Vermont Business Magazine On March 16, 2018, the Vermont Public Utility Commission approved the release of the 2018 request for proposals (RFP) for 7.5 megawatts of new renewable energy through Vermont’s Standard Offer program. In this year’s RFP, the commission has sought to make it easier for more diverse technologies to participate successfully in the program.
Under the Standard Offer program, eligible projects can be no larger than 2.2 MW in size and include the following technologies: solar, small and medium-sized wind, landfill methane, farm methane, food waste anaerobic digestion, biomass, and hydroelectric. In the design of this year’s RFP, the Commission considered possible barriers to the successful deployment of more diverse, nascent technologies in the Standard Offer program and made adjustments accordingly. These include the use of easements as an acceptable form of site control, and the allotment of any unused capacity within the “Technology Diversity” block to other such technologies before the block is opened to any bidder.
Commissioner Margaret Cheney said, “With this RFP, the Commission has taken steps to increase the technology diversity within the Standard Offer Program, consistent with Vermont’s renewable energy goals, and to foster the development of nascent technologies by Vermont businesses.”
The Standard Offer program was established in 2009, pursuant to 30 V.S.A. § 8005a, and is intended to promote the rapid deployment of small renewable generation through long-term, fixed-price contracts. The total program capacity of 127.5 MW is distributed annually, with 7.5 MW available in 2018. Program costs are distributed among Vermont utilities based on their share of electric sales. The annual RFP specifies total program capacity, capacity allocated to each technology, and price caps for each technology, with lowest-priced bids accepted first.
This year’s RFP will be issued on April 2, with a May 1st deadline for submission of proposals.
For more information about the 2018 RFP contact: Standard Officer Facilitator at 802-362-0748.
The Standard Offer Facilitator maintains a website for the program that includes the annual RFP and other information.
For more information about the Standard Offer program: CallPUC Utilities Analyst Mary Jo Krolewski 802-828-2358.
Locate the March 16, 2018, Order (Case No. 17-3935-INV) by searching for the case number using ePUC, the PUC online document management system.
Source: PUC 3.21.2018