AGP Executive Report

Workforce: Idaho business and nonprofit leaders say AI is reshaping jobs statewide, increasing demand for tech-adjacent skills while raising concerns about youth unemployment and how to balance automation with human expertise. Manufacturing: Kellogg’s Hoffman Boots has entered its fifth generation of family ownership, continuing a North Idaho manufacturing legacy that includes boots for hunters, loggers and utility linemen. Retail Development: Walmart plans a nearly 20-acre supercenter site in Emmett, with a gas station and additional retail space. Mining: Liberty Gold has released initial drill results from its 2026 exploration program at the Black Pine project in Idaho.

Regional Development: Eastern Idaho’s REDI nonprofit will dissolve Oct. 31 after 11 years, citing declining financial support from public- and private-sector partners. Construction: Jerome’s downtown Main Street upgrades are nearing completion, with new sidewalks, tree wells, accessible ramps and water-infrastructure work expected to wrap up by Thanksgiving. Mining: Hercules Metals arranged a $30 million share offering to advance its project, while Liberty Gold reported initial 2026 drill results from its Black Pine project in Idaho. Food Retail: Boise-based WinCo recalled hoagie rolls sold in Idaho and six other states because sesame was missing from the label; customers with sesame allergies should not eat them. Manufacturing Jobs: College of Western Idaho and Micron are hosting a career event as the company’s Boise expansion creates thousands of openings.

Gold Exploration: Liberty Gold’s 2026 drilling at Black Pine in southeastern Idaho found a northern extension of oxide mineralization, including 0.36 grams of gold per tonne over 144.8 meters. The company is targeting 25–35 million tonnes for possible resource upgrades. Copper Development: Idaho Copper’s updated CuMo study projects a $1.88 billion after-tax value at specified metal prices and lower initial capital than its 2020 plan; the research note was commissioned by the company. Chipmaking Jobs: College of Western Idaho students are pursuing Micron careers as the company’s Boise expansion is expected to create thousands of openings. Grid Resilience: Idaho researchers put a key electric-grid component through an earthquake test to study how utilities can protect costly infrastructure. Business Conditions: Idaho’s September unemployment rate held at 3.6%, while the state added 700 nonfarm jobs. Agriculture: Caldwell’s Cherry Hill Farms says rising labor costs and tough weather are making U-pick customers and harvest events increasingly important to keeping the orchard viable.

Retail Investment: Fred Meyer plans a second Caldwell store at Karcher Road and Indiana Avenue, part of a combined investment of more than $100 million with Westland Development. The store is expected to open in 2028. Jobs and Industry: Idaho added 700 nonfarm jobs in September as unemployment held at 3.6%; natural resources and professional services led sector gains, while durable-goods manufacturing shed jobs. Construction: Canadian developer Troika has opened a Boise branch for commercial, multifamily and institutional construction, citing growth tied to Micron’s planned investment and demand for housing, offices, health care and schools. Technology Workforce: CWI students are pursuing Micron careers as the company’s Boise expansion creates thousands of openings, with a campus event planned to connect students to high-tech jobs. Energy Research: Idaho National Laboratory is part of a $906,382 project using AI to improve nuclear-fuel heat predictions, while separate INL-led testing puts a full-scale power transformer through simulated earthquakes to help strengthen grid resilience.

Data Center Development: Federal land managers are reviewing proposals for campuses and related infrastructure across the West, including sites near Boise and Shoshone. The Shoshone proposal covers 3,013 acres, and Idaho currently lacks a dedicated permitting process for data centers on public land. Semiconductors: College of Western Idaho is training students for technician, facilities and apprenticeship jobs as Micron’s Boise expansion creates thousands of openings. Micron has reached a labor agreement with its Taichung union in Taiwan, while a separate Taoyuan union’s planned Oct. 22 strike over bonuses remains a potential supply-chain concern. Energy: Idaho utilities told regulators that nuclear power could provide reliable, clean electricity, but high costs and permitting that can take a decade or more pose major hurdles. Agriculture: Potato harvest brings students into eastern Idaho fields and warehouses, where Sun-Glo processes about 2 million pounds of potatoes daily. Tighter potato supplies are also coinciding with stronger demand for premium varieties. Project Development: A planned baseball resort near Tetonia has pushed its opening to 2028 as it awaits annexation, delaying construction of fields, lodging and other facilities.

