Integrated Resource Planning

A new Clean Energy Scenario Planning ("CESP") process is under development.
Click here to learn more about CESP.

How do we ensure that Hawaii's energy needs will be met reliably and affordably for the years to come? It takes selecting the best mix of energy resources. That choice is not a matter of “either/or,” but rather an array of solutions, combining conservation and energy efficiency, renewables, distributed generation technologies as well as clean and efficient central power plants.

To find the right mix, Hawaiian Electric uses a process called Integrated Resource Planning (IRP). The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (PUC) established IRP in 1992 for electric utilities to forecast energy demand and analyze the best ways to meet it. No other sector regulated by the PUC goes through such a thorough and far-reaching planning process.

In IRP, an outside advisory group representing business, government, energy regulators, consumers, environmentalists, and other interested stakeholders work closely with utility planners and engineers. They consider population growth, culture, lifestyle, the economy, the environment, available energy technology and other factors.

Hawaiian Electric, Maui Electric and Hawaii Electric Light companies each undertakes a separate IRP process for its service territory.

Hawaiian Electric has begun its fourth IRP Process which is expected to result in a new 20-year plan being developed and filed with the PUC in mid-2008.

Learn about the Maui Electric Company IRP and learn about the Hawaii Electric Light Company IRP.

Together, we consider the need for energy in the long-term and the optimal mix of resources now and into the future to meet your electricity needs safely, reliably – and at reasonable cost to you.

To learn more about the IRP process, click on these links.

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