Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) Fundamentals

October 7-8, 2024 | Kansas City, MO and Online :: Central Time

“Relevant information that I will use to make sure our planning studies cover all the bases!” Economist, The Energy Authority

Utility resource planning staff need a range of skills to make and interpret forecasts, analyses, and recommendations that guide their organization’s future actions. Their work product results in IRP documents that outline long-term strategies for serving the utility service territory’s energy needs. These plans use rigorous quantitative methods and industry standards, which nevertheless must remain adaptable to changes in fuel prices, market conditions, technology innovations, and regulatory shifts.

This program, designed by and for integrated resource planners, uses a tutorial approach to cover the essential elements of creating a strong IRP. It reviews fundamentals and best practices, preparing IRP practitioners and utility analysts to handle complex issues related to renewable energy, storage, and other evolving grid planning components.

Join us at the Burns & McDonnell World Headquarters in Kansas City or attend online and gain the insight you and your team need to stay competitive in this evolving space.

Learning Outcomes

Attendees will cover content and engage in discussions and exercises that will allow them to:

• Review the key elements that utilities must address when developing long-term planning documents
• Examine the regulatory and legal requirements that should be embedded in all IRPs
• Identify the range of resource procurement options
• Evaluate the multiple IRP modeling tools, exercises, and their applications
• Analyze the most efficient and effective ways of identifying:
  • New resource alternatives
  • Renewable resources
  • Existing resource retirements
  • De-carbonization considerations
  • Storage considerations
• Discuss the 5 critical analyses that IRPs must undertake to evaluate the available resource options
• Conduct the 7 risk scans that could derail the plan’s integrity
• Apply portfolio optimization analysis

Monday, October 7, 2024 : Central Time

8:30 – 9:00 a.m. :: Introductions

9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. :: Morning Session

(Includes one 15 minute break)    

Overview

• Formation & Premises of IRP
• Regulatory & Legal Requirements

Utility Guiding Principles

• Reliability
• Planning horizon
• Customer rates
• Shareholder return or governing board direction
• Least cost
• Least risk

North American Survey of IRP-Mandated Utilities

• States
• Utilities
  • IOUs
  • Munis
  • Coops, G&Ts

Foundation Technical Elements

• Determination of Needs
  • Load forecast
  • Peak demand and energy forecast
  • Reliability assessment
  • Fuel forecast
  • Reserve margin
• Modeling tools and exercises
  • Capacity expansion
  • Production cost
  • AC power flow
• Identifying resource options
  • Existing resources
    • Supply side
    • Demand side
  • New resource alternatives
  • Renewable resources
  • Existing resource retirements
  • De-carbonization considerations
  • Storage considerations

12:30 – 1:15 p.m. :: Lunch Break

1:15 – 5:00 p.m. :: Afternoon Session

(Includes one 15 minute break)

Foundation Technical Elements (continued)

• Evaluating resource options
  • Stochastic analysis
  • Scenario analysis
  • Portfolio analysis
  • Sensitivity analysis
  • Probabilistic analysis
• Examining constraints
  • Weather risks
  • Physical risks
  • Financial risks
  • Uncertainty risks
  • Portfolio risks
  • Fuel risks
  • Environmental policies, regulations and mandates
• Applying portfolio optimization analysis
  • Precision vs. performance
  • Mutli-stage approach
  • Equitable treatment of resources
• Developing preferred portfolio(s)
• Preparing plan(s)
  • Base case(s)
  •  Alternative(s)
• Refining IRP based on input, feedback and condition changes
• Certification process

5:00 p.m. :: Course Adjourns for Day

Tuesday, October 8, 2024 : Central Time

9:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. :: Morning Session 

(Includes one 15 minute break)     

Related, But Distinct, Planning Exercises

• Integrated system
  • Distribution system
  • Transmission system
  • Distributed energy resources
• Weaving them into the IRP

Identifying Resource Procurement Options

• Self-provided
• New build
• Contracted from external sources
• Customer-sourced

12:15 – 1:00 p.m. :: Lunch Break

1:15 – 4:30 p.m. :: Afternoon Session

(Includes one 15 minute break)      

Resource Adequacy & Reserve Margins

• Metrics
  • LOLE, LOLP, EUEC, ELCC
  • Load carrying capability (ELCC) curves
• Accounting for extreme weather sensitivities
  • High load
  • Low renewable output
  • Limited market purchases
  • Satisfy Level I and Level II reliability metrics

Charting, Managing and Benefiting from Stakeholder Review

• Plan formulation and preparation
• Internal vetting
• External scheduling and presentation

Planning Commission Engagement

• Staff
• Public hearings
• Finalization

Publication of IRP for Public Review

4:30 p.m. :: Course Adjourns

Matthew Lind, Director – Resource Planning and Market Assessments, 1898 & Co

Matthew Lind is the director of resource planning and market assessments at 1898 & Co., part of Burns & McDonnell.  He has worked as a professional consultant in the utility and energy sector since 2004.  Mr. Lind specializes in system planning and market congestion studies driven by strategic, economic and regulatory considerations for generation or transmission development in markets across North America. He has a Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering from Iowa State University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Brian Despard, Project Manager – Resource Planning & Market Assessments, 1898 & Co

