Imagine you’re planning a trip but don’t know if you’ll face traffic jams, detours or bad weather on the way. Just like Google Maps and weather forecasts help you navigate the unknown, resource plans help energy companies anticipate bumps in the road to energy delivery like weather trends, new technology development or changes in energy demand.
In addition to preparing for the unexpected, resource plans help energy companies deliver reliable energy and keep customer costs as low as possible. They’re like roadmaps for how to generate enough power to keep everyone’s lights on, both now and in the future.
This means making sure the power production facilities, such as wind turbines or natural gas power plants, work together to generate enough power to keep the grid stable. Each power generation source, such as natural gas, solar and wind, has its own unique features that need to be balanced.
Resource plans answer many questions, including:
- What are the most affordable ways to meet energy demand in the future?
- What are potential pathways to get from the technologies generating energy today to the technologies we need in the future?
- What future scenarios or variables could impact energy generation and how will we account for them?
In some parts of the country, these plans are required by state regulatory bodies. In other instances, like with Alliant Energy’s state regulators, we use resource plans to justify facility additions and retirements, major modifications to existing generators and new energy efficiency program offerings.
We typically update resource plans every couple of years to make sure they’re still relevant. Keeping the roadmap up to date helps energy companies identify the most beneficial path as conditions change and evolve.
Resource planning also involves ways to manage electricity demand. This sometimes means encouraging people to use energy more efficiently or offering programs through which they can voluntarily reduce energy use during times of high demand.
Our resource plan, the Clean Energy Blueprint, guides development and ensures power is at your fingertips whenever you need it. Over the years, the Blueprint has paved the way for our renewable energy generation and new energy storage projects like the Energy Dome. Our resource plan continues to focus on delivering the most reliable and cost-effective energy to meet customer demand.