The Northern Illinois Alliance to Support Least-cost Utility Planning

Abstract

The Northern Illinois Alliance to Support Least-cost Utility Planning (which came to be known as The Alliance'') was a pilot project devised for the purpose of determining the extent which an independent organization functioning outside the normal regulatory process could affect the emerging least-cost utility planning (LCUP) process in the State of Illinois. As with any social science experiment, much was learned; even aspects of the experiment that were not successful are of value. The emphasis in this report is on achievements and accomplishments of the Alliance, while acknowledging those tasks which were not completed and identifying barriers to LCUP in northern Illinois. The Alliance addressed two primary barriers to LCUP in northern Illinois --- the lack of a cooperative planning forum and a common set of informational resources --- by pursuing three goals: (1) assess the appropriateness to Northern Illinois of the energy technologies that are expected to be in the marketplace in the next two decades; (2) develop a process, including a forum for open discussion, to use the information presented during these discussions (and all other related information) in seeking consensus on the direction and contents of LCUP in the region; and (3) advance that process throughmore » technology transfer programs and disseminate information gained from the Alliance experience. A catalyst for the formation of the Alliance was the availability of grant funds from the US Department of Energy (DOE). The proposal submitted to and subsequently funded by DOE's Office of Buildings and Community Systems (OBCS) included an array of activities, research tasks, and organizational objectives to be undertaken by the Alliance.« less