Visualizing the Promise and Difficulty of Demand Shifting During a Clean-Energy Transition

In the state of Colorado, USA, recent resource planning will result in a rapid transition from a primarily coal-based grid to a renewable grid within a 5-year span of time. Other aspects of the regulated-utility dynamic fail to anticipate these changes. This paper will visually show the transition in terms of the fraction of renewables available each hour during each season. This is relevant at this time because a rate case is ongoing for the implementation of a time-of-use residential rate set in action based on decisions made in 2017 preceding the decisions to install large amounts of PV and wind while retiring coal. The regulatory decision process is challenged to keep pace with the rapid change in generation resources.