The Kauai Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) issued a RFO on March 2 for the pursuit of a second solar PV project ranging in size from 8 to 10MW. The RFO was issued to landowners for sites to host the PV project and to PV project developers who have a project and site identified and can propose a turnkey construction solution to KIUC.
Combined with the Anahola Solar Project, the two projects will provide 10% of Kauai’s energy needs. KIUC advised that financing will be sought from the US Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utility Service, while construction financing will be pursued through the Cooperative Finance Corporation.
“The RFO is meant to be less formal than an RFP so that any interested parties that have control of a good solar site, including land owners who haven’t yet worked with a solar PV developer or KIUC, can quickly be considered for the next location of cooperative-owned, low-cost renewable energy,” said KIUC Power Supply Manager Brad Rockwell.
The RFO has a March 26 deadline and includes an evaluation process that will look at each site’s location, commercial terms and environmental aspects. Short-list candidates will be selected for lease negotiations and a formal RFP for EPC services may follow site selection, depending on if the selected site has a PV project EPC option.
