Integrated Resource Planning

Integrated resource planning (IRP) is designed to evaluate new energy resources that consider a full range of alternatives, including conventional generation capacity, renewable generation, power purchases, energy conservation and efficiency, and load management programs to provide adequate and reliable service. The plan must consider necessary features for system operations, such as diversity, reliability, dispatch ability, and other risk factors. The overall IRP objective is to evaluate demand and supply resources on a consistent and integrated basis.

State commissions and federal agencies such as Western Area Power Administration have requirements for utilities to regularly file IRPs in order to allow opportunity to evaluate the range of resources considered for meeting customer requirements.

Power System Engineering, Inc. (PSE) has provided services related to IRPs by either taking on a role of providing analysis and writing the report, or by being part of a team driven by the utility to provide necessary assistance in performing the analysis or writing the report. Power production software is typically used to evaluate IRP resources, and PSE staff has gained experience with a number of models used in IRP analysis. Report writing is a key element in the IRP, and PSE can provide resources to assist in this area of the project.