2011 Request for Offers (RFO) From Independent Power Producers for the Solar Photovoltaic Program
On December 22, 2011, the California Public Utilities Commission issued Draft Resolution E-4453 of the Energy Division addressing Southern California Edison Company’s advice letters 2571-E and 2571-E-A, which request approval of proposed changes to the standard documents used in Southern California Edison Company’s Solar Photovoltaic Program. It is scheduled to be on the agenda for the February 1, 2012 Commission meeting. The Commission may then vote on this Draft Resolution or it may postpone a vote to a future Commission Meeting. SCE will officially launch the RFO after CPUC approval of the Advice Letter.
PV electric generating facilities located on rooftops within SCE's service territory will be eligible for this RFO. Each generating facility must have a gross power rating of no less than 500 kW DC and no greater than 10 MW DC. SCE anticipates limiting the procurement from ground mounted projects to 2.6 MW DC. Please see the RFO Participant Instructions for details of the proposed RFO process, schedule and criteria.
In order to be eligible to submit an offer, a project must have received a complete System Impact Study or Phase I Interconnection Study, or have passed the WDAT Fast Track screens. SCE will accept offers after the CAISO Cluster 4 Phase I interconnection studies have been completed, or four months after the launch of the RFO, whichever comes later. For more information about interconnection, please visit Open Access Information.
RFO Schedule
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| (T1=0) | CPUC approves advice letter for implementation of 2011 Solar PV Program RFO. |
| TBD (Prior + ~1 week) | SCE launches RFO. SCE posts RFO Instructions, pro forma PPAs and other RFO materials on SCE’s web site. |
| TBD (Prior + ~2 weeks) | SCE hosts RFO Web Conference. |
| (T2 = 0) | Cluster 4 Phase I interconnection studies completed (planned date is October 15, 2011) |
| TBD (T2 + ~2 weeks) [See Note 1] 11:00 a.m. Pacific Prevailing Time |
Auction. Participants submit Offers and required documentation including populated PPAs. |
| TBD (Prior + ~5 weeks) | SCE advises Offerors on the short-list status of their Offers and provides executable PPAs. |
| TBD (Prior + ~1 week) | Offerors submit executed PPAs. |
| TBD (Prior + ~2 weeks) | SCE executes final PPAs. |
| TBD (Prior + 60 days) | SCE submits Tier 2 Advice Letter seeking CPUC Approval for executed PPAs. |
[Note 1]: The schedule assumes that T1 (CPUC approval of the advice letter) occurs at least 4 months before T2 (completion of Phase I interconnection studies). If not, the auction will take place approximately 4 months after launch of the RFO.
RFO Draft Materials (Subject to CPUC Approval of the Advice Letter)
| Document | Description |
|---|---|
| RFO Participant Instructions (PDF) | Protocols and eligibility criteria for the Solar Photovoltaic Program 2011 RFO |
| Appendix A-1: Pro Forma Agreement for Generating Facilities Not Greater than 5 MW DC (Word) Appendix A-2: Pro Forma Agreement for Generating Facilities Greater than 5 MW DC but Not Greater than 10 MW DC |
Form of Solar Photovoltaic Program Power Purchase and Sale Agreement (PPA) for Generating Facilities Not Greater than 5 MW DC Form of Solar Photovoltaic Program Power Purchase and Sale Agreement (PPA) for Generating Facilities Greater than 5 MW DC but Not Greater than 10 MW DC |
| Appendix B: Offer Template (Excel file) | Generating Facility Details, Offeror's Information, Product Price and Revenue Calculator |
| Appendix C: Form of Site Control Acknowledgement Letter (Word) | Acknowledgement by Offeror that Offeror has Site Control of the Site on which the Generating Facility will be located |
| Appendix D: Form of Site Owner's Acknowledgement Letter (Word) | Acknowledgement by Site Owner that Offeror has informed Owner about the CSI and NEM Programs, and acknowledgement that Site Owner will be precluded from participating in either the CSI or the NEM programs for the Generating Facility |
| Appendix E: Form of Summary of Developer Experience (Word) | Form of Summary of Developer Experience |
| TOU Periods & Energy Allocation Factors (PDF) | Time of Use Periods table and Energy Allocation Factors table |
| Interconnection via SCE’s Wholesale Distribution Access Tariff (WDAT) | Access the website |
SCE Interconnection Maps
Southern California Edison’s Interconnection Maps provide SCE system data pertinent to DG developers searching for possible interconnection locations on the SCE distribution system. This map includes the general locations of SCE distribution circuits, substations, and subtransmission systems along with the associated circuit/substation/system voltage, available capacity, and current and queued DG interconnections amounts.
The distribution circuit and substation map includes the following data:
- The “Available Capacity” shown for distribution circuits is the amount of generation that can be interconnected to a distribution circuit that will likely have minimal impact to the system. This value is based on the Rule 21 and WDAT 15% Fast Track screen. The “Maximum Available Capacity” shown for distribution circuits indicates the maximum amount of generation that can be interconnected on a specific distribution circuit. This assumes that sufficient system upgrades are in place, which may result in high interconnection costs for the developer. In addition, the map indicates those distribution circuits (“green” in color) that are considered “preferred” areas for interconnection. These locations are highly loaded areas on the SCE distribution system that currently have low DG penetration levels (less than 2.0MW). Based on initial screening studies, locating your project inside one of the identified areas could potentially minimize your costs of interconnection to the SCE system.
- The “Maximum Available Capacity” shown at the substation level indicates the maximum amount of generation that can be interconnected to a specific distribution substation. This value accounts for all currently interconnected and queued generation on the specific circuits served from that substation. This assumes that sufficient system upgrades are in place, which may result in high interconnection costs for the developer.
The subtransmission system map includes the following data:
- The “Maximum Available Capacity” shown for subtransmission systems indicates the maximum amount of generation that can be interconnected in a specific subtransmission system. This assumes that sufficient system upgrades are in place, which may result in high interconnection costs for the developer.
Note: Actual interconnection costs will be determined from further studies which consider specific project location, size, and application date relative to other projects in the same vicinity.
To view the subtransmission, substation and distribution circuit interconnection map in Google Earth, download the KMZ file. Note that you will need Google Earth to view the map.
For More Information
Please email all questions and submittals to both SCE and the Independent Evaluator at the following addresses:
- SCE: spvp-ipp@sce.com
- SCE's Independent Evaluator, Accion Group, Inc.: sceie@acciongroup.com
