39 Miss. Code. R. 1-29- 104
The Integrated Resource Plan must contain the elements set forth below, and shall be filed by all regulated electric utilities in accordance with the time frame and deadlines established herein.
The electric utility shall clearly state and support the objectives for its IRP, which may include but are not limited to: reliable, adequate, and reasonably-priced service; economic efficiency; financial integrity of the utility; equal consideration of available and commercially-proven demand-side and supply-side resources; reasonable mitigation of potential risks; consideration of future environmental impacts and associated costs; and consistency with governmental regulations and policies. In meeting its defined objectives, the utility should put itself in a position to respond to reasonably anticipated economic conditions, technological advancements and changes, and customer demand for energy services. Any utility-specific objectives must comply with the Commission's overall objective of ensuring transparent evaluation of a comprehensive set of potential resource options to determine a base or reference resource plan that offers the most economic and reliable combination of resources satisfying the forecasted load requirements.
A forecast of peak load and energy requirements over a planning period/horizon of twenty (20) years shall be developed, and the amount of capacity required to serve those forecasted load requirements shall be determined, taking into consideration the electric utility's reliability requirements, existing supply and demand-side resources, and any planned additions to and/or retirements of existing resources (both supply-side and demand side). A reasonable set of assumptions for econometric and/or end use variables should be considered in the development of a range of outcomes (futures) that complement the long-term forecasts of energy demand and energy consumption. A planning period/horizon of 20 years shall be used.
For purposes of the entire 20-year planning horizon, the electric utility should assess its supply-side and demand-side resources based on their cost effectiveness and considering both the utility's planning objectives and the Commission's stated policy goals. For incremental capacity additions, reasonably useful, commercially-proven, and economic supply-side and demand-side resources that may be available to an electric utility should be considered, including but not limited to energy efficiency, demand response, and distributed energy resources ("DER"). The electric utility's filed IRP Report should, at a minimum, include an evaluation and discussion of the following:
The electric utility shall identify, evaluate and discuss in its IRP Report all existing supply-side resources, including but not limited to:
The electric utility shall identify, evaluate and discuss in its IRP Report all existing demand-side resources, including existing energy efficiency programs. This information and analysis should incorporate and reflect the information reported in the electric utility's Annual Energy Delivery Plan, with any substantial variation or departure explained in writing.
To the extent an electric utility utilizes transmission resources to meet or reduce its forecasted load requirements, the electric utility shall evaluate and discuss in its IRP Report the condition of its existing transmission system.
A wide range of potentially viable supply-side resource alternatives, including renewable and non-renewable options and energy storage, shall be identified for further evaluation to meet the electric utility's resource requirements.
A wide range of potentially viable demand-side options, including but not limited to energy efficiency, shall be identified for further evaluation to meet the electric utility's resource requirements.
Any potentially viable transmission resources that may be utilized by an electric utility to meet or reduce its forecasted load requirements, shall be identified and discussed.
Identified resource additions should be analyzed to determine costs, effectiveness, and other attributes such as potential future emission control or allowance costs to the extent they are quantifiable. Resources that do not otherwise meet minimum criteria including cost-effectiveness, risk mitigation, reliability, environmental, and/or other governmental rules or policy should be eliminated from further consideration in the applicable planning cycle. A written explanation of such removal, including the basis therefore, shall be provided in the Integrated Resource Plan. To the extent circumstances change, resources may be reevaluated.
The Integrated Resource Plan shall be based on a planning process that identifies multiple potential resource portfolios using scenario planning and sensitivity analyses. Each portfolio shall meet reliability criteria and objectives established in the planning process. The objective of scenario planning and sensitivity analysis is for the utility to evaluate the robustness of its resource plan(s) against potential futures by varying key uncertainties impacting the planning process. The sensitivity and scenario analyses utilized shall be described in the Integrated Resource Plan. Though other assumptions may be considered, the following are often evaluated in scenario and sensitivity analyses in utility IRP studies:
The portfolios identified should be compared based on the electric utility's ability to meet its identified planning objectives across varying potential outcomes over the planning horizon, including but not limited to comparison of the net present values.
The electric utility shall summarize the results of its resource portfolio evaluation in an action plan, if applicable, that identifies one or more preferred portfolios that provide long-range guidance for the Commission and represent potentially viable resource options in the future. The action plan is not necessarily a specific plan for near-term action, unless specifically identified within the Integrated Resource Plan. A utility's action plan does not in any way relieve the utility of its statutory obligations concerning certificates of public convenience and necessity, prudency, or any other regulatory requirements.
39 Miss. Code. R. 1-29- 104