Request for Proposals for Solar RFP #1012 March 7, 2012
1.0 INTRODUCTION GreenCo Solutions, Inc. (GreenCo) is seeking proposals for (RECs) from qualified solar resources. The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to solicit and screen competitive proposals for potential REC purchase agreements to comply with solar requirements set forth in NC Session Law 2007-397 (Senate Bill 3). GreenCo is seeking RECs from solar projects totaling up to 10 MW from one or more suppliers. The minimum project size that will be considered as part of any proposal is 500 kw. GreenCo expects that this RFP will be met by a combination of suppliers, potentially with varying start dates and terms. GreenCo is seeking proposals for solar RECs that provide the greatest value to its members while meeting the eligibility requirements of Senate Bill 3 and the rules promulgated by the NCUC. North Carolina in-state resources will be given the greatest preference; however, proposals for resources outside of the state of North Carolina may be considered. GreenCo, at any time during the RFP process prior to execution of one or more contracts, reserves the right to: reject or accept any proposals that are not complete or contain irregularities; reject or accept any proposal that is not received on or before the due date specified; accept other than the lowest priced proposal; obtain clarification from respondents concerning proposals; conduct negotiations with the respondents determined to be most competitive to arrive at a final price and terms and conditions; and modify its requirements due to a clarification of NCUC rules or other legislation. GreenCo will not contract for energy and/or capacity from any accepted proposals. Respondents are responsible for power supply sales regardless of the utility to which their project(s) are interconnected. Qualifying Facilities that interconnect with a North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation (NCEMC) participating member-cooperative and meet the necessary requirements may contract separately under an avoided cost tariff with NCEMC for purchase power agreements. 1.1 Schedule The schedule for submission and evaluation of proposals by GreenCo is as follows. This schedule is subject to change by GreenCo. RFP #1012 Schedule RFP Issued March 7, 2012 Bid Submission Date April 3, 2012 Short List Notification May 11, 2012 Award Notification May 25, 2012 Negotiations Complete June 29, 2012
2.0 GREENCO SOLUTIONS BACKGROUND GreenCo Solutions, Inc. is a member-owned organization created in 2008 to assist 22 of the state s electric cooperatives in meeting their energy efficiency and renewable energy goals and to comply with the North Carolina s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (REPS). GreenCo procures RECs, supports energy efficiency programs and performs compliance functions on behalf of its members. GreenCo will be the counterparty for any agreements that result from this RFP. 3.0 DESCRIPTION OF NEED The solicitation is for REC-only offers to comply with North Carolina REPS requirements set forth by Senate Bill 3. Offers for bundled energy, capacity and RECs will not be considered. Projects that interconnect with a North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation (NCEMC) participating membercooperative and meet the necessary requirements may contract separately under an avoided cost tariff with NCEMC for purchase power agreements. 3.1 Requested GreenCo will accept proposals for RECs from New Solar Energy Resources (as described in Senate Bill 3) 500 kw or greater, with proposals not to exceed the approximate equivalent output of a 10 MW solar PV resource (approximately 13,000 RECs/year). Proposals may include RECs from multiple projects. Respondents may respond with offers for the full requirements, though GreenCo recommends that those respondents consider offering smaller portions, in addition. Projects can be located in or outside of the state of North Carolina; however, Senate Bill 3 limits the number of RECs that can be purchased from outside the state. Preference will be given to in-state projects. 3.2 Registrations GreenCo will only contract with new solar electric facilities and new metered solar thermal energy facilities that have registered with the North Carolina Utility Commission (NCUC) and have been granted approval as a New Solar Energy Resource. GreenCo will only contract with projects that are or will be registered in NC-RETS or in another registry that has the ability to transfer RECs to NC-RETS. Without exception, RECs must be delivered to GreenCo using the NC-RETS system. Respondents whose proposals are ultimately selected will be responsible for acquiring in a timely fashion all necessary licenses, permits, certifications, and approvals required by federal, state and local government laws, regulations and policies that are related to the design, construction, and operation of the relevant project. The respondent shall be solely responsible for securing all necessary financing for the relevant project. GreenCo shall have no responsibility in identifying or securing any licenses, permits, or regulatory approvals or in securing any financing required for the construction or operation of the relevant project. GreenCo shall have no responsibility for interconnection with any local utility.
