Council directs staff to commission updated electric integrated resource plan amid market volatility

The Columbia City Council on Sept. 15 directed staff to move forward with an updated Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) for the electric utility, citing volatile capacity and energy markets and near‑term contract expirations.

Utilities Director Aaron Keyes told the council that price signals from the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) have shifted dramatically in recent years. “Prices for the annual MISO planning resource auction have gone from $10 per megawatt day to more than $700 per megawatt day,” Keyes said, identifying Zone 5 as especially affected. He said MISO has changed its auction timing and how it accredits generation resources, particularly renewables.

Keyes noted Columbia’s capacity-only contract of about 38.5 megawatts expires in 2027 and additional contracted capacity from Sikeston is due to expire between 2029 and 2033. He said the city’s last IRP process began pre‑COVID and used data from 2018; staff recommended updating the plan and asked council to direct staff to contract with The Energy Authority (TEA) to develop a new IRP.

The Water & Light Advisory Board unanimously recommended that staff proceed with a TEA task order. Staff said the IRP process will include at least one public workshop to frame community priorities and another meeting to review a draft plan before finalizing recommendations to the board and council. Council approved staff moving forward with the agreement for TEA; staff estimated a 6–9 month timeline for completion, with public outreach integrated into the schedule.