Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Irp Transmission topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
DEEP unveils integrated resource plan process, flags transmission work for legislature
Summary
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes told the Energy & Technology Committee that DEEP has issued a notice to begin a new Integrated Resource Plan and will publish a transmission white paper to solicit public input.
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes told the Energy and Technology Committee that DEEP has begun the multi-month process to develop a new Integrated Resource Plan and will publish white papers, including one on transmission solutions, to solicit stakeholder feedback.
The IRP will examine a 10-year outlook for electric supply, reliability and affordability and is intended to inform procurement, transmission planning and policy options, Dykes said. She told the committee DEEP will include a transmission white paper with the IRP and welcomed the committee's House Bill 7017, which would establish a task force to study transmission and grid-enhancing technologies.
Why it matters: DEEP described the IRP as the vehicle to evaluate how to keep supply adequate while meeting environmental and affordability goals. Dykes said the agency will probe near-term transparency steps and longer-term options — including whether the Connecticut Siting Council could be given authority to obtain more utility project information for projects within state jurisdiction — to help ratepayers and regulators better understand the scope and cost of local transmission and asset-condition projects.
What DEEP is asking for: Dykes urged early stakeholder input on modeling scenarios for the IRP. She said DEEP will evaluate combinations of generation, demand growth, offshore wind and new technologies including long-duration storage and advanced grid tools. She flagged winter reliability as a persistent issue and said the IRP will compare portfolios of resources with potential new gas infrastructure to weigh costs, benefits and risks.
Policy context and bills: DEEP told the committee it supports House Bill 7019 (incentives for replacing electric resistance heat) and said it strongly opposes Senate Bill 1353, which would remove a range of state EV and heat-pump programs. Dykes asked to work with the committee on House Bill 7017'the transmission task-force bill'to explore transparency and short-term options while pursuing regional solutions where possible.
Outlook: DEEP plans public input sessions and several topic white papers during the IRP drafting process and hopes to complete the IRP this year.
Quotes: "DB yesterday issued a notice to initiate the integrated resources plan planning process...We have been directed by the legislature to, every few years, conduct an integrated resource plan to look out at our energy supply needs over the next 10 years," Commissioner Katie Dykes said. "This transmission white paper will help elicit stakeholder feedback as we develop the draft IRP."
