The Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for the energy and environmental attributes from small-scale renewable energy projects.
The RFP calls for a power purchase agreement from small-scale electric generation projects of less than 10 MW nameplate capacity that qualify under the Public Utility Regulatory Policy Act (PURPA).
In May 2009, NPPD issued a similar RFP but rejected all the proposals due to a combination of high costs to purchase the generated electricity and the weakened economy, which lowered energy prices at that time, the utility says. Eight qualified proposals had been submitted from the first request.
PURPA-qualifying facilities must be sized less than 10 MW but be greater than the maximum size allowed by the utility's net-metering policy. NPPD's maximum size allowed for net metering is 25 kW, while wholesale customers' maximum size allowed for net metering may vary. The RFP calls for the generating facility or facilities to be operational on or before Dec. 1, 2011, with the actual in-service date subject to negotiations.
The deadline for proposals is Sept. 1.
SOURCE: Nebraska Public Power District
