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Big Rivers Integrated Resource Plan Case #2023-00310Big Rivers Electric Corporation is a “Generation and Transmission” Cooperative, which means that they own the generation (power plants) and transmission (power grid) resources and sell the wholesale electricity that they produce to three “Distribution” Cooperatives that sell to their member-owners (YOU). Big Rivers serves over 120,000 members across 22 counties. (https://www.bigrivers.com/) If you pay your bill to any of the following co-ops, your energy comes from Big Rivers Electric Corporation:
Big Rivers recently submitted their Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) to the Public Service Commission for approval, and we have the power to make our voice heard. What is an Integrated Resource Plan?The Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) is a blueprint for our electric utilities for the next 15 years. If taken seriously, it can help our utilities make smart decisions. Unfortunately, our electric utilities don't always consider what is most important to customers when making their plans. |
What is Big Rivers Planning?
Big Rivers wants to:
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In a time of unprecedented opportunity and record funding for clean energy transition, Big Rivers has chosen to double down on risky and expensive fossil fuel generation instead. Despite the fact that their member-owners have experienced rapidly increasing electric bills since 2009, Big Rivers continues to unreasonably ignore the need for energy efficiency and demand side management investments that reduce electricity bills. They have also stubbornly failed to evaluate distributed energy sources or fully pursue the cost-savings provided by the Inflation Reduction Act.
While their current IRP includes a modest proposal for renewable energy and battery storage, Big Rivers ignores important opportunities that would have big impacts for member-owners that struggle to pay their energy bills. We're glad to see proposed investments in solar, and battery storage. These investments not only make sense from an economic standpoint but they also make our grid more resilient and reliable. To have an even greater impact those projects should be located in the region and use local companies to increase economic development. |
In addition to investing in new, clean power sources, hardworking member-owners need Big Rivers to invest in them too - instead of risking billions of ratepayer dollars on expensive and unneeded fossil fuel generation and unproven carbon capture technologies. That means creating more energy efficiency programs for our homes and businesses, along with inclusive utility investments that help families access those programs. With inclusive investments, The utility covers the upfront cost of cost-effective upgrades (i.e. insulation, HVAC, air sealing, on-site solar, EV charger, etc.) and recovers those costs of upgrades over time through a monthly charge that is less than the estimated savings from the upgrade. By investing in local, site-specific upgrades, Big Rivers can help lower our bills, make our communities more resilient, and avoid investments in expensive fossil fuel generation assets.
We can't let our utility companies lock us into paying for expensive, risky gas plants or billion dollar carbon capture boondoggles. New gas plants mean either forty more years of fossil fuels use OR customers paying for the full cost of these plants even if they are shut down due to high pollution or fuel costs (stranded assets). Either way, gas is not affordable, safe, clean, or reliable - and we shouldn't have to keep paying for Big Rivers’ bad business decisions.
See Sample Talking Points for your Integrated Resource Plan comment below
We can't let our utility companies lock us into paying for expensive, risky gas plants or billion dollar carbon capture boondoggles. New gas plants mean either forty more years of fossil fuels use OR customers paying for the full cost of these plants even if they are shut down due to high pollution or fuel costs (stranded assets). Either way, gas is not affordable, safe, clean, or reliable - and we shouldn't have to keep paying for Big Rivers’ bad business decisions.
See Sample Talking Points for your Integrated Resource Plan comment below
Tips for Writing Your Comment
The Commission wants to hear how the case will affect your life and your family. You don’t have to be an expert for your input to matter.
Please write your comment in your own words. You are welcome to use the talking points below but try not to copy and paste them word for word. The Commission gives more weight to unique comments over form responses. Don't overthink it. Your comment can be simple.
Please write your comment in your own words. You are welcome to use the talking points below but try not to copy and paste them word for word. The Commission gives more weight to unique comments over form responses. Don't overthink it. Your comment can be simple.
Sample Talking Points to include in your comment
Instead of investing our money in expensive and unproven technology, Big Rivers should be investing that money in our homes and businesses.
- Big Rivers is planning to build a new gas plant that their member-owners do not need, and invest billions in expensive, unproven Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) technology. Big Rivers’ member-owners should not have to risk their money on unproven technology or an expensive gas plant that they don’t even need.
- If Big Rivers is asking their members for more than $3 billion dollars, they should invest that in our homes and businesses instead of doubling down on the status quo!
- By 2035, it will be more expensive to continue operating approximately 90% of the country's planned new gas generation capacity than to build equivalent clean energy portfolios
- Learn more in the resources linked below
Big Rivers needs to utilize the full scope of available resources in its modeling. Not Rigging the system by requiring that expensive and aging fossil fuels plants are favored.
- We shouldn’t keep investing in fossil fuel plants that are no longer effective or affordable. But Big Rivers baked this into their IRP modeling and filing.
- IRP’s and their processes are confusing - but BR is not even respecting the minimal expectations for the process and rigged the system with their modeling assumptions.
- Keeping the coal plant was predetermined, not chosen by the model. Robust potential for EE was found in their study but it was limited in the base case and rejected as not “a viable resource” even though efficiency programs were shown to be extremely cost-effective.
