The Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) has issued a request for proposal (RFP) for up to 2GW of offshore wind.
The RFP seeks bids to enter into long-term power purchase agreements for energy, renewable energy certificates (RECs), and associated environmental attributes. Responses to the RFP will undergo evaluation by various state agencies and the electric distribution companies (EDCs). The final selection will be made by the Commissioner of DEEP. Upon selection, bidders will negotiate separate conforming Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with both EDCs. Any resulting contracts from the RFP process are subject to approval by the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority.
The Connecticut RFP permits the consideration of multi-state bid proposals. Bidders may submit multi-state proposals contingent upon being selected by multiple states. If chosen, the parties may agree to share energy and RECs generated by a multi-state development proportionally to the states' respective load share. Bidders of multi-state proposals must offer identical pricing to each party in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
The Connecticut RFP establishes a two-stage evaluation and selection process, similar to processes outlined in solicitations of various east coast states. Stage one involves evaluating bids based on specific eligibility and threshold requirements. In stage two, bids are scored on a 100-point scale, with a maximum of 75 points available for quantitative factors and up to 25 points based on qualitative factors.
