IRP software simplified: How the PLEXOS® Playbook supports integrated resource planning

If you’re looking for a better way to run your Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), you’re not alone. Utilities across the U.S. are rethinking their IRP processes, searching for solutions that are faster, easier, and more transparent. Traditional IRP modeling workflows are slow, expensive, and heavily manual.

That’s why many teams are adopting flexible, Excel-based IRP workflow like the PLEXOS® Playbook for IRP, a cloud-native solution that simplifies modeling, reduces costs, and supports consistent, rigorous analysis.

This post explores how the customizable PLEXOS® Playbook for IRP helps utilities streamline planning, reduce reliance on outside resources, and deliver regulator-ready outputs, all within Excel.

You’ll learn:

• Top challenges slowing down IRP modeling and planning

• A simpler, faster way to manage IRP modeling and results

• How it works: A streamlined IRP workflow from input to submission
• What utilities report after adopting PLEXOS® Playbook for IRP

• Frequently asked questions about IRP software and modeling

Top challenges slowing down IRP modeling and planning

For many utilities, the biggest barrier to effective IRP modeling isn’t uncertainty; it’s the process itself. Today’s IRPs require complex inputs, frequent updates, and transparent comparisons across multiple portfolios. Yet most planning teams still rely on fragmented spreadsheets, technical software, and manual workflows.

Updating scenarios is time-consuming and typically requires technical expertise that’s expensive and in short supply. Even small changes can mean hours of data wrangling, revalidation, and formatting.

But the real bottleneck comes after the model runs. Most teams spend more time formatting outputs and building regulatory tables than modeling itself. This slows down reviews, delays stakeholder feedback, and makes it harder to adapt when assumptions change.

A simpler, faster way to manage IRP modeling and results

PLEXOS® Playbook for IRP was designed to remove these bottlenecks. It combines Excel-based inputs with cloud-powered simulations to give teams a fast, scalable IRP workflow.

Each PLEXOS® Playbook for IRP comes pre-loaded with a calibrated dataset for your market, providing a structured foundation for IRP modeling. During implementation, 40 hours of support are used to integrate your utility’s assets, contracts, forecasts, and policy targets, giving you a portfolio-aligned starting point. From there, your team updates forecasts, policy assumptions, and scenario definitions directly in Excel to complete and customize the IRP model.

What makes this playbook different is how it handles results. It automatically generates submission-ready dashboards and tables in Excel as soon as simulations finish. Teams can immediately evaluate scenarios, verify compliance, and drop visuals directly into stakeholder decks or IRP filings, no manual post-processing required.

How it works: A streamlined IRP workflow from input to submission

PLEXOS® Playbook for IRP simplifies the entire IRP process with a repeatable, cloud-connected workflow:

1. Start with a calibrated IRP model

Receive a ready-to-use base case tailored to your region, with support to align it to your utility’s specific assumptions.

2. Update inputs in Excel

Need to model a new clean energy procurement? Add a gas retirement scenario? Shift RPS requirements? No scripting needed. Just open the Excel input sheet to:

• Add or retire resources
• Modify policy or fuel assumptions
• Update demand forecasts and contracts

3. Run scenarios in PLEXOS® Cloud

Launch multiple cases directly from Excel. Run policy, market, and load cases side by side, without tying up local machines.

4. Review results instantly in automated dashboards

Dashboards auto-populate to visualize outputs for:

• Generation mix, renewable targets, resource adequacy, and cost
• Data submittal tables
• Monthly/annual financials for budget alignment

All outputs are exportable, customizable, and ready to share, reducing time spent on manual data processing.

What utilities report after adopting PLEXOS® Playbook for IRP

Teams using the PLEXOS® Playbook for IRP report improvements in speed, clarity, and flexibility:

• Time savings on scenario modeling and reporting
• Filing-ready outputs in hours, not weeks
• Faster response cycles to regulators, boards, or stakeholders
• Less reliance on external consultants for basic modeling tasks
• Better QA and auditability with standardized, version-controlled inputs

Instead of spending weeks formatting results, teams can focus on making decisions and refining their plans with confidence.

Aligning IRP modeling with the future of the grid

As clean energy goals and load uncertainty reshape utility planning, IRPs must evolve from time-consuming, static filings into strategic processes that deliver faster, more reliable results. PLEXOS® Playbook for IRP enables teams to plan with greater speed and flexibility, supporting smarter, more responsive decisions in a rapidly changing grid environment.

Ready to simplify your next IRP?

If your team is looking for a faster, more transparent, and scalable way to manage Integrated Resource Planning, the PLEXOS® Playbook for IRP is built for you.