The U.S. energy system is changing faster than most organization's planning cycles, and new clean energy policies, evolving reliability standards, rapid load growth from data centers, electrification, and a flood of distributed resources are reshaping what a “leastcost, leastrisk” portfolio looks like.
Mastering Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) is no longer optional - it’s how utilities, regulators, and advisors make capital decisions that stand up to scrutiny, deliver reliability in extreme conditions, and keep bills affordable while meeting environmental commitments.
This seminar explains how to turn policy shifts and technological complexity into a repeatable, defensible planning process. You’ll learn the methods, models, and software that top IRP teams use to translate goals into portfolios; then into procurement and execution.
What You Will Learn
- Module-1: Overview of Integrated Resource Planning - Big Picture
- Module-2: Emerging technologies in IRPs - Recent trends
- Module-3: Recent IRP Case Studies
- Module-4: IRP Methods and Modelling Tools
- Module-5: IRP Modelling, Calculation, and Simulation Examples
- Module-6: IRP Forecasting
Module - 1: Overview of Integrated Resource Planning - Big Picture
Duration: 90 minutes
Description
Integrated Resource Plans are not new to the utility industry. What is new is planning for the change in resource mix and capacity needs in the backdrop of a plethora of emerging technologies and state policies. The overview will cover the following
- Why IRP?
- IRP purpose, principles, and lexicon (capacity vs. energy, net load, portfolios)
- Hybrid Resources Capacity Credit
- Energy Storage Policy
- Distributed Energy Resources
- Microgrids
- Least cost planning
- Production Cost
- Effective Load Carrying Capability
- Stacked Services Emulation
- Clean Energy Competitive Auctions
- Reliability Criteria
- Renewable Portfolio Standard
- Endtoend process map: scoping → data → modeling → portfolios → filings → procurement
- IRPs in wholesale markets
- IRPs in States that do not have organized markets
- Role of State Commissions in IRPs
- Citizen and Consumer Advocates concerns
- Role of renewable auctions and PPAs
- Hybrid Project PPAs and Business Models
- Clean energy standards (RPS/CES), emissions caps, carbon pricing, and offsets
- Interplay with rate cases, cost recovery, and prudence standards
What Will You Learn
- Role of IRP in states with and without organized markets
- Role of state commissions and regulatory staff in IRPs
- Role of intervenors including consumer advocates
- How renewable auctions and PPAs are modelled in IRPs
Module - 2: Emerging technologies in IRPs - Recent trends
Duration: 90 minutes
Description
There is no doubt that renewable technologies and other emerging technologies such as energy storage, distributed energy resources are providing capacity needs on the grid. This module will dive deep into technology characteristics and methods to represent emerging technologies in integrated resource plans.
- Federal Policy Changes
- Role of energy storage in IRP models
- Role of DERs in IRPs
- Hybrid Resources
- Microgrids
- Virtual Power Plants
- Capacity credit for resources
- ELCC calculations
- Demand-side options modelling
What Will You Learn
- How are emerging technologies modelled in the IRPs?
- What are the key characteristics that need to be modelled in the IRPs?
- How to calculate capacity credit for Hybrid Resources?
- How do the models need to change to incorporate characteristics of emerging technologies?
Module - 3: Recent IRP Case Studies
Duration: 90 minutes
Description
There is a lot to learn from current and former IRPs. In this module, we discuss the following IRP key takeaways, as well as a comparison of IRP, approaches:
- Islands and Bird Curves
- Islands - Barbados, Puerto Rico
- Duke Energy (Carolinas)
- Dominion Energy Virginia
- Texas LTSA
- Long Island Power Authority
- New York
- PacifiCorp (6 - state utility)
- Idaho Power
- Puget Sound Electric
- Arizona Public Service
- Xcel Energy
- Platte River - Colorado
- Lafayette Utilities
- Detroit Edison (DTE) Energy
- Basin Electric
- Evergy
- Nebraska Public Power District
- Northwestern Energy
What Will You Learn
- What are the general trends of IRPs?
- Hits and misses of the recent IRPs?
- How are mini - grids modelled in IRPs?
- How is reliability handled in IRPs?
- How were renewable Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) incorporated in IRPs?
- How to show the rate impacts from meeting 100% renewable goals?
- How solar advocates voiced their concern with IRPs?
Module - 4: IRP Methods and Modelling Tools
Duration: 90 minutes
Description
With the introduction of renewables and distributed resources, IRP models are also changing with the times. This module extensively discusses the inputs, outputs, and modelling methodologies of IRP framework tools.
