MARQUETTE — Upper Peninsula Power Company (UPPCO) announced the Michigan Public Service Commission approved the settlement that was reached in its Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) case. The approved settlement sets the stage for more clean, reliable and affordable energy to be delivered to all UPPCO customers, according to UPPCO.

“We’re encouraged by the fact the parties in the case were able to reach settlement, including the Commission Staff, the Department of the Attorney General and Citizens Against Rate Excess (CARE),” said Jim Larsen, UPPCO’s chief executive officer. “The approved plan reflects our commitment to add significantly more renewable energy to our generation portfolio. Under the approved plan, our portfolio will be expanded to include more than 50% renewable energy by 2025.”

“Our IRP establishes the company’s long-term plan for meeting the future energy needs of our customers,” said Brett French, vice president of business development and communications. “Renewable energy has become a viable, cost-competitive resource, as evidenced by UPPCO’s competitive bidding process. Under the settlement that was approved by the Michigan Public Service Commission, our customers will benefit from considerable cost savings in the future and increased reliability. The approved plan capitalizes on technological advancements, reductions in construction costs, and appreciable cost savings produced by new generation facilities. These attributes square nicely with the feedback we received from our customers – they want clean, renewable energy and price stability.”

The IRP also expands upon UPPCO’s Energy Waste Reduction program to save customers even more on their energy bills.