EnergyNewswatch

Creating Procurement RFPs for Renewable and All-source Power Resources

Live Streaming Online August 14-15, 2023

An EUCI Program

Click Here to register $1195

If you are unable to attend at the scheduled date and time, we make recordings available to all registrants for three business days after the event

Resource procurement today is facing an unprecedented wave of challenges which has introduced additional risk factors and process issues that are not accommodated under typical utility (and corporate) resource procurement practices.

This course will cover current issues in the renewables, storage, and project development space and the challenges they are presenting to the buy-side.  Participants in this course will be made aware of the current industry issues and where there are gaps in the process that either need to be accepted, accommodated, or, in some cases, ignored for expediency since there may not be an acceptable solution.  This course is for both utility and corporate buyers, as well as for project developers who seek to understand how they should engage in competitive procurement opportunities.

Learning Outcomes

  • Describe typical renewable and all-source procurement RFP processes
  • Review options to address the current environment, including changes in procurement design and protocols
  • Identify terms and conditions
  • Discuss project evaluation criteria
  • Review project short-listing elements for negotiation

Agenda

MONDAY, AUGUST 14, 2023

9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Central Time

9:00 – 9:20 a.m. :: Overview & Introductions

9:20 – 10:45 a.m. :: Background

  • The history of power procurement design – what has worked in the past, and why it might not work in the future
  • Current challenges in the market
  • Other market updates and context

10:45 – 11:00 a.m. :: Morning Break

11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. :: Scoping an RFP – What Are You Buying?

  • Procurement target derivation
    • Utility processes
    • Industrials/corporates
  • Eligibility requirements and tradeoffs
    • How high should the eligibility bar be raised?
  • Transmission vs. distribution connected resources
  • Interconnection status – where to draw the line
  • Resource Technologies
    • All-Source or Some-Source?
  • Geographic scope
    • Here, there, anywhere?
    • Implications for utilities and corporates
  • Products and choices
    • Energy
    • Capacity
    • RECs
    • Ancillary Services
    • Do you need them all?
  • Contract Types and Tenor
  • Buy vs. Rent – is ownership a consideration?

12:15 – 1:00 p.m. :: Lunch Break

1:00 – 2:45 p.m. :: Accommodating Developer’s Challenges

Discussion on challenges in the current environment, which include:

  • Pricing matters – can it be held firm?
  • Deal structures – flip or own, any preference?
  • Supply chain – has it eased up?
  • Labor issues – are constraints a schedule concern?
  • The IRA – is it helping, or hurting?
  • Financing – given market challenges, has it been impacted?
  • What would you want to see changed in the way utilities and corporates procure that would help get more projects across the finish line?

2:45 – 3:00 p.m. :: Afternoon Break

3:00 – 4:30 p.m. :: Power Procurement Design – Structuring the Competition

  • Structuring an RFP – an overview of formats and options
  • Pros and cons of different RFP formats in light of current market conditions
  • Review of where auctions can help (and when they might not)

4:30 p.m. :: Course Adjourns for Day

TUESDAY, AUGUST 15, 2023

9:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Central Time

9:00 – 10:30 a.m. :: Evaluation Process

  • Economic assessment – overall options to estimating the relative economics of resources
  • Theory and approaches
    • Comparing ownership options to third Party PPAs
    • Modelling specific resources:
      • Wind
      • Solar
      • Storage
      • Hybrid resources
      • Thermal resources
      • Demand response (DR) and behind-the-meter (BTM) resources
    • Considerations to ensure that resources are modelled as consistently as possible
  • Non-price/qualitative assessment
    • Typical criteria
    • Overall theory
  • Evaluation phase and short-listing approaches
  • Weighting considerations between economic and non-price criteria

10:30 – 10:45 a.m. :: Morning Break

10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. :: Power Procurement Logistics – Putting It Together

  • General timelines
  • RFP package contents
  • Distribution list development and market survey
  • RFP information management
  • Bidders’ conference
  • Q&A
  • Communications and protocols
  • Evaluation process plan and criteria
  • Final selection procedures
  • Contract negotiations and execution

12:15 p.m. :: Course Adjournment

 
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