The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) has commended utility CPS Energy for its approach to integrating solar energy into its portfolio.
In January, CPS Energy issued a request for proposals (RFP) for 50 MW of solar projects. In July, based on the proposal prices it received, the utility announced it was expanding plans to include 400 MW rather than 50 MW of solar energy.Â
Earlier this month, CPS Energy CEO Doyle Beneby announced that the utility would scrap the existing proposals with the expectation that issuing a new, more detailed RFP would result in proposals that would both capture the recent significant decreases in the price of solar projects and better match the goals of CPS Energy and the City of San Antonio.
‘In each step throughout this process, CPS Energy has demonstrated that it is taking a thoughtful approach to its plans to significantly increase the amount of solar energy in its portfolio,’ says Julia Hamm, president and CEO of SEPA. ‘Rather than taking the easiest path at each fork in the road, the utility has made smart decisions that will result in more solar energy at lower prices for the people of San Antonio.
‘What has transpired at this utility over the past 11 months should send a message to other utilities nationwide that the price of solar energy has decreased drastically over the past year, and it's time to take another look at how solar fits into each utility's resource plans,’ Hamm continues.