Unified approach to mid-term resource planning

The Associated Electric Cooperative Incorporated (AECI), a wholesale power supplier headquartered in Springfield, Missouri, has operated without a rate increase since 1985. Part of this success is due to a sound planning approach, which calls for a tight interaction between planners, operators, and financial personnel, and makes extensive future planning scenarios. The authors review the generation planning process, describe the computer tools that were developed to meet planning needs, and present several case studies to illustrate how the tools are used to guide important planning decisions.<>