Idaho Power Co. (Boise, Idaho, U.S.) serves a territory of 22,000 sq miles (56,980 sq km) with nearly 5000 miles (8046 km) of transmission lines and 20,000 miles (32,187 km) of distribution lines. Recently, the utility, along with the assistance of its geographic information system (GIS) consultant POWER Engineers Inc. (Hailey, Idaho), completed the migration of its facility data from ArcInfo 7.2 into ESRI's new object-oriented ArcGIS platform.

Idaho Power previously had used Tellus, an ArcGIS-based software that uses Oracle as its database. Idaho Power's new open solution includes Oracle and ArcSDE as tools to organize and manage the migrated data set. The utility also wanted to be able to migrate some aspects of the Tellus model. Thus, POWER recommended Miner & Miner's (Fort Collins, Colorado, U.S.) ArcFM 8.1.

ArcFM allows the re-creation of the Tellus model in an open environment that is readily configurable and useable in the new platform. In addition, ArcFM provides powerful utility-specific tools to support Idaho Power's facility management and updating process.

Throughout the implementation, POWER has been providing project management, geodatabase design and creation, data migration, custom-interface programming, employee training and system-configuration services. POWER completed the development of the new data model and the migration of the utility's facility data into ArcFM. Rollout is now underway. Idaho Power's personnel are now saving time and money while obtaining more powerful and accurate information about their facilities and customers.

Idaho Power implemented a custom ArcIMS Web application, complete with custom data-entry pages, to link every customer's meter number to a transformer in the Oracle geodatabase. This application will be available to all Idaho Power support staff via its Intranet and will track all residential and business customers within Idaho Power's service territory.
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