Preference may be given to proposals that demonstrate proof of site control, have secured financing and are prepared to submit or have submitted an interconnection request. 3.3 Resource Characteristics For purposes of this RFP, a Renewable Energy Certificate is a tradable instrument that is equal to one megawatt hour of electricity or equivalent energy supplied by a new renewable energy facility. A renewable energy certificate does not include the related emission reductions, including, but not limited to, reductions of sulfur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, mercury, or carbon dioxide. Unit contingent sell-all proposals that offer delivery of the entire output of RECs from a facility are not required to specify a fixed number of RECs. Proposals for a non-fixed number of RECs require the respondent to provide an estimate of annual REC production along with all formulas to show how the approximate number of RECs was calculated. 3.4 Contract Term GreenCo will consider offers for contracts with terms not to exceed 25 years. Respondents may propose offers with varying terms. There is no preferred contract term. 3.5 Pricing GreenCo requires respondents to provide complete pricing information for each proposal submitted. Pricing should include all costs to deliver the RECs to the GreenCo account in NC-RETS. Proposals should provide the price in $/REC for each calendar year. Any offers that have an annual escalator or de-escalator must state these explicitly as a percentage along with the resulting price after escalation or de-escalation. GreenCo discourages, but will consider, offers that escalate according to a published index. Option structures without premiums (e.g., costless collars) may be offered for all or part of the proposed term. All respondents are asked to hold their prices firm until the short list is announced. Once the short list is announced, short-listed respondents may, at the discretion of GreenCo, be given the option to refresh, but must hold their prices firm until the contract is executed. 4.0 SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS Respondents shall closely follow the instructions below. GreenCo reserves the right to disqualify proposals that deviate from these instructions. All correspondence related to this RFP should be sent to the following address if delivered by U.S. mail: GreenCo Solutions, Inc. P.O. Box 27306 Raleigh, North Carolina 27611-7306 Attention: Jay Nemeth, RFP Coordinator
If delivered by hand or courier service, the following address applies: GreenCo Solutions, Inc. 3400 Sumner Boulevard Raleigh, North Carolina 27616 Attention: Jay Nemeth, RFP Coordinator If delivered electronically, the following address applies: rfp.greenco@greencosolutions.net (Include the phrase RFP within the subject) 4.1 Questions about Solicitation Process Reasonable questions or clarifications about this RFP shall be made in writing or e-mailed to: Jay Nemeth, RFP Coordinator E-mail Address: rfp.greenco@greencosolutions.net (Include the phrase RFP within the subject) Inquiries and questions regarding NCEMC s avoided cost tariff for qualifying facilities may be directed via email to: John Cook, Manager, Power Resources E-mail Address: john.cook@ncemcs.com (Include the phrase RFP within the subject) Questions should refer to RFP #1012. GreenCo will respond to those questions submitted which GreenCo believes, at its sole discretion, will assist in clarifying the RFP. GreenCo will make available to all respondents who have submitted an offer or who have indicated their intent to submit an offer a copy of such questions and answers, with the name of the party making the request deleted. GreenCo does not expect to respond to telephone inquiries. 4.2 Bid Format and Submittal Proposals must provide the information requested in Section 5.0 PROPOSAL CONTENT. The Respondent name and project name should be included on each page of every proposal. Respondents shall assemble and attach to the proposal all supplementary information necessary to describe the proposal. All proposals that are delivered by mail or courier must be actually received at the offices of GreenCo by no later than 5:00 p.m. EDT on April 3, 2012. One (1) original and three (3) copies must be submitted and clearly labeled: Confidential - Proposal to GreenCo Solutions in Response to RFP #1012 Respondents may submit proposals in electronic format to rfp.greenco@greencosolutions.net with the subject line titled Confidential - Proposal to GreenCo Solutions in Response to RFP #1012. Please send electronic submissions in Portable Document Format (.pdf) to the extent possible. If a respondent intends to propose more than one offer to GreenCo, each offer must be submitted as a different proposal. This includes separate offers for the same resource. All proposals submitted to GreenCo must contain the information specified in this RFP. Proposals received on or before the deadline shall become the property of GreenCo. Proposals received after the deadline will be retained
as the property of GreenCo; however, GreenCo reserves the right to disqualify any proposals received after the deadline. GreenCo does not require a bid evaluation fee as part of this RFP. The instructions for submitting a proposal represent the minimum requirements for any proposal to be considered responsive and entitled to further consideration. GreenCo may eliminate from further consideration proposals that do not include the applicable minimum requirements. 4.3 Viability of Respondent The respondent must provide sufficient evidence of financial and operational capability to provide the services outlined in the proposal during the contract term. The financial and operational viability of any third parties relied upon by the respondent for providing service to GreenCo must also be demonstrated. 4.4 Confidentiality GreenCo will make reasonable efforts to keep the proposals confidential to the extent allowed by law. Respondents should be aware that the information provided as a result of this RFP may be subject to review by the Rural Utilities Service (RUS), the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC), or another governmental authority or judicial body with jurisdiction relating to these arrangements. As a result of such review, the information may become subject to federal or state laws pertaining to public access to documents and information in the custody of governmental bodies. Respondents should be aware that the information provided as a result of this RFP may be shared with North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation (NCEMC), and with the distribution electric membership corporations (cooperatives) which comprise GreenCo s and NCEMC s membership, if the project is reported to interconnect with an NCEMC participating member-cooperative. 4.5 Costs Incurred in Responding All costs directly or indirectly related to the preparation of a response to this RFP and subsequent discussions are the responsibility of the respondent. GreenCo will not reimburse any respondent for any costs incurred in the preparation or submission of a proposal and/or the negotiation of an agreement resulting from a proposal.
