IUB requests information from rate-regulated electric utilities on 2024 summer preparedness, grid resilience plans

The Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) issued an order today requesting information on Iowa rate-regulated electric utilities' plans for addressing grid resiliency challenges and potential load shedding on peak usage days for the upcoming summer season.

Ensuring the resiliency of the electric grid is an emerging challenge for the electric industry and governmental entities. The electric grid is highly interconnected with other critical infrastructure systems, and the failure of the electric grid during a catastrophic event can lead to other cascading and escalating failures.

The IUB is required under Iowa Code to ensure public utilities provide customers with reasonably adequate service. The IUB has been gathering summer and winter preparedness information from public electric utilities since 2022 to address potential shortfalls in capacity during peak usage days. While addressing capacity shortfalls continues to be an important topic, the IUB also considers it important to understand how Iowa electric utilities are working to ensure their systems are resilient to catastrophic failures.

Today's order opens Docket No. INU-2024-0001 to further the IUB's dialogue, and to address a set of questions, attached to the order, for utilities to answer by May 22, 2024, regarding Iowa electric utilities' seasonal preparedness and grid resiliency efforts.

The order also sets a summer preparedness meeting for 9 a.m. May 29, 2024, to allow the utilities to share their plans for load shedding on peak summer days and answer further questions from the IUB. Only Iowa rate-regulated utilities are required to answer the IUB's questions. However, any interested party, including other Iowa electric utilities, is welcome to file responses in the docket and participate in the May 29 meeting.

Persons with disabilities who will require assistive services or devices to observe or participate in the May 29 meeting should contact the IUB at (515) 725-7300 at least five business days in advance to request arrangements.