Idaho draws strength from its unusual history of producing world leaders and entrepreneurs — people who imagine valuable organizations with global reach and then build them. These forces are in play in the emerging business of energy in Idaho, and these enterprises are going to market more effectively than ever through the collaboration enabled by Gov. Butch Otter’s Idaho Strategic Energy Alliance. The Idaho Technology Council is a founding member.

Public and private entities based in Idaho are electrifying the path for technological advancement in energy and across the world. As the Idaho Technology Council helps chart the course of growth for energy in Idaho, it is clear that we have the talent and the organizations to win.

The council’s Energy Consortium is committed to developing a robust ecosystem for energy-related business. Members believe Idaho is organized to grow, in part through the research, development and implementation work of these organizations:

The Center for Advanced Energy Studies is a valuable collaboration that draws on the collective capabilities of the Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho State University, Boise State University and the University of Idaho. CAES is focused on nuclear science and engineering, advanced materials, bioenergy, energy efficiency, geofluids, energy science and energy-policy development. Each joint-venture partner specializes in certain aspects of energy research, delivery, sustainability or control.

With the growing support of Idaho Power Co., Micron Technology Inc., the J.R. Simplot Co. and many other key Idaho companies, CAES continues to build a strong reputation as one of Idaho’s leaders in energy advancement and development.

Idaho Power is widely known as one of the largest and strongest investor-owned public utility companies in the Northwest. At the core of its energy-generation portfolio are hydrothermal utility structures, 17 hydroelectric projects, three natural gas-fired production facilities and three coal-fired generating production facilities, all of which serve communities and customers over 24,000 square miles of Southern Idaho and Eastern Oregon. Additionally, with its Smart Grid initiatives, Idaho Power is one of the most technologically advanced electric utilities in the west.

Idaho-based and global leader Power Engineers has taken its place among the designers of Idaho’s energy future. Power’s core competency is in the energy market. Power Engineers is the leader in the transmission and distribution category, as well as 54th overall, in the authoritative Engineering News-Record (ENR) magazine’s Top 500 Design Firms list for 2012. These rankings are indicative of Power’s commitment to providing integrated and sustainable solutions for clients around the globe.

CEO and President Jack Hand says: “Power’s goal is to never grow for growth’s sake, but to bring more and more value to our clients.”

That’s how Power Engineers has become a world advocate for incorporating maximum sustainability in energy projects from the point of project conception and initial design.

CLAY YOUNG: CEO, Inovus Solar, cyoung@inovussolar.com; 908-0627. RIC GALE: Founder, Gale Energy Consulting, ric.gale@gale-energy.com; 870-5017.