Electric Utility Resource Planning: Past, Present and Future

Electric Utility Resource Planning: Past, Present and Future covers the balance of renewable costs, energy storage, and flexible backstop mechanisms needed in electric utility resource planning. In addition, it covers the optimization of planning methodologies and market design. The book argues that net load, ramping and volatility concerns associated with renewables call into question the validity of almost a century of planning approaches. Finally, it suggests that accounting for flexibility helps optimize the efficiency of the entire fleet of assets, minimizing costs and CO2 generation simultaneously, concluding that a flexible, independent backstop mechanism is needed, regardless of renewables or storage. 

Case studies provide a mix of hypothetical "what if" scenarios and analyses of real-life utility portfolios drawn from international examples.

Examines how resource planners and policy specialists can plan to incorporate renewable generation technologies, thus uniting considerations of technology, methodology, business and policyFocuses on the reality of long-term decision-making and planning processes in working utilitiesReviews novel approaches towards resource planning that yield lower costs and CO2Emphasizes the need for flexible backstop mechanisms to maintain reliability

1. Introduction to electric utilities and how they plan for the future

2. Influx of variable renewable energy sources, the way things are going

3. Energy storage and conversion

4. Renewable fuels for long-term energy storage

5. Long-term capacity expansion planning

6. Illustrating concepts with examples

7. Pathways to 100% decarbonization