Idaho Public Utilities Commission approves Rocky Mountain Power Integrated Resource Plan
The Idaho Public Utilities Commission (PUC) recently accepted Rocky Mountain Power’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), which outlines the utility’s plan for meeting the electricity demand of its customers over the next 20 years.
The IRP represents a “cost-conscious plan to transition to a cleaner energy future,” according to the company. It includes the retirement of more than 3,500 megawatts (MW) of coal-fired generation and increased investments in renewable resources, energy efficiency programs, and transmission infrastructure.
The IRP’s action plan, which covers the first 10 years of the planning horizon, calls for 1,100 MW of new wind resources and 905 MW of upgraded or “repowered” wind resources.
The plan calls for 895 MW of wind generation and 1,040 MW of solar after 2020. It also includes two new natural gas facilities and wholesale power purchases to help meet energy demand through 2036. The preferred portfolio includes 1,313 MW of new natural-gas capacity, a 1,540 MW reduction compared to the 2015 IRP.
It also calls for load control reducing the demand for energy by 365 MW by the end of the planning period.
Commission staff also noted that the company likely underestimated natural gas prices over the 20-year planning period. Staff also said that the company should have conducted additional analysis of the economic impacts of coal plant retirements. The company agreed that it would conduct further analysis of its coal units in the preparation of its 2019 IRP.
Regulated electric utilities are required to submit an IRP every other year. Rocky Mountain Power developed its IRP with input from customer advocacy groups, regulatory staff, and other interested parties.
