The integrated resource plan attempts to merge the competing goals and objectives of IID's Board of Directors with the regulatory structure imposed by County, State and Federal regulations. A utility could attempt to become the least-cost utility or the greenest utility, recognizing green energy is currently more expensive than traditional fossil fueled resources. A utility could strive for long-term price stability, which might increase costs in the short-term.

IID's IRP attempts to meet the following general resource planning goals:

• Cost and Operation Goals
• Provide reliable energy to IID ratepayers;
• Maintain long-term, stable energy prices by implementing a comprehensive energy hedging program and acquiring new cost-effective resources;
• Maintain IID's current status as a balancing authority;
• Optimize the operation of system resources;
• Continue to own and operate all major transmission lines within the service territory.

Efficiency Goals
Implement energy efficiency programs necessary to reduce load by at least 5 percent by 2015 with a 10 percent load reduction goal by 2020.
 

Regulatory Goals
Meet or exceed all state and federal planning criteria for renewable resources with a goal of generating 20 percent of energy requirements from renewable sources renewable energy by 2012, 23 percent by 2014, 26 percent by 2017 and at least 33 percent by 2020;Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 35 percent by 2020 from in comparison to 2009 levels to minimize the cost of purchasing emission allowance credits in the marketplace.

Regional Development Goals
Encourage local economic development by developing new generation resources within the service territory whenever possible.

All of these goals are difficult to achieve simultaneously. As IID adds more renewable energy sources into its resource mix, total power supply costs will likely increase. Reducing GHG may require increasing energy costs as green energy is added to the resource mix and existing thermal generation is replaced with more efficient, and costly, generation.

2010 IRP 2010-IID-Integrated-Resource-Plan.pdf