Georgia Power on Jan. 16 filed with the Georgia Public Service Commission a draft request for proposals under which it plans, when the RFP is in final form, to seek up to 60 MW in total of solar power from small generators.
Under the Georgia Power Advanced Solar Initiative (ASI), this RFP is intended to advance a goal of encouraging new opportunities for solar development in the state. “Georgia Power is a national leader among the states where there is no mandate for solar procurement, and the ASI is set to be one of the largest voluntary solar programs in the country,” said the draft RFP. “The Company is dedicated to maintaining diversity in the electric supply mix, and this RFP is part of Georgia Power’s consistent pursuit to add renewable generation to its portfolio when that generation is proven to be safe and economic for customers. Recent declines in the cost of solar installations combined with improvements in solar technology have made this an excellent time to proceed with Georgia Power’s solar initiative.”
On Nov. 29, 2012, the Georgia PSC approved Georgia Power’s Advanced Solar Initiative, which authorizes the issuance of this RFP to procure 60 MW of utility scale capacity and energy produced by solar photovoltaic (PV) generating systems, which are to be available starting on Jan. 1, 2015.
Proposals submitted under this RFP must all meet of the following critera:
- The facility must be a solar PV generating system rated not less than 1 MW and not more than 20 MW, net alternating current peak output;
- The facility must be in Georgia, and may not be net metered, and must be connected directly to the Georgia Power transmission or distribution grid, or the Georgia Integrated Transmission System;
- The price submitted for the solar output must not exceed $120/MWh, including interconnection costs.
Each selected bidder will enter into a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Georgia Power. A draft PPA was also filed with the commission on Jan. 16. Georgia Power said it encourages the submission of proposals that optimize the benefits of solar generation for Georgia Power’s customers. Georgia Power is a unit of Southern Co. (NYSE: SO).
The project schedule from here includes a Feb. 20 bidders conference and final RFP and PPA documents to be filed by March 21.
