Northwest Renewable RFPs: Seattle City Light Issues RFP For Renewable Resources, Portland General’s Is Due Soon

In what has become an annual autumn ritual, Seattle City Light recently issued a Request for Proposals (“RFP”) seeking up to 150,000 MWh of renewable energy or Renewable Energy Credits (“RECs”), with delivery to begin in 2020.

While City Light promises to consider a broad range of proposals, including proposals in which City Light would take equity ownership, there are several important conditions: (1) the energy and/or RECs must be from “eligible renewable resources” as defined in Initiative 937, Washington’s voter-approved renewable portfolio standard; (2) project proponents must demonstrate that they are sufficiently creditworthy to deliver the promised energy or RECs; and, (3) City Light prefers baseload resources to complement its existing generation portfolio, which is heavily weighted toward hydropower. Although City Light probably would have issued the RFP in any event, it is worth knowing that City Light previously contracted for purchase of RECs from Exergy Development Group’s recently-terminated wind projects in Idaho, which would have had a total capacity of 116 MW.

Notices of Intent to Respond are due October 1 and full proposals are due October 15. City Light aims to complete contracts with developers chosen in this RFP by February of next year.

Meanwhile, Portland General Electric continues to move forward with its RFP for renewable resources. The draft RFP will be reviewed at the Oregon Public Utility Commission’s September 25 meeting. Barring a major setback for PGE, the final RFP should be issued in the near future.