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Integrated Resource Plan

The RRC develops Integrated Resource Plans for the entire Railbelt grid. These plans detail what energy generation, storage, system control, and transmission assets should be developed over the coming years. 

On July 7, 2025, the RRC Board approved Resolution 20250707-05 authorizing the CEO to initiate the IRP Development process.

The IRP is governed by Alaska Statute AS 42.05.780 and Alaska Administrative Code 3 AAC 46 Article 2. The RRC Board adopted Board Procedure BPR603 during the September 29, 2025 Board meeting, the procedure defines the IRP process.

RRC Announces First IRP

The RRC has issued a press release announcing the first Integrated Resource Plan. Access the press release here. Working groups for the development of the IRP Objectives and IRP Definitions, as required by Board Procedure BPR603, will be noticed soon.

IRP Developments

2026 IRP (2)
  1. Upcoming

  2. Upcoming

IRP References

This section includes references developed or identified by the RRC as being needed for an IRP.

 Value of Lost Load

The Value of Lost Load (VoLL) is a metric used to estimate the value of reliability. The Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP) was hired by the RRC to produce a report of how the VoLL may be determined for the Railbelt. This report is available from ACEP or at the link below.

ACEP Value of Lost Load (Phase 1)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an IRP?

The RRC's integrated resource plan is a planning study which produces portfolios of generation, transmission, energy storage, and system control assets for various possible future scenarios. The IRP takes a twenty year forecast of various factors like demand growth, fuel prices, and available technologies and performs an economic and technical evaluation to determine the greatest value mix of resources to meet the future system conditions. The outcome of the IRP is a preferred portfolio of assets accompanied by an action plan to implement those assets.

What is the value of the RRC’s IRP?

Historically, utilities on the Railbelt have each made long-term plans for how generating resources will supply their individual members and customers. This approach failed to properly value regional approaches that integrated both transmission and generation planning. By moving to a single regional Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), redundant parallel work will be reduced, and the value of a regional approach will result in a more efficient system.

When was the last IRP developed and how often is it updated?

The RRC has not yet produced its first Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). Development of the IRP is documented at https://akrrc.org/irp. The IRP will be performed every four years and will be updated every two years.

Who submits the IRP?

The RRC develops and submits the IRP to the Regulatory Commission of Alaska for regulatory approval. Development of the IRP is performed in compliance with Alaska Administrative Code and RRC Board Procedure BPR603.

How can a member of the public participate in the IRP?

The RRC uses a working group process to develop an IRP. This process includes public meetings which are recorded and posted to the RRC’s public website. Members of the public are able to request to join working group meetings and provide comments. Additionally, the public can request to be an Approved Participant in the IRP development, which is a higher level of involvement in the working group. Additional information related to product development can be found in RRC Rule ER1 and RRC Board Procedures BPR602 and BPR603.