RFP Alert: 11.5 GW of renewables mandated by CPUC

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Three community choice aggregators (CCA) Central Coast Community Energy, Silicon Valley Clean Energy, and Sonoma Clean Power jointly issued a request for proposals (RFP) as part of a state mandate for 11,500 MW of decarbonized energy and long-duration energy storage.

The request comes as part of the pursuit to meet the state’s new Mid-Term Reliability procurement mandate, as well as part of an effort to reach each of the CCA’s renewable portfolio standards, emission reduction standards, and reliability requirements. Proposals are due by 5:00PM PST on the last day of 2022.

“With the rapid growth of CCAs in California, the work of fulfilling the state’s climate goals is largely falling on public power providers like Sonoma Clean Power,” said Geof Syphers, CEO of Sonoma Clean Power. “This joint solicitation will help us maintain reliability while the state phases out reliance on nuclear and natural gas power.”

California’s historic procurement mandate set forward by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) order D.21-06-035 was made to respond to extreme weather events and replace power from the Diablo Canyon nuclear facility, planned for decommissioning in 2025.

In accordance, the CPUC issued all load serving entities in the state, including CCAs, to procure 11,500 MW of renewable energy and bring it online by 2026. The issue calls for the three CCAs to procure more than 600 MW of additional net qualifying capacity (NQC) to come online before June 1, 2026. NQC means a power plant must meet the reliability needs of the grid, especially during peak demand hours.

The proposal calls for renewable energy generation sources like solar and wind, and long-duration energy storage with the capability to discharge over at least an eight-hour period.

Currently, the three CCAs represent nearly 900,000 customer accounts and serve more than 11,000 GWh of load. The organizations are locally governed public agencies formed under Joint Power Authorities, aimed at providing clean energy and reducing emissions in their respective regions.

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