3360 Energy Resource Conservation/Dvlmt Comm
Program Descriptions

10 - REGULATORY and PLANNING PROGRAM

The Regulatory and Planning program facilitates markets in providing adequate statewide energy supplies. The program develops long-range projections for future energy supplies and demand, and maintains current information on statewide electricity generation, transmission, natural gas, and fuels markets. Additionally, this program certifies power plant sites and designates transmission line corridors, and monitors new energy facilities and fuel infrastructure for compliance and supply and distribution adequacy consistent with state energy policies. The Electricity Supply Analysis program develops long-range projections for future energy supplies and demand, and maintains current information on statewide electrical generation, consumption and peak demand, natural gas, and distributed generation. The program develops state energy policy based on the economic, financial, security, safety, and environmental implications of supply, demand, and price/cost assessments, and monitors energy markets to ensure competitive prices and prevent potential market abuses.

10.10 - Power Plant Site Certification and Transmission Line Corridor Designation Program

The Power Plant Site Certification and Transmission Line Corridor Designation program is responsible for the following: reviewing power plant siting applications 50 megawatts and larger; ensuring power plant developers comply with conditions of certification and all applicable laws and regulations when constructing and operating power plants; reviewing petitions to amend siting decisions; reviewing applications for designation as transmission line corridors; evaluating constraints and opportunities for energy resource development; and analyzing reliability, efficiency, and environmental performance issues related to power plants and the state electricity transmission grid.

10.20 - Electricity Analysis

The Electricity Analysis program is responsible for evaluating current and future electricity supply market trends and infrastructure needs; estimating costs of various generation types; assessing the adequacy of electricity supplies; and analyzing regulations and environmental issues related to electricity. Additionally, this program addresses the distribution system and its relationship to distributed generation, including planning and interconnection barriers and provides information and recommendations to state agencies, electricity market participants, and the public. The natural gas program component is responsible for evaluating current and future natural gas market trends and infrastructure needs, assessing the adequacy of natural gas supplies, analyzing regulations and environmental issues related to natural gas, and leading interagency work groups to monitor short-term natural gas market trends.