Integrated Resource Plan

In 2006, RCW 19.280 was adopted by the Washington State legislature.  The statute requires investor-owned and consumer-owned electric utilities with more than 25,000 customers to develop Integrated Resource Plans (IRP) and progress reports.  Among other things, IRPs must include a range of load forecasts, assessments of commercially-available, utility-scale renewable and nonrenewable generating technologies, a comparative evaluation of renewable and nonrenewable generating resources and conservation and efficiency resources and an assessment of methods for integrating renewable resources and addressing overgeneration events, if applicable. 
 

In 2019, the passage of RCW 19.405: the Washington Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA) added significant requirements to RCW 19.280. These include an assessment and forecast of the availability of regional generation and transmission capacity on which the utility may rely to deliver electricity to its customers, a determination of a resource adequacy metric, a forecast of distributed energy resources installed by customers, and assessments of energy and nonenergy benefits and reduction of burdens to vulnerable populations and highly impacted communities, long-term and short-term public health and environmental benefits, costs and risk and energy security and risk and a 10-year Clean Energy Action Plan (CEAP). 

Utilities must produce progress reports reflecting changing conditions related to and the progress towards the IRP every two years and an updated IRP must be developed at least every four years.

Additionally, governing boards of consumer-owned utilities shall encourage participation of its consumers in development of the plans and progress reports and approve the plans and progress reports after it has provided public notice and hearing.

The 2025 IRP process has been completed. The IRP outlines the sources of power needed to supply PUD customers through 2034. It describes the mix of resources from generation, conservation and efficiency and demand response that will meet current and projected needs at the lowest reasonable cost and risk to the utility and its customer-owners. The 2025 IRP will be submitted to the Washington State Department of Commerce by the September 1, 2026 deadline. Presentations from the public process are linked below.     

Public Meetings Schedule -