Tacoma Power engaged PRR to facilitate their 2020 Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) workgroup. The purpose of the IRP was to develop a roadmap for how the utility will meet customers’ needs over the next 20 years. PRR worked with Tacoma Power’s Resource Planning staff to identify and recruit workgroup members, and plan and facilitate four workshops. The four workshops served to educate workgroup members about Tacoma Power’s IRP process and give community members and customer representatives an opportunity to provide feedback to the IRP process.
Initially, Tacoma Power had planned to host half-day workshops at their offices, but the project team pivoted to virtual meetings as the gravity of the COVID-19 pandemic became clearer. PRR made it easy for Tacoma Power to pivot to virtual meetings by providing a secure meeting platform, working with the Tacoma Power presenters to create presentations that were engaging and effective in a virtual format, making sure that all team members and workshop participants were comfortable with the meeting tools and ensuring that the workshop participants stayed engaged through creative opportunities for feedback and conversation.
Overall, 22 individuals representing 20 organizations and ratepayers participated in the four workshops. One longtime team member remarked that this was the most diverse group she had worked with for an IRP process. Workgroup members included representatives from local environmental groups, community service organizations, power industry groups, residential customers, large businesses, representatives of small cities who receive power from Tacoma Power, the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, the Port of Tacoma, and faculty from local universities. At the end of the IRP process, many workgroup members expressed their appreciation for being included. They said that they found it informative, helpful, and engaging overall.
Refining creative to effectively reach the audience.
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