Leidos Engineering LLC updated the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. board of directors on Tuesday on where it is at in determining an energy solution plan for CUC.<\/p>\n
Leidos representatives Charles Janecek and Fred Wellington highlighted the four primary challenges that CUC faces with the Integrated Resource Plan and how they would approach the challenges.<\/p>\n
These challenges include converting inexact economic and resource data into a robust and actionable plan, transitioning to new generation technologies or fuels, conducting a robust request for proposal that leads to new supplier relationships, and addressing stakeholder concerns and communicating results.<\/p>\n
Janecek said that most islands face a \u201cunique IRP\u201d constraint due to a \u201cself-contained\u201d grid and heightened economic uncertainty, and high electric rates.<\/p>\n
He said that CUC needs sophisticated modeling platforms and analytics related to relationships between weather, economic activity, and load; co-optimization of costs of variable baseload resources both generation and capacity and fuels, and rate impacts and design.<\/p>\n
He told board members that CUC needs a better RFP process to get stakeholders\u2019 and political acceptance.<\/p>\n
\u201cA credible process is critical to generate sufficient market interest in the RFP due to the small nature of the system and geographic location. Moreover, CUC needs a formalized, structured approach to ensure optimal decision making,\u201d Janecek said.<\/p>\n
CUC board chair David Sablan Jr. said that CUC has to go to a higher level to reach the IRP that Leidos presented so that CUC would be a more reliable and better utility service for the CNMI.<\/p>\n
Janecek said that stakeholder engagement can drive a proactive message with customers. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is best accomplished through a structured engagement process and stakeholders engagement can also help align CUC\u2019s expectations with customers, governing bodies, and other interested parties,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Janecek said that they wanted the CUC board to get an early input on how the IRP will play into the future of CUC.<\/p>\n
The integrated resource plan\u2019s purpose is to determine the best combination of both base-load and renewable energy sources capable of providing reliable power at the lowest price to consumers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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