|
Climate change, renewable energy technology improvement, and the emergence of smart grid technologies are motivating policies
that will dramatically change how future energy and natural resource needs are met in the West. Aspen recognizes that advances
in science, technology and policy have elevated the importance of integrated evaluations of environmental, engineering, and
economic trade-offs and synergies. In response, Aspen has supplemented its core environmental science and engineering expertise
with complementary economic and engineering expertise. Aspen's Integrated Planning and Analysis Division was formed in 2006 to
provide policy makers with these critical capabilities needed to address the West's emerging policy challenges. Aspen's core clients
are public sector clients and thus, like Aspen's core Environmental Services business, Aspen's Planning and Analysis staff are free
from private developer conflicts of interest and thus are able to focus on issues from a public interest perspective.
The Integrated Analysis and Planning Division brings
economic and engineering expertise in the areas of electric system
resource planning and policy assessment, electric transmission planning
and policy assessment, demand forecasting and energy efficiency
program evaluation, water resource planning, hydropower relicensing
evaluation, natural gas resource planning and policy assessment
and global climate change and air quality management policy assessment.
In addition, the staff has experience testifying and providing regulatory
support services in electric, gas, water, air quality, and greenhouse
gas (GHG) assessment natural resource segments. Please see our Power
Generation and Energy Infrastructure services and experience for
additional, related information.
Services and Capabilities
- Electricity and Natural Gas
- Long term energy resource scenario planning
- Electric utility resource planning and rate making analysis and testimony
- Energy efficiency and electricity demand forecasting methodologies and results analysis and testimony
- Electricity system transmission expansion plans evaluation and testimony
- Cost and performance analysis for competing electric resource generation technologies
- Electric generation divestiture
- Effects of plant closure and decommissioning
- Cost allocation and rate design issues in utility proceedings
- Comprehensive natural gas supply, demand, infrastructure, and price assessments
- Climate Change
- GHG scenario analysis
- GHG implications of competing energy resource portfolios
- Impacts of alternative GHG regulation approaches on the electricity and refrigerant sectors,
- Long term GHG mitigation plans, including for local governments
- Water and Air Resources
- Models and forecasts
- Policy analysis using economic analytical tools, including assessing regional economic impacts
- Economic costs and benefits from acquiring new water resources, including desalination
- Costs and benefits of relicensing hydroelectric facilities
Selected Project Experience
|