5.0 PROPOSAL CONTENT A proposal should contain all necessary information for GreenCo to fully and adequately assess each offer compared to all other offers. The following requirements are provided as a minimum for what each response is expected include. Respondents who offer more than one proposal must name each proposal to differentiate it from other proposals from the same respondent. Respondent Information Name of Company, Address of Company, Designated Company Contact (name, email, phone number), Corporate Structure, Parent Company (provide details as applicable) and Company s Principle Business. Please describe and explain any legal, regulatory or financial issues in which Company is or has recently been involved that could be perceived to have a bearing on your ability to fulfill the sale of RECs. Executive Summary The respondent should provide a description of the proposal(s), noting any particular benefits to GreenCo associated with the proposal. An executive summary may be prepared for each proposal or the executive summary may discuss multiple proposals, if applicable. Project(s) Summary Provide for Each Proposal The respondent should provide information on the projects from which RECs will be generated as part of this offer. Please provide the Name of the Project, Geographic Location, Technology to be Used, Nameplate Capacity, Status of Required Applications, Status of Regulatory Filings and Status of Interconnection with Local Utility. Pricing, Volume and Term Provide for Each Proposal Proposals should be for the purchase of RECs only and pricing must include any and all costs to deliver the RECs to the GreenCo account in NC-RETS. GreenCo will only pay for RECs that are delivered to its account(s) in NC-RETS, regardless of the facility s actual production. GreenCo prefers that pricing is presented in table format. Proposals should provide the volume of RECs and the price in $/REC for each calendar year. Provide the start and end dates for the offer and, to be clear, please indicate the total number of RECs that will or are expected to be delivered by vintage year. Calendar year pricing is preferred, but proposals with quarterly (or other) pricing will be considered as long as the proposal includes REC volumes for that time period. Offers that include an escalator or de-escalator must state these explicitly in percentages along with the resulting price after escalation or de-escalation. GreenCo discourages, but will consider, offers that escalate according to a published index. Option structures without premiums (e.g., costless collars) may be offered for all or part of the proposed term. Financial Information Respondents are requested to provide information such as audited financial statements, credit ratings, 10-K forms or other documents that will assist GreenCo in evaluating and confirming the
financial viability of the respondent. Respondents that offer multiple proposals need only include one set of financial documents. Other Terms and Conditions Proposals should clearly state any other terms and conditions of which GreenCo should be aware as part of its evaluation. As RECs represent only a small portion of a project s revenue stream, GreenCo generally expects that it will not be required to post collateral, letters of credit or other similar measures. 6.0 PROPOSAL EVALUATION/AWARD GreenCo will conduct an evaluation of the responses to this RFP to determine which proposals, if any, will most likely provide the greatest overall value over the term of the agreement to GreenCo s member-cooperatives. The evaluation process will consist of an initial screening and a detailed evaluation as explained below. 6.1 Initial Screening The initial screening will determine the proposals that are to be retained for further evaluation. Proposals will be evaluated for completeness and economic viability as part of the initial screening. The proposals will be reviewed to determine if they contain all the information requested in Section 5.0 of this document. Proposals may be deemed ineligible for further consideration at this point due to incomplete responses, non-specific responses, or deviation from the format specified in this document. GreenCo may, at its sole discretion, request additional information or clarifications. All proposals that are deemed eligible for further consideration will be subjected to a preliminary economic analysis. The preliminary economic analysis will eliminate bids that are clearly noncompetitive. 6.2 Detailed Evaluation Based on the detailed evaluation, GreenCo will determine which of the proposals will potentially provide the greatest overall value to its members. This evaluation will consider the following major factors: Ability to meet the requirements of Senate Bill 3 and NCUC promulgated rules Price level and deal structure Viability of the technology Overall reliability and security of delivery Experience and financial strength of respondent 6.3 Selection of Short-List GreenCo plans to select one or more proposals that, in GreenCo's sole judgment, will most likely yield the greatest value to GreenCo's members. Those selected may include a single proposal or multiple proposals that provide the aggregate supply of RECs requested. Upon the initiation of negotiations with sellers of RECs in the Short-List Group, GreenCo will provide a draft proposed REC Purchase Agreement.
GreenCo may request additional information from the short-list group regarding the viability of their proposals. Respondents selected for the short-list must be willing to keep the terms of their bids in effect until execution of the contract. GreenCo will notify the respondents chosen for the short-list by May 11, 2012. Short-list respondents should be prepared to begin negotiations the week of May 14, 2012. GreenCo will notify the remaining respondents that they were not selected for the short-list. The initiation of negotiations, however, does not imply any commitment on the part of GreenCo to enter into any agreement. Neither GreenCo nor any respondent will be bound to enter into a contract until such time as a definitive contract containing mutually satisfactory terms and conditions is executed by the parties. 6.4 Selection of Award Group Following negotiations, GreenCo plans to complete the evaluation and ranking of the short-list proposals on or around May 25, 2012. At that time, all the respondents included in the short-list will be notified as to whether or not their proposal was selected for the Award Group. As noted above, GreenCo reserves the right to reject any or all of the proposals received as a product of this RFP.