Appalachian Power has issued a second Request for Proposals (RFP) for up to 200MW of PV energy that will both cut customer costs and further diversify the electric generation mix within Virginia.
After Appalachian Power’s original RFP issued in late 2018 did not lead to any viable projects, this RFP features a minimum bid size of 10MW, extends the operational date to December 2022 and will give developers the option of including a battery energy storage system with their proposal.
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Chris Beam, Appalachian Power president and chief operating officer, said: “By expanding the RFP we expect to receive additional submissions from developers. Having more proposals increases our ability to identify viable utility-scale solar projects that reduce customer costs and expands our renewables portfolio.”
If the RFP results in suitable projects, Appalachian Power will seek regulatory approval for them in Virginia and West Virginia.
Per the terms of the RFP, Appalachian Power may acquire a single or multiple solar facilities from winning bidders who meet certain economic and operational criteria. Qualifying projects must be operational by Dec. 15, 2022, and qualify for the Federal Investment Tax Credit.
In order for these proposed projects to qualify for consideration, the developers’ installations must be located in Virginia, have a minimum project size of 10MW, and be interconnected to Appalachian Power’s Virginia distribution system or PJM, which is an independent regional transmission organization that manages the electric grid in 13 US states, including Virginia.
Proposals must be submitted by 12 March 2020.
Appalachian Power already boasts one million customers in Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee and is part of the larger American Electric Power (AEP) network. AEP features approximately 32,000MW of diverse generating capacity, including 4,300MW of renewable energy.
