Scenario Analysis Begins

At its February meeting, the Council's power committee discussed the proposed scenarios that will be used in developing its Seventh Power Plan.

The Council's regional portfolio model is the tool it uses to test different resource strategies against a wide range of potential future conditions to identify those strategies that offer the best hedge against risk at the lowest cost.

The process of comparing scenarios will help in understanding the costs of reducing power system carbon emissions, the impact of carbon costs on energy efficiency and renewable resource development, and the potential value of storage technologies.

The committee reviewed the list of proposed scenarios, focusing on the first step, which is to compare existing energy policies without carbon costs to existing policies with carbon costs. "This will help give us an idea of what the risk mitigation costs would look like," said Power Division Director Tom Eckman.

The regional portfolio model, which has been under redevelopment, should be ready to use next month. Staff expects to have information about the first step comparison by the committee's next meeting in March. The Council's Resource Strategies Advisory Committee also meets in March, and will provide input on the the analysis as well. All of the Council's meetings are open to the public; interested parties are encouraged to participate in its process to develop a regional power plan.