2021 IRP

Solar panels at sunrise at the Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility.
The Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility and Renewable Energy Center near Ellensburg, WA.

The IRP analysis integrates demand-side and supply-side resources to meet the growing energy needs of PSE’s customers at the lowest reasonable cost. The 2021 IRP will implement new rules from the Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA), signed into law in May 2019. The 2021 IRP will outline PSE’s plans to eliminate coal from its electric resource portfolio by 2026 and transition to greenhouse gas neutral generation by 2030 and carbon free generation by 2045.

The 2021 IRP time horizon is from 2022 to 2045.

The IRP process is divided into six cyclical steps: 1. Establish Resource Needs; 2. Planning Assumptions & Resource Alternatives; 3. Analyze Alternatives & Portfolios; 4. Analyze Results; 5. Develop Resource Plan; and 6. 10-year Clean Energy Action Plan. 

A cyclical figure shows the six steps of the IRP process.
The six steps of the IRP process are cyclical and iterative.

For the 2021 IRP, PSE has developed a list of topics that will be covered at specific points throughout the process as they relate to a specific IRP process step.

Topics include:

  • Generic Resource Assumptions
  • Social Cost of Carbon
  • Upstream Emissions
  • Transmission Constraints
  • Electric Price Forecast
  • Natural Gas Price Forecast
  • Clean Energy Transformation Act requirements
  • Demand Side Resources
  • Equity
  • Natural Gas Portfolio Modeling
  • Demand Forecast
  • Wholesale Market Risk
  • Portfolio Sensitivities
  • Resource Adequacy

To see when each topic will be discussed, please visit the “Get Involved” page to learn more about how these topics fit into the 2021 IRP.

Work Plan

PSE filed the 2021 IRP Work Plan with the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission on April 1, 2020. The Public Participation Plan is included as an Appendix. Any updates and revisions will be posted on this page.