Driven by a combination of legislative and regulatory initiatives, as well as by economic and environmental trends, long range resource planning must now incorporate not only such staples as predicted fuel costs and forecast load, but also a variety of new factors, including energy efficiency initiatives, demand response programs, renewable energy portfolio standards, pollution mitigation costs and the future of greenhouse gas regulation. Electric utilities must therefore conduct market and load forecasting in the face of regulatory and economic uncertainties. They must foster a culture of flexible, proactive long range resource planning and integrate demand-side and supply-side resources in order to meet customers’ demands, ensure energy efficiency, manage enterprise costs and overcome the challenges associated with long range planning in multiple jurisdictions, for those companies that operate in multiple states.

This marcus evans 2^nd Annual Utility Integrated Long Range Resource Planning Conference will bring to the industry, experts from the electric utility industries. These industry experts will address the various challenges encountered in filing mandated and non-mandated IRPs, the integration of renewable energy into current portfolios, technology solutions and their integration as well as achieving effective forecasts in an uncertain economic and regulatory environment while improving energy efficiency and meeting the demands of their customers.