MicroFin is an Excel-based financial revenue requirements tool (download Excel v2.5 and User's Guide) that is used by the Council to calculate the levelized fixed cost (for planning and construction) and the full levelized cost of energy for generating resource reference plants. These metrics allow resources to be competed against each other and the tool can be used as an illustrative metric for comparison between generating resource alternatives.
MicroFin was redeveloped by staff in 2019 for use in the 2021 Power Plan. Staff presented a beta version of the tool to the Generating Resources Advisory Committee and select industry financial experts, seeking feedback and testing assistance.
The tool was updated for the Ninth Power Plan, but was not used as a direct input in the same way as the Council's new modeling suite calculates levelized costs internally.
Contact Annika Roberts, Resource Policy Analyst, with any questions.