Solari Energy Client: Green Mountain Power


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Green Mountain Power (GMP), Vermont’s largest electric utility, contracted with Solari to play an integral role in the creation of several IRPs, especially the 2018 IRP because of the utility's large influx in distributed renewable generation penetration.

To date, we have worked on several projects for the utility:

2018 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP)
Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) for Electricity: 2011
Solar Project: System Impact Study
Integrated Resource Plan (IRP): 2007

2018 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP)

Green Mountain Power’s 2018 Integrated Resource Plan had to comply with renewable generation goals established by the passage of Act 56, which established the state’s first Renewable Energy Standard (RES), and by the publication of the Vermont Department of Public Service’s 2016 Comprehensive Energy Plan.

Solari Principal, Rich Maggiani, applied his extensive experience with the increasing penetration of renewable resources onto a power grid in the creation of GMP’s 2018 IRP.

The 2018 IRP discussed several emerging topics, including how they plan to modernize their transmission and distribution grid through asset upgrades and replacements; meet 95 percent of 1990 Greenhouse Gas emissions by 2050; meet the RES requirement of 75 percent of retail sales from renewable energy generation, including distributed energy resources (DERs), by 2032; reduce per capita energy consumption by 15 percent by 2025, and by more than a third by 2050; and attain a 90 percent renewable generation portfolio by 2050. The IRP also presented their programs for using customer-sited energy storage batteries and appliances (offered through utility incentives) to shave evening peak, and unveiled their comprehensive, interactive DER map.

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2011 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) for Electricity

This 2011 resource plan continued the foundation set during the 2007 IRP process: scenario planning, a robust generation mix incorporating greater amounts of renewable generation, and a report that addressed the needs of a growing audience.

The 2011 IRP began to incorporate new power supply acquisitions that substantially altered the utility's resource mix—a change that represented almost 40% of the utility's generation. Planning for the next five years was complicated by the impending expiration of two PPA that together comprised 79% of baseload generation. Our short-term planning revolved around three possible future scenarios: Muddling Along, Economies of Efficiency, and Gas is Greener. The IRP laid out a plan for diversifying the generation mix, including the addition of more variable renewables (mostly small solar installations) to reduce the percent of fueled generation.

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Solar System Impact Study

This System Impact Study describes the review process that Green Mountain Power conducted to ensure that the installation of a 2 MW solar generator met the thirteen Fast Track operational requirements imposed by the Vermont Public Service Board.

The study cites the additional analyses and upgrades still to be performed, as well as the recommended upgrades and settings to be implemented for the solar generator to meet these operational requirements. Also discussed is the necessity to first install the generator on a Central Vermont Public Service circuit, and then move it to a GMP circuit.

We designed and edited this System Impact Study that described the solar installation, its interconnection options, and their impact on the circuits.

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2007 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP)

The 2007 IRP planning began the gradual increase of renewable resources into the GMP generation mix to fill an emerging gap between load and supply. A main purpose of this IRP was to work closely with state government, the Vermont Legislature, and energy agencies (Vermont Public Service Board and the Department of Public Service) to engage the public in a dialogue about the increasing amounts of solar photovoltaics and wind.

For the first time, the IRP process included scenario planning. We developed the resource plan based on four potential future scenarios: Green Focus, Green Growth, Fortress America, and Back to Business. Some of the factors comprised in these scenarios could be directly influenced by the utility, so planning placed a greater emphasis on community involvement. Integral to the resource planning was an assessment of six portfolio strategies with three variations each applied to each scenario to best develop a recommended strategy and generation portfolio.

We worked closely with GMP energy planners and analysts from Daymark Energy Advisors. The final 2007 IRP raised the bar for the design and writing of their reports.

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