IRP - Strategically planning for use and development of energy resources

Reducing our environmental impact while maintaining safe, reliable, and affordable service.

NW Natural is strategically planning to use and develop the resources that will allow us to keep our customers' energy needs now and into the future while fulfilling our commitment in helping the region reduce its impact on the climate and being an integral part of a thriving economy.

Integrated Resource Plan

Resource planning process

At NW Natural, we have a responsibility to meet our customers' current and future energy needs, reliably and affordably. Every few years, Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) develops a plan that best meets our customers' forecasted long-term energy requirements with the goal of minimizing the combination of costs and risks for NW Natural customers. This robust planning process evaluates many factors including but not limited to the following:

Environmental policy
Customer growth
Consumption trends
Demand-side resources such as energy efficiency and demand response
Supply-side resources such as renewable natural gas, storage options

Our IRP is developed through a process open to the public and informed by feedback and a formal review by a diverse set of interested parties, including:

The Oregon and Washington utility commission staffs
Ratepayer, environmental and industry advocates
Energy Trust of Oregon
Other utilities
Other interested participants

2025 IRP working groups & public meetings

All meetings listed below are open to the public. Please note listed dates and times are tentative and subject to change.

Technical Working Group (TWG) and Public Engagement Webinar (PEW) times listed as 'TBD' will be updated
once timing is confirmed.

Meeting type	Title	Date/Time/Location
TWG#1 (previously TWG-1; part 1)	Planning Environment Presentation (.pdf) Meeting video	Oct. 22, 2024; 1-4p.m. Virtual
TWG#2 (previously TWG-1; part 2)	Planning Envt. follow-up; Scenarios Presentation (.pdf) Meeting video	Nov 1, 2024; 9a.m. - noon Virtual
Energy Fair #1	Winter Preparedness: Exploring Energy Planning	Nov. 16, 2024; 11a.m. - 2p.m. Parkrose High School
TWG#3	Scenarios and Climate Presentation (.pdf)	Nov. 21, 2024; 9a.m. - noon Microsoft Teams meeting link
TWG#4	Load Forecast	December 12; 9a.m.-noon Virtual
TWG#5	Avoided Costs & Demand Side	Dec. 17, 2024; 1-4p.m. Virtual
TWG#6	Energy Trust Energy Efficiency Forecast and Supply-Side & Compliance Resources	Jan. 21, 2025; 1-4p.m. Virtual
TWG#7	Supply-Side & Compliance Resources	Jan. 28, 2025; 1-4p.m. Virtual
PEW #1	High level overview of previously presented IRP topics	Feb. 4, 2025; Time TBD Virtual
TWG#8	Distribution System Planning	April 1, 2025; 1-4p.m. Virtual
TWG#9	Distribution System Planning	April 8, 2025; 1-4p.m. Virtual
TWG#10	Resource Optimization Planning Model	April 29, 2025; 1-4p.m. Virtual
TWG#11	Resource Optimization Planning Model, Portfolio Results and Action Plan	May 6, 2025; 1-4p.m. Virtual
Energy Fair #2	Energy Planning and Proposed Action Plan	May 10, 2025; Time TBD Virtual
PEW #2	Action Plan Review	May 12, 2025; Time TBD Virtual

Previous workshops	Date/Time/Location
IRP Open House Meeting video Presentation (.pdf) System Model Diagram (.pdf)	October 10, 2024 In-person and Microsoft Teams
Informal Stakeholder Workshop #1 Topic: WUTC Staff Recommendations on the 2022 IRP Presentation (.pdf) Meeting video	April 18, 2024; 1-3p.m. Hosted on Microsoft Teams
Informal Stakeholder Workshop #2 Topic: WUTC Staff Recommendations on the 2022 IRP Presentation (.pdf) Meeting video	April 25, 2024; 2-4p.m. Hosted on Microsoft Teams

2022 IRP working groups & public meetings

All meetings listed below are tentative and subject to change.

Upcoming workshop	Date/Time
Transportation Customer Energy Efficiency Presentation (.pdf) Meeting video	Aug. 28, 2023; 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Previous workshops	Date/Time
Meeting for the public Presentation (.pdf)	Jul. 18, 2022
Workpapers Workshop	Oct. 27, 2022; 1-4 p.m.
2022 IRP Office Hours	Nov. 10, 2022; 10-11:30 a.m.
Transportation Customer Energy Efficiency Presentation (.pdf) Meeting video	Jul. 10, 2023

2022 IRP Technical Working Groups (TWG)	Date
Supplemental TWG - Load Considerations	Sept. 29, 2021
Supplemental TWG - Emissions Considerations	Dec. 9, 2021
TWG 1 - Planning Environment and Environmental Policy Presentation - TWG 1 (.pdf) Erratum Notice (.pdf)	Jan. 14, 2022
TWG 2 - Load Forecasting Presentation - TWG 2 (.pdf) Erratum Notice (.pdf)	Feb. 11, 2022
TWG 3 - Supply Side Resources Presentation - TWG 3 (.pdf) Erratum Notice (.pdf) TWG 3 meeting video; 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. TWG 3 meeting video; 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.	Mar. 28, 2022
TWG 4 - Avoided Costs and Demand-Side Resources Presentation - TWG 4 (.pdf) TWG 4 meeting video; 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. TWG 4 meeting video; 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.	Apr. 13, 2022
TWG 5 - Distribution System Planning Presentation - TWG 5 (.pdf) Erratum Notice (.pdf) TWG 5 meeting video; 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. TWG 5 meeting video; 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.	Apr. 25, 2022
TWG 6 - RNG Evaluation Methodology and Incremental Cost Calculation; Review of System Resource Planning Model Presentation - TWG 6 (.pdf) TWG 6 meeting video; 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. TWG 6 meeting video; 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.	Jun. 1, 2022
TWG 7 - Portfolio Results & Actions Presentation - TWG 7 (.pdf) Erratum Notice (.pdf) TWG 7 meeting video; 9a.m. to 12p.m.	Sept. 8, 2022

2018 IRP Update Technical Working Groups (TWG)	Date
TWG 1 - 2018 IRP Update	Feb. 2, 2021
Supplemental TWG - Planning Standard	Jun. 3, 2021

Current and previous IRPs

Stakeholder feedback

NW Natural requests stakeholders provide feedback within two weeks after the conclusion of each Technical Working Group meeting and/or stakeholder workshop. Comments can be input using the form accessed through the link below.

2025 IRP Stakeholder Feedback Form*
*Please be aware this link will direct you to a different web site and should open in a new tab.

Contact us

Please feel free to get in touch with us with questions about the IRP, to be added to our stakeholder distribution list, or other topics related to the IRP and its development.

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