Integrated Resource Plans (IRPs) are utility roadmaps that forecast anticipated energy demand over a set period and model cost-effective solutions to meet that energy demand through investments in generation, energy efficiency, and demand management resources. Required by law in over 30 states, IRP processes are key regulatory mechanisms for utility planning and procurement with significant implications for achieving a reliable, affordable, and clean system. Decisions made during IRP processes now will strongly inform the resource mix during one of the most consequential periods of grid transformation the United States has seen in decades. Local governments are key voices in these proceedings, representing both themselves as large energy users and their residents and businesses.

Join World Resources Institute (WRI)’s Polsky Center for the Global Energy Transition for a one-hour webinar designed for local government staff and practitioners that will give a foundational overview of the IRP process – what gets decided, who the key stakeholders are, and how local governments can engage to advance local goals. Participants will also hear directly from two local governments that have engaged in IRP proceedings about their experiences, including deciding on the pathway and strategy for engagement, lessons learned, and best practices.

Integrated Resource Planning 101: Understanding Your Role as a Local Government in Utility Decision-Making is the fifth webinar in our series on how local governments can influence energy system decision making. Webinar recordings and slides are available for series installments one, two, three and four.

Speakers:

  • John Richardson, Community Sustainability Manager, Chapel Hill, NC
  • Matthew Lehrman, Energy Strategy Coordinator at City of Boulder, CO
  • Ian Goldsmith, Clean Energy Research Associate, WRI U.S. Polsky Energy Center
  • Danielle Riedl, Research Associate, WRI Climate, Economics and Finance Program and WRI U.S. Polsky Energy Center (Moderator)

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