Avista has issued a request for proposals (RFP), in which it seeks power generation and demand-management proposals from bidders to achieve its clean energy goals. The 2021 Electric Integrated Resource Plan was filed on April 1, 2021. This document reflected a need of new resources to meet future customer peak demand and the Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA). The IRP provides a 20-year forecast for potential generation and efficiency resources to meet customer demand and capacity.
“Avista is looking to obtain energy that meets our system capacity needs and brings us closer to our goal of serving customers with 100 percent clean electricity by 2045 and 100 percent carbon neutral resources by 2027,” says Jason Thackston, Avista’s senior vice president of energy resources. “We are more than halfway there with our mix of renewable hydropower, biomass, wind and solar. This is one more step to ensure affordable, reliable and clean energy for years to come.”
The all-source RFP seeks both generation and demand management resources to meet energy needs and capacity gaps between 2026-2030. Avista is seeking approximately 196 MW in winter capacity and 190MW in summer capacity by 2030 to meet its reliability requirements. Avista may bid for repowering resources or Avista self-builds as part of the RFP. Avista will employ an independent evaluator for the design and evaluation of proposals.
The RFP is open to parties who currently own, propose to develop, or hold rights to resources meeting Avista’s requirements for energy and capacity. Parties offering demand management solutions to lower customer demands during peak summer and winter events will also be considered. Bidders must also show that they can meet the minimum requirements to be eligible as listed in the RFP.
The RFP requires that proposals be submitted. Avista expects generation proposals from both existing and new fuel sources. These include wind, solar, biomass and natural gas. It also expects energy management options from demand response, batteries, and pumped storage.
Avista will accept hybrid proposals that combine clean energy, storage, and capacity. Avista will not accept proposals only for Renewable Energy Certificates. RFP responses are due March 25, 2022. You can find the RFP and bid instructions here.
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