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Commission reviews IRP showing need for more generation as local load could jump 50%
Summary
An IRP presented to the West Utility Commission recommends continued reliance on combined-cycle natural gas and portfolios that include renewables and storage; staff said planned local industrial customers could increase city load by about 50% over three years, creating a near‑term need for additional generation and long‑term replacement of aging solar resources.
Staff presented an integrated resource plan prepared with AMPA and a consultant that models West Memphis’s electricity demand and six supply portfolios. The plan’s top-ranked option includes a combined‑cycle natural gas unit (600 MW 1x1) while other portfolios combine renewables and storage to meet projected needs over a 20‑year planning horizon.
Staff said the city is already participating in a larger 1,500 MW combined-cycle project, but West Memphis’s ownership share will not be sufficient to meet projected load. The utility told commissioners that, based on customers that have purchased property and plan to build (including Google and BIES), system load could increase roughly 50% in three years, intensifying the need to add or secure firm generation capacity to avoid market exposure.
The IRP shows existing resources in dark blue and projected resource shortfalls in light blue through planning years up to 2042; staff emphasized that solar resources degrade over time (decreditation) and that replacing aging resources will be part of long-term planning. Staff said beginning planning now will help the utility avoid paying premium prices for generation in the future and that additional budget requests may be forthcoming.