- Unit commitment/economic dispatch basics and typical constraints
- Planning Reserve Margin Calculations
- Least Cost Capacity Optimization
- Production Cost Simulations
- Reliability Calculations of LOLE, LOLP, EUE
- Expected Load Carrying Capability (ELCC)
- Modeling demandside resources and storage
- Emissions accounting and policy constraints in optimization
- Stacked Services Dispatch
- Transmission deliverability, congestion, interconnection queues and lead times
- Distribution planning, hosting capacity, locational value of DERs
- Non‑wires alternatives (NWAs) and T&D deferral valuation
- Net Present Value
- Forecasting Fuels, Demand, and Renewables
- Forecasting Electricity Prices and Revenues
- System Inertia Evaluation
- Critical inputs to IRP models and typical input data sources
- Scenario framing (policy, technology, macroeconomics, weather)
- Sensitivities vs. scenarios vs. probabilistic analysis
- Key outputs from IRP models and Results Metrics
What Will You Learn
- What are the major IRP modelling frameworks?
- What are all the typical inputs into IRP models?
- What outputs should be expected?
- How to build a lean set of decision - useful scenarios & sensitivities?
- What are the challenges with these software models?
- How to represent emerging technologies in the modelling tools?
Module - 5: IRP Modelling, Calculation, and Simulation Examples
Duration: 90 minutes
Description
The integrated resource planning modelling, calculations, and simulations can become detailed and complex, where this module carefully goes through workflow processes with real - world examples of integrated resource plans.
- Reliability Calculations of LOLE, LOLP, EUE
- Planning Reserve Margin Calculations
- Least Cost Capacity Optimization Expansion Cases
- Nodal Production Cost Simulations
- Expected Load Carrying Capability (ELCC)
- Stacked Services Dispatch
- Costing frameworks: NPV, present worth revenue requirements, levelization
- WACC, financing structures, rate base vs. PPA/contracted resources
- Forecasting Fuels, Demand, and Renewables
- Ratepayer impact analysis
What Will You Learn
- What is the workflow process steps for IRP studies?
- What are the procedures for developing IRP cases?
- What are the steps in running the simulations of IRP tools?
- How to interpret the results of IRP models?
- What are IRP metrics to focus on?
Module - 6: IRP Forecasting
Duration: 90 minutes
Description
In this module, you will learn about different forecasting techniques and forecasting requirements for clean energy integrated resource planning. There many underlying forecasts that flow into the integrated resource plan process such as fuels prices, demand, renewables, energy, and ancillary services prices, technology costs, and others. The module will go through the sources, shaping, scaling, methods, and outputs of the following forecasts.
- Demand Forecasts
- Fuel Price Forecasts
- Renewables Forecasts
- Energy and Ancillary Price Forecasts
- Revenue Forecasts
- Technology Cost Forecasts
- Other Forecasts
What Will You Learn
- What are the methods for forecasting and shaping demand forecasts?
- What are the typical sources for forecast input data?
- Where are the underlying forecasts used in integrated resource plans?
- How do IRP planners rely on forecasts in actual IRP’s?
Course Content
Day 1:
- Module-1: Overview of Integrated Resource Planning - Big Picture
- Module-2: Emerging technologies in IRPs - Recent trends
- Module-3: Recent IRP Case Studies
- Module-4: IRP Methods and Modelling Tools
Day 2:
- Module-5: IRP Modelling, Calculation, and Simulation Examples
- Module-6: IRP Forecasting
Course Provider
Dr Randell Johnson,
CEO ,
AcelerexDr. Johnson is CEO of Acelerex and has expertise and experience in the Valuation, Design, Procurement, and Operations of Grid Batteries Dr. Johnson has been involved in the Energy Storage Road Map for the Maldives, Bermuda Energy Storage Sizing Study, New York Energy Storage Road Map, Massachusetts State of Charge Study, MISO Energy Storage Study, Ontario Energy Storage Study, and numerous other energy storage studies. He was selected by the World Bank to study 100% carbon-free grids with energy storage and Acelerex software and methods were selected by the International Renewable Energy Agency for increasing penetration of renewables with energy storage. Dr. Johnson has invented and developed software for battery analytics and battery real time control. He is expert at power markets and valuation of energy storage to maximize utilization of existing transmission systems and co-optimization of transmission and other resources in addition of co-optimization of energy and ancillary services. A Harvard Business Case has been written for energy storage that includes methods pioneered by Dr. Johnson. Dr. Johnson holds a Ph.D. in Power Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and an MS in Economics from Cass Business School, UK, and a Utility Corporate Finance Certificate for Gas and Electric Utilities from UConn Business School. Dr. Johnson has background in strategy, regulatory finance, economic optimizations, quantitative finance, electricity and energy markets, public policy, technical grid design, real-time optimizations, and high-performance computing.
Who Should Attend
Among those who will benefit from this seminar include utility consumer advocates, regulatory staff, energy and electric power executives; attorneys; government regulators; traders & trading support staff; marketing, sales, purchasing & risk management personnel; accountants & auditors; plant operators; engineers; and corporate planners. Types of companies that typically attend this program include energy producers and marketers; utilities; banks & financial houses; industrial companies; accounting, law firms; municipal utilities; government regulators and electric generators.
Location
ADDRESS
Courtyard Marriott Houston by the Galleria
2900 Sage Road
Houston
TX 77056
United States
