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Research Highlights
LG&E-KU’s 2024 Integrated Resource Plan: An Assessment
March 2025
On behalf of the Mountain Association (MA), Kentuckians for the Commonwealth (KFTC), Kentucky Solar Energy Society (KYSES), and Metropolitan Housing Coalition (MHC) (collectively, the “Joint Intervenors”), Senior Researcher Joshua R. Castigliego and Principal Economist Elizabeth A. Stanton, PhD prepared a white paper that sets out best practices for IRP modeling and reporting, and assesses the Louisville Gas and Electric Company (LG&E) and Kentucky Utilities Company (KU) (collectively, LG&E-KU) 2024 IRP filed on October 18, 2024 in Case No. 2024-00326 based on those criteria.
AEC’s best practices are organized into five categories: (A) Demand-Side Analysis; (B) Supply-Side Analysis; (C) Modeling Structure; (D) Selection of Recommended Plan; and (E) Stakeholder Input. Through its best-practices assessment, AEC finds that LG&E-KU’s 2024 IRP is missing critical components and includes errors in forecasting key assumptions, resulting in an overall flawed least-cost resource plan selection. LG&E-KU’s failure to follow IRP best practices results in resource decisions that are not properly informed (or justified) by comprehensive IRP modeling, leading to possible adverse effects on ratepayers. In particular, the flawed IRP findings may result in support for uneconomic resource additions in near-term CPCN applications.
Testimony on East Kentucky Power Cooperative Certificates of Public Convenience and Need
February 2025
Principal Economist Elizabeth A. Stanton, PhD, submitted direct testimony before the Kentucky Public Service Commission (“the Commission”) in response to the 2024 request for approval of Certificates of Public Convenience and Need (“CPCN”) filed by East Kentucky Power Cooperative, Inc. (“EKPC”). In her testimony, Dr. Stanton assesses EKPC’s: annual and peak customer demand forecasts, with a focus on its Winter Peak; alternative supply resource options; modeling and resource selection methods; and rate impacts. Dr. Stanton’s review finds that EKPC has not adequately supported its winter peak demand forecast, failed to provide the modeling and analytical support needed to justify the CCGT, and failed to demonstrate that the CCGT is superior to other available alternatives such as battery storage, demand response, or peaking resources.
A Community Assessment of Health Impacts from the Pittsfield Generating Facility on Local Communities
February 2025
On behalf of the Massachusetts Clean Peak Coalition Researcher Jordan Burt, Assistant Researcher Elisabeth Seliga, Researcher Tanya Stasio, PhD, Research Assistant Lila McNamee, and Principal Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, prepared a report that summarizes the negative health impacts of fossil fuel-fired emissions on communities living near the Pittsfield Generating Facility. The report identifies three key takeaways:
1. As long as the Pittsfield Generating Facility is in operation, it has the potential to produce much higher greenhouse gas emissions and co-pollutants in any given year.
2. EJ and other vulnerable communities live in close proximity to the Pittsfield Generating Facility, increasing vulnerability to adverse health outcomes.
3. Replacing the fossil fuel-fired plant with clean energy resources can reduce emissions in the area.
AEC Areas of Expertise
All-sector energy planning
Benefit-cost analysis
Capacity expansion modeling
Dispatch modeling
Economic impact analysis (including REMI and IMPLAN)
Economics of energy resources
Electricity system planning (including integrated resource plans)
Emissions accounting
Energy and capacity markets
Energy efficiency planning
Energy policy analysis
Energy-water nexus
Environmental regulations
Equity and consumer impact analysis
Pipeline economic analysis
Renewable energy
Utility cost of capital
Utility finance analysis
Valuation of externalities
AEC Services
Analysis
We provide in-depth analysis of the economics, environmental, and equity impacts of all types of energy resources and policies. Read more →
Modeling
Clinic staff regularly analyze a number of third-party power sector model inputs and outputs used to conduct resource planning analyses, forecast electricity market prices, predict emissions output, and evaluate the need for future electric and natural gas capacity. . Read more →
Testimony
We provide expert testimony in state and federal regulatory proceedings on a variety of issues. Read more →
Public Reports
We provide public-facing reports for our clients, including economic assessments of existing energy resources and economic and emission impacts of environmental regulations. Read more →
Contact | Address: Applied Economics Clinic, 6 Liberty Sq., PMB 98162, Boston, MA, 02109 | Email: info@aeclinic.org