- They dismissed wind and battery storage - which could provide resilience for our communities
- They did not evaluate the risks of keeping the Wilson plant running, or the potential savings of closing it down. Big Rivers members should not have to pay for a plant that might be more expensive or have to shut down because of future regulation.
- Big Rivers plans to build significantly more energy than what they need to serve member-owners, without fully exploring other options.
- They did not adequately account for the environmental compliance costs and risks for existing and proposed fossil fuel generation assets.
Big Rivers should be planning to invest extra capital into programs that help us have warmer homes, lower electric bills, more resilient communities, and a safer climate. Examples include:
- Energy efficiency programs to make our homes more comfortable, cheaper, and efficient
- Big Rivers is a generation and transmission cooperative that is owned by the distribution co-ops that it serves. Since the G&T creates and buys most of the energy it sends to its members, it benefits from energy efficiency more than they do. This means that Big Rivers should create energy efficiency programs for the distribution co-ops, and they should offset the lower sales with transfer payments. East Kentucky Power Cooperative has at least eight such programs, while Big Rivers has only one.
- Big Rivers is a generation and transmission cooperative that is owned by the distribution co-ops that it serves. Since the G&T creates and buys most of the energy it sends to its members, it benefits from energy efficiency more than they do. This means that Big Rivers should create energy efficiency programs for the distribution co-ops, and they should offset the lower sales with transfer payments. East Kentucky Power Cooperative has at least eight such programs, while Big Rivers has only one.
- Rooftop solar:
- Net-metered solar is a net benefit to all on the grid. As Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative explains, the co-op “doesn’t lose money” on distribution costs when customers install their own solar because it “only pays for the amount of energy customers use. When customers produce their own energy and use less energy supplied by the grid, their distribution costs are reduced.” In addition, rooftop solar provides power during peak hours when power is most expensive.
- San Miguel Power Association in Colorado provides a $300 rebate for residential solar and $1000 for business solar installations.
- Net-metered solar is a net benefit to all on the grid. As Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative explains, the co-op “doesn’t lose money” on distribution costs when customers install their own solar because it “only pays for the amount of energy customers use. When customers produce their own energy and use less energy supplied by the grid, their distribution costs are reduced.” In addition, rooftop solar provides power during peak hours when power is most expensive.
- Virtual power plants
- Dakota Electric, Minnesota: Dakota Electric Association has over 40% of members accessing bill credits and rate discounts for participating in a demand response program that can reduce approximately 20% of peak demand with managed load assets.
- Dakota Electric, Minnesota: Dakota Electric Association has over 40% of members accessing bill credits and rate discounts for participating in a demand response program that can reduce approximately 20% of peak demand with managed load assets.
- Battery storage that keeps the lights on
- Green Mountain Power, Vermont: According to an article by Electrek.co, "Green Mountain Power (GMP), a Vermont electric utility, has quietly built a fleet of 4,000 Tesla Powerwalls, saving them a lot of money. The electric utility offers substantial incentives to either deploy Powewalls at customer's homes or onboard existing Powerwalls in its grid program where GMP is allowed to use some power capacity of a customer's batteries in exchange for credits on their electricity bill." The batteries saved over $3 million in 2020 and 2021 and almost $1.5 million in just one week during a heat wave in the summer of 2022. GMP announced plans last fall to nearly double the program's scale from 30MW to 55MW.
- Green Mountain Power, Vermont: According to an article by Electrek.co, "Green Mountain Power (GMP), a Vermont electric utility, has quietly built a fleet of 4,000 Tesla Powerwalls, saving them a lot of money. The electric utility offers substantial incentives to either deploy Powewalls at customer's homes or onboard existing Powerwalls in its grid program where GMP is allowed to use some power capacity of a customer's batteries in exchange for credits on their electricity bill." The batteries saved over $3 million in 2020 and 2021 and almost $1.5 million in just one week during a heat wave in the summer of 2022. GMP announced plans last fall to nearly double the program's scale from 30MW to 55MW.
- Inclusive Utility Investments that make these programs accessible to those who need them most
- Ouachita Energy Cooperative, Arkansas: OEC invested almost $3 million in upgrades to local member homes in the first year, including both renters and homeowners. With weatherization and HVAC, they’ve seen an 18% reduction in demand across all the participating members (with some as high as 30-40%). Four years after beginning the HELP PAYS program, and investing in solar at a commercial customer site, OEC implemented a 4.5% rate decrease for residential members.
- Ouachita Energy Cooperative, Arkansas: OEC invested almost $3 million in upgrades to local member homes in the first year, including both renters and homeowners. With weatherization and HVAC, they’ve seen an 18% reduction in demand across all the participating members (with some as high as 30-40%). Four years after beginning the HELP PAYS program, and investing in solar at a commercial customer site, OEC implemented a 4.5% rate decrease for residential members.
What is Carbon Capture and Storage? A False Solution.
"In Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), carbon dioxide (CO2) is collected from industrial smokestacks, compressed into a liquid and transported by pipeline to a site where it can be pumped underground for storage in saline aquifers, oil or gas reservoirs, or beneath the ocean. This is a dangerous practice. There is no guarantee the CO2 will stay underground. Imagine, for example, an earthquake under a CCS storage site that causes a release of large amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere. "
Learn more in the Climate Justice Alliance's Report Geoengineering 101: Carbon Capture and Storage