CWLP outlines 20-year IRP, two solar PPAs and three-year AMI meter rollout

CWLP representatives briefed the Committee of the Whole on Tuesday on the utility's near-term contracts and planning work to meet future electricity needs. Mike Gorsick, the electric-division presenter, said the utility has two long-term solar purchase-power agreements — a 25-year, 25-megawatt contract for South Sangamon Solar and a 20-year, 20-megawatt agreement with Lincoln Land Capital — and a long-term wind capacity contract that runs through 2039.

"It's a 25 year contract, for 25 megawatts of energy," Gorsick said of the South Sangamon project, noting construction began in August and the facility is expected to enter service by late 2027. He said the city also holds a wind capacity contract and additional long-term arrangements intended to diversify supply.

Gorsick described the Integrated Resource Plan as "our roadmap for meeting CWLP's future electric needs," a 20-year plan that must be updated every five years under recent state law identified in the meeting as the Clean Reliable Grid Act. He said staff issued an RFP, received consultant proposals, and expects to bring an ordinance to award the IRP vendor once evaluations finish; the consultant will develop models, coordinate public engagement and present draft and final plans.

On meters, Gorsick said the AMI project will modernize meter reading and enable outage detection, remote connection management and improved billing accuracy. "The installation and commissioning the AMI system will be about 3 years," he said, adding the work will cover roughly 70,000 meters and was funded by the 2025 bond refinancing. Staff said the AMI system vendor (identified in the presentation as Lanisa Gear) is close to releasing the installation bid package and that meter changeouts will proceed by reading-route cycles rather than changing meters mid-cycle.

The presentation closed with a commitment to public engagement during the IRP process: the selected consultant will finalize a public-engagement schedule and solicit community input that will be reflected in the plan.