SDG&E Seeks Projects for Community Renewables Program

Via my colleague Xiaowan Mao:

On August 31, 2016, SDG&E will issue one ECR Request for Offers (“RFO”), seeking contracts with facilities that produce Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS)-eligible energy for the purpose of implementing its ECR program. In this solicitation, SDG&E is seeking PPAs for the ECR program only. This solicitation is not requesting bids for feed-in-tariff projects (e.g. Re-MAT, Bio-MAT), GT projects, BioRAM or other RPS procurement activities that currently exist or are being contemplated.

Approved on September 28, 2013, Senate Bill (SB) 43[1] created the Green Tariff Shared Renewables (“GTSR”) program, which consists of a Green Tariff (“GT”) option and an Enhanced Community Renewables (“ECR”) component.[2]  San Diego Gas & Electric Company (“SDG&E”) plays an active role in implementing the GTSR program to: (1) make clean, renewable energy available to bundled utility customers, whether or not they own a home and/or can afford a significant capital investment; (2) increase the overall volume of renewable energy in the area of San Diego and (3) increase options for institutional, commercial and residential customers to meet their renewable energy goals. [3]

Overall, SDG&E’s GTSR program is designed to ensure sufficient eligible capacity is available to meet customer demand of up to 59 MW, with 10 MW of the total program capacity being set aside for projects located in designated Environmental Justice areas. SDG&E will hold one ECR auction in 2016 and two ECR auctions per year in 2017 and 2018, or until all available GT and ECR capacity is reserved subject to customer participation in these programs.[4]

Below find basic information regarding the forthcoming SDG&E RFO:

• Capacity of Target Projects: minimum 20 MW of new, bundled renewable-energy capacity.
• Location of Target Projects: within SDG&E’s service territory or the Imperial Valley through the Renewable Auction Mechanism process.
• Length of Power-Purchase Agreement: 10, 15 or 20 years.
• Time Frame of the Bidding Process:
  • Bidder’s conference via web: September 7, 2016, from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM, PST.
    • Email ECRRAMSolicitation@semprautilities.com by September 2, 2016 to RSVP.
  • Bids due date: September 30, 2016, 12:00 p.m., PST.
• Platform for Submitting Offers: PowerAdvocate®

For more information including required documents, updates and notices, please visit: http://www.sdge.com/procurement/2016-ecr-renewable-auction-mechanism.

[1] See http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140SB43

[2] See http://www.sdge.com/environment/share-sun-for-developers. For more information re SDG&E’s enhanced community renewables program, please see https://www.sdge.com/sites/default/files/documents/433950313/SDG&E%20CSIAL%20MIAL%20Webinar%20Presentation%20Final.pdf’

[3] See http://www.sdge.com/procurement/2016-ecr-renewable-auction-mechanism.

[4] See Id.