Power and Data Centers: Idaho utilities say nuclear energy could add reliable, clean power, but construction costs and permitting that can take a decade conflict with regulators’ least-cost, least-risk mandate. Separately, two data center proposals on federal land are identified in Idaho, including a 3,013-acre site near Shoshone. Solar Development: Boise State and The Nature Conservancy are studying how to site solar projects in Idaho and the Pacific Northwest while balancing energy growth with wildlife, farmland and community impacts. Farm Costs: USDA is offering $8 billion in one-time fuel relief to U.S. farmers amid soaring diesel costs; Idaho diesel averaged $6.47 a gallon this week.

Semiconductors: Boise-based Micron is investing in an upstate New York processor to expand U.S. supplies of critical minerals for chipmaking, part of a broader effort to secure its manufacturing supply chain. Advanced Energy: Idaho Falls-based NuCube Energy landed a $25 million investment from Alaska’s development authority, while Idaho State University plans to build a nuclear reactor for training and research. Agriculture: Southern Idaho food leaders traveled to a Paris trade show to seek European investment, as the state’s sugar beet industry faces new risks. Jobs and Construction: Idaho added 700 nonfarm jobs as unemployment held steady. In Idaho Falls, housing advocates and industry representatives said high land, labor and materials costs are pushing home prices beyond what local wages can support.

Agribusiness: A Southern Idaho delegation is courting European investors at SIAL Paris, aiming to grow food exports and attract food-manufacturing and agricultural-tech partners. Agribusiness generates 48% of the region’s economic output. Utilities: Avista tapped Heddian to build a hybrid wireless network for field operations, combining public cellular coverage with private-network security and control. Farm Technology: Burley-based Redox Bio-Nutrients launched RDX-Flex, a foliar nitrogen product designed to give growers more options for supporting crop growth and quality. Semiconductors: Boise-based Micron has agreed to license memory technology from Netlist in a deal valued at $600 million through 2031; a separate agreement with Samsung brings the combined deals to about $1.5 billion over five years. Nuclear Workforce: Idaho State University plans to build a nuclear reactor for training and research, adding to the state’s role in developing nuclear-energy expertise. Fisheries: Idaho Fish and Game is ending steelhead harvest in the Clearwater basin after historically low returns, while catch-and-release fishing remains open.

Semiconductors: Boise-based Micron will host an Oct. 21 webinar on memory and storage technology for AI infrastructure, as it advances its long-term product roadmap. Agriculture: Idaho’s sugar beet harvest has begun under difficult conditions. A longtime Rupert grower says it’s one of the roughest starts in his 45 years in the business, raising fresh concerns about the industry’s future. Mining: Elk Range Mining says Idaho’s Orogrande district is drawing added attention after Agnico Eagle invested in nearby Scout Discoveries and secured an exploration deal. Jobs: Idaho added 700 nonfarm jobs while the unemployment rate held steady. Nuclear energy: Idaho State University plans to build a reactor for training and research, adding to regional nuclear development activity.

Agriculture: Idaho sugar beet growers face a difficult harvest and an uncertain future for an industry that has long supported eastern Idaho communities and supplied major food companies. Mining: Elk Range Mining says interest in neighboring Elk City—where Agnico Eagle committed up to US$60 million in exploration—backs its Idaho gold strategy. Manufacturing Workforce: Magic Valley manufacturers filed 512 H-1B petitions in 2025, with 506 approved, accounting for more than 80% of local filings. Energy and Research: Idaho State University plans to build a nuclear reactor for training and research, while INL is developing farm-mapping software to help growers save fuel and fertilizer. Jobs: Idaho added 700 nonfarm jobs as the unemployment rate held steady.

Water & Mining: University of Idaho researchers will study how zinc affects algae in Coeur d’Alene Lake, aiming to give managers better tools as mining cleanup continues. Jobs & Business: Idaho added 700 nonfarm jobs while unemployment held steady, and Coeur d’Alene was among two Idaho cities to post monthly job growth. The state’s employment growth is forecast to outpace the national rate, while workers’ compensation rates are set to fall again in 2027. Manufacturing: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories bought a Post Falls building for a new plant and plans to hire about 250 people. Energy & Technology: Idaho State University plans to build a nuclear reactor for training and research; Boise State received $2.7 million to establish a center focused on extreme-environment microelectronics. TerraPower also updated construction plans for its Natrium plant in Wyoming, a project Idaho officials recently toured. Agriculture: Idaho National Laboratory software aims to help farmers cut fuel and fertilizer use by mapping more efficient field routes.

