UD-08-02

Entergy New Orleans is required to conduct integrated resource planning every 3 years. During the IRP process a utility will model different resources to determine the mix of demand-side (such as energy efficiency, weatherization, energy storage) and supply-side (such as the construction of a fossil fuel-fired generating plant or solar farm) technologies that it will use to economically and efficiently meet its user demand. The IRP process encompasses all aspects of the utility planning process, from generation to transmission and distribution.

Put more simply, the IRP process takes into account estimates of customers’ future electricity needs and the least cost resources available to serve those needs. Does your utility want to retire costly, and dirty coal generation in favor of renewables, or do they want to build a new gas plant? Another important piece to check here is how your utility is modeling energy efficiency.

Regulators must ensure that Entergy’s modeling of the energy future reflects real-world conditions. Legacy coal- and natural gas-fired generation units are retiring at an accelerating rate, often years before past predictions. Meanwhile, energy efficiency and renewable energy continue to outpace large-scale fossil fuel generation in terms of cost-efficiency.

The Alliance is intervening in Entergy’s Triennial IRP to ensure that the needs and interests of communities across New Orleans are represented and protected.