations.
“Most of them are very neat and tidy,” P&Z Chairman Ken Roberts said. “I don’t see a problem with it. We’re going to need infrastructure.”
Letson expects the substations to be completed within about three years, which mirrors Perpetua’s timeline to build its Stibnite mine and begin mining operations.
Variance request pending
Idaho Power is seeking a variance from Valley County on each of the three substations related to the 50-foot front line setback required by county code.
The utility company wants to build a seven-foot-tall chain-link fence, which would be topped with barbed wire, within the setback at each site.
While the substation work is funded by Perpetua, Idaho Power plans to buy the land under the Warm Lake Road and Scott Valley facilities, which will broadly benefit Valley County and remain part of the power grid after mining ends at Stibnite.
Enforcing the setbacks could require Idaho Power to buy more land for the two substations, Letson said, calling the variance “very important” to the company.
“It’s a lot of additional property to pick up if we don’t need it,” he said. “We always try to be responsible in terms how we spend our money and how it impacts ratepayers.”
The P&Z recommended approving the variance, on which a final decision will be made by the Board of County Commissioners. No date has been set for the variance request to be considered.
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Stibnite Logistics Facility
The Scott Valley substation would be located on a 25-acre property Perpetua bought for its 64,000 square feet Stibnite Logistics Facility.
The logistics facility, approved by Valley County in 2020, will include a warehouse for supplies needed at the mine site, a hazardous materials storage building and another storage building for rock core samples and other items. Plans also call for administrative offices and an assay laboratory to study mineral compositions.
The Stibnite substation would be the terminus for several substations and miles of transmission line upgrades Perpetua is funding. It must be removed after mining ends as part of clean-up work mandated by the Payette National Forest’s approval of Perpetua’s mining proposal.
Perpetua to open Yellow Pine office
The P&Z also approved Perpetua’s plans to remodel the former Silver Dollar Grill & Restaurant in Yellow Pine into a new office for the company.
The remodeled building would include a public lobby with educational information about Stibnite, along with offices for Perpetua workers.
It could open to the public in the summer of 2027, said Belinda Provancher, Perpetua’s community relations manager.