Transportation: Highway 30 construction in Soda Springs has been extended through Dec. 1, leaving businesses on the town’s main street facing months of disruption. Health Care: Idaho hospital leaders warned lawmakers that delayed payments and denied claims are squeezing already thin margins; the working group also advanced prior-authorization reform. Jobs: Idaho added 700 nonfarm jobs, while a state forecast projects employment growth above the national average through 2034. Manufacturing: SEL plans to open a Post Falls plant and hire about 250 people. Manufacturing employers in the Boise-area publication region filed 511 H-1B petitions in 2025, the largest industry total. Infrastructure: Sandpoint is moving into design and construction for a wastewater plant project whose first phase is estimated at $60 million, with later phases potentially pushing costs above $130 million. Mining and Energy: Idaho Copper’s updated preliminary assessment puts the CuMo project’s after-tax value at $1.88 billion, with a projected 46-year mine life; Idaho State University also plans a nuclear reactor for training and research.

Infrastructure: I-90 repaving through Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls has cut traffic to one lane through Oct. 21, with delays spilling onto local roads. Sandpoint is moving ahead with its wastewater plant, a project expected to exceed $130 million across phases. Jobs: Idaho added 700 nonfarm jobs in September as unemployment held at 3.6%; natural resources, transportation and nondurable-goods manufacturing were among the sectors gaining jobs. Water and airports: Twin Falls installed filters at Magic Valley Regional Airport after tests found PFAS above federal limits in its well; officials have not identified the source. Manufacturing and mining: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories is investing $150 million to expand manufacturing in Post Falls. Idaho Copper’s updated CuMo project assessment estimates a $1.88 billion after-tax net present value and a 46-year mine life. Technology and energy: Boise State received $2.7 million to develop low-power sensors that process data where it is collected, while Idaho State University plans a nuclear reactor for training and research.

Jobs: Idaho’s unemployment rate held at 3.6% in September as nonfarm employment rose by 700. Coeur d’Alene led monthly metro growth, while gains included manufacturing, transportation and technical services. Workforce Training: Lewis-Clark State’s HVACR program earned six-year accreditation, and the college reported 3,908 students this fall, its fourth-highest enrollment. Agriculture: Idaho will receive $2.3 million in USDA grants for 18 specialty-crop projects. A Boise livestock leader also outlined how targeted cattle breeding and performance data can improve producer returns. Technology and Energy: Boise State secured $2.7 million to develop low-power sensors for extreme environments; Idaho State University plans a nuclear reactor for training and research. Manufacturing: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories is planning three Idaho factories as part of a $500 million-plus U.S. expansion, including a $150 million investment in Post Falls. Farm Outlook: Idaho sugar beet growers face a difficult harvest and an uncertain future.

Employer Costs: Idaho workers’ compensation rates will fall an average 0.1% in 2027, extending a decade-long trend of reductions for businesses. Advanced Manufacturing: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories plans a $150 million Post Falls factory and about 250 hires, as part of a broader expansion that includes three Idaho factories. Nuclear and Research: Idaho State University plans a reactor for training and research, while Boise State received $2.7 million to develop sensors for harsh environments. Idaho National Laboratory is also developing software to help farmers cut fuel and fertilizer use with smarter field routes. Water and Agriculture: A new Snake River health report warns that river conditions deteriorate across southern Idaho, where the water supports farms, communities and wildlife. AI Regulation: Idaho joined seven states suing OpenAI, alleging ChatGPT’s design and marketing put young users at risk; the claims have not been proven in court.

Nuclear Workforce: Idaho State University, the Department of Energy and Idaho Falls company NuCube are developing a microreactor to train nuclear engineers and support research. Microelectronics: Boise State received $2.7 million to establish a center focused on electronics built for extreme environments. Farm Technology: Idaho National Laboratory is developing software to help farmers map field routes and save fuel and fertilizer. Manufacturing: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories bought a Post Falls building for a planned factory, with about 250 jobs expected. Mining: Idaho Copper’s updated assessment projects a $1.88 billion after-tax value and a 46-year mine life for its CuMo project. Wine: A new Caldwell winery is betting on Idaho as national wine sales slide. Water: A new Snake River health report warns conditions worsen downstream as the river serves farms and fast-growing communities.