Opportunities for Integrating Electric and Gas Planning

January 2, 2025

Growing demand for electricity in buildings is creating new opportunities and challenges for electric and natural gas planning. To date, electric and gas planning processes have largely been siloed, and only a few jurisdictions have started to examine how these two processes could be linked together.

There are many potential benefits of integrating these processes, however, integrating electric and gas planning will require a range of reforms. To address this need, the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP) and Berkeley provide practical guidance for states interested in advancing integrated electric and gas planning in their new report, Opportunities for Integrating Electric and Gas Planning.

Join RAP and Berkeley Lab experts to learn more about the opportunities to integrate electric and gas distribution system planning on January 15, 2025, [11am PT/2 pm ET].

Presenters include:

  • Natalie Mims Frick, Berkeley Lab
  • Mark LeBel and Ronny Sandoval, RAP

Register for the webinar at https://lbnl.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_yArM-1uzT_6h67QW0yuLVQ.

The report begins by exploring the current state of electric and gas planning and the benefits of integrating electric and gas distribution system planning including fewer redundant investments, more affordable bills, decreased reliability risks, and more efficient administrative processes. Using four challenges, researchers frame the characteristics of an integrated electric and gas distribution planning and identify indicators of progress towards the characteristics (Table 1).

Table 1. Characteristics of Integrated Electric and Gas Planning and Indicators of Progress

Table 1

For each characteristic and indicator, there are different options for implementation depending on the context and needs of a specific jurisdiction. Researchers will provide an overview of findings from the report and will be available for Q&A following the presentations.

The authors of this report are Mark LeBel, Ronny Sandoval, Natalie Mims Frick and Jeff Deason. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Policy supported this work.