Brian Despard is a Project Manager in the Resource Planning & Market Assessments group with 1898 & Co. He manages power market planning and analysis studies, such as integrated resource plans, decarbonization studies and asset valuations. He has over 30 years of experience in the power industry, with 15 years as an energy market consultant, 8 years as a utility strategy and planning analyst and 9 years as a commercial asset manager. Brian’s market consulting background covers long-term fundamental analysis, development and asset transactions support, commodity risk management and power supply portfolio optimization. Prior to joining 1898 & Co., Brian worked for Siemens PTI Consulting (f/k/a Pace Global), economic consultants L. E. Peabody & Associates, Dynegy and Tennessee Valley Authority.

Norm Richardson, President, Anchor Power Solutions

Norm Richardson is the President of Anchor Power Solutions, a division of YES Energy, and has more than three decades of experience in market price forecasting, integrated resource planning, risk evaluation, and economic transmission analysis.  His experience includes developing software models, collecting and analyzing market data, consulting projects, and expert witness testimony. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Furman University and a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Peter David, Senior Project Manager, 1898 & Co.

Peter David is a Senior Project Manager at 1898 & Co., a division of Burns & McDonnell, joining the firm in 2024.  His work focuses on integrated resource planning.  Prior to joining the engineering firm, he spent one year at DNV as Principal Market Advisor and13 years at Guidehouse (along with its predecessor company Navigant) most recently serving as Associate Director.  He earned a B.A. degree in Physics from Colorado College.

Evan Lipsitz, Consultant, Resource Planning and Market Assessments, 1898 & Co.

Evan Lipsitz is a Consultant in the Resource Planning and Market Assessments group at 1898 & Co., a division of Burns & McDonnell. He has five years of experience in the power industry and more than eight years of experience in the financial sector.  His market consulting background covers financial transmission rights recommendations, market congestion studies driven by generation development, production cost modeling, and integrated resource planning. Prior to joining 1898 & Co., Mr. Lipsitz worked as a transmission engineer for ACES Power Marketing. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Michigan State University.

Baili Connors, Power Market Consultant, 1898 & Co.

Baili Connors is a Power Market Consultant for 1898 & Co., a division of Burns & McDonnell.  She joined the engineering firm in 2022.  She previously worked at NorthWestern Energy for some five years, where she conducted resource adequacy assessments, supported and managed various phases of Request for Proposals (RFP’s), led Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) initiatives, and spearheaded utility analytics and data science projects. Ms. Connors triple-majored in quantitative sciences and mathematics at Montana Technological University and earned master’s degrees in statistics and clinical psychology from Texas A&M and Capella University, respectively.

Burns & McDonnell World Headquarters

9450 Ward Parkway

Kansas City, MO 64114

REGISTER NOW FOR THIS EVENT:

Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) Fundamentals

October 7-8, 2024 | Kansas City, MO

Your registration may be transferred to a member of your organization up to 24 hours in advance of the event. Cancellations must be received on or before September 06, 2024 in order to be refunded and will be subject to a US $195.00 processing fee per registrant. No refunds will be made after this date. Cancellations received after this date will create a credit of the tuition (less processing fee) good toward any other EUCI event. This credit will be good for six months from the cancellation date. In the event of non-attendance, all registration fees will be forfeited. In case of conference cancellation, EUCIs liability is limited to refund of the event registration fee only. For more information regarding administrative policies, such as complaints and refunds, please contact our offices at 303-770-8800

Credits

EUCI is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard. IACET is recognized internationally as a standard development organization and accrediting body that promotes quality of continuing education and training.

EUCI is authorized by IACET to offer 1.3 CEUs for this course.

Requirements for Successful Completion of Program

Participants must log in each day and be in attendance for the entirety of the event to be eligible for continuing education credit.

Instructional Methods

Case studies, PowerPoint presentations, and panel discussions will be used in this program.

Upon successful completion of this event, program participants interested in receiving CPE credits will receive a certificate of completion.

Course CPE Credits: 15.0
There is no prerequisite for this Course.
Program field of study: Specialized Knowledge
Program Level: Basic
Delivery Method: Group Internet Based
Advanced Preparation: None

EUCI is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its web site: www.nasbaregistry.org

Who Should Attend

Utility professionals, their support staff and trusted advisors who engage in:

• Integrated resource planning
• Stakeholder/community relations
• Regulatory/government relations/public affairs
• Regulators
• Strategic planning
• Public relations
• Stakeholder, intervenor and consumer advocacy
• State regulatory commissioners and staff
• Transmission planning
• Demand side and energy efficiency planning
• Rate case development