OAR 860-090-0050: Integrated Resource Plan Acknowledgment

(1) The Commission may provide the utility an opportunity to revise the IRP before making an acknowledgment decision. (2) The Commission may acknowledge the long - term resource strategy or individual action plan items in part or in full or may condition acknowledgment on the utility’s compliance with conditions imposed by the Commission. (3) Acknowledgment of a specific action plan item generally means that the action appears to align with customers’ interests, if implemented prudently, given what is known at the time of acknowledgment . The Commission's acknowledgment decision may be considered in future rate making decisions. (4) Acknowledgment of the long-term resource strategy generally means that the strategy represents a reasonable approach to meeting future customer needs and complying with Oregon and federal energy policies in a manner that best balances cost and risk, accounting for policy, technological, economic, and other uncertainties related to Oregon’s energy future, given what is known at the time of acknowledgment. Acknowledgment of the long-term resource strategy is not necessary for acknowledgment of individual action plan items. However, a non-acknowledged long - term resource strategy may indicate that the utility is not adequately planning for future risks to customers or that the utility’s plan is otherwise deficient. In this circumstance, the Commission may take actions including for example: (a) Directing the utility to take additional action to mitigate future risks; or (b) Considering the utility’s failure to act to mitigate risks in future rate making decisions. (5) Acknowledgment of an IRP does not indicate that the Commission approves all supporting analysis or findings in an IRP for use in future determinations. The Commission may identify potential changes or additions to elements of the utility’s IRP analysis to inform future Commission determinations. (6) The Commission may provide direction in the acknowledgment decision to the utility regarding information, analyses or actions to be addressed in the utility’s next IRP.