SDG&E 2014 All-Source Request For Offers (RFO) Seeking Energy Storage System (ESS) Power Purchase Tolling Agreements and Energy Storage System Equipment Supply Agreements and Associated services

Description of the RFO

In accordance with Decision (D.) 13-10-040 – Decision Adopting Energy Storage Procurement Framework and Design Program (the “Energy Storage Decision”) approved on October 17, 2013 and D. 14-03-004 – Decision Authorizing Long-Term Procurement for Local Capacity Requirements due to the Permanent Retirement of the San Onofre Nuclear Generation Station (the “Track 4 Decision”) approved on March 13, 2014, and associated documents[1], San Diego Gas and Electric (“SDG&E”) is issuing its 2014 Energy Storage System (“ES” or “ESS”) Request for Offers (“RFO”) to solicit offers (“Offers”) from owners and operators of ES facilities.

SDG&E is issuing this 2014 ES RFO to achieve its megawatt (“MW”) targets established in the Energy Storage Decision and to help meet its Local Capacity Requirements (“LCR”) established in the Track 4 Decision (specifically, the Track 4 Decision calls for a minimum of 25 MW of energy storage). This RFO solicits Offers for both third party owned, contracted resources and utility owned resources; more specifically, SDG&E is seeking:

Offers from owners and operators of ESS facilities to negotiate and enter into an Energy Storage System Power Purchase Tolling Agreement (“ESSPPTA”), or
Offers from ESS developers to negotiate and enter into an Energy Storage System Turn-key Build, Own, Transfer Agreement (“ESSBOT”) resulting in SDG&E acquiring and owning the ESS equipment, or
Offers from ESS developers / equipment suppliers to negotiate and enter into an Energy Storage System Turn-key Engineering, Procurement and Construction Agreement (“ESSEPC”) resulting in SDG&E acquiring and owning the ESS equipment.

Pursuant to the Energy Storage Decision and its Energy Storage Procurement Application (A.14-02-006 filed February 28, 2014), SDG&E seeks to acquire a total of at least 165 MW of qualifying Energy Storage through four bi-annual solicitations, of which, this is the first.  At the same time, as authorized in the Track 4 Decision, SDG&E is seeking up to 800 MW of preferred resources[2], at least 25 MW of which will come from Energy Storage[3].  Through this solicitation, the first of four bi-annual RFOs to be held seeking Energy Storage Systems, SDG&E seeks offers to meet an ES MW target of at least 25 MW, and up to 800 MW, in order to make progress toward its overall Energy Storage System goal of 165 MW and to meet its LCR preferred resources goal of between 200 MW and 800 MW, of which at least 25 MW will come from Energy Storage Systems. SDG&E will consider ES offers ranging from 500 kW to 800 MW[4].  To summarize, this RFO is intended to meet both the Track 4 Decision requirement and the Energy Storage Decision requirement.

SDG&E has separately filed an application for Commission approval of a 600 MW bilateral contract with a conventional resource, the Carlsbad Energy Center (A.14-07-009).  If approved, 600 MW of SDG&E’s need will be filled by this contract and SDG&E will be authorized to procure a minimum of 200 MW of preferred resources, including at least 25 MW of energy storage.  In this event, bidders shall be notified that 600 MW of the need eligible under this RFO has been filled.

Solicitation Documents

Forms are available on the RFO Website.  The failure to provide the listed information may result in the proposal being deemed non-conforming and may disqualify the proposal from further consideration.

• The RFO document (pdf) Last Updated: 11/7/2014

Required Forms and Documents

1. Offer Form (xls). Credit Offer Form – Both the offer form and the credit offer form should be completed.
2. Project Description Form (doc) – Please submit one per project.
3. Electric Interconnection Information

   Note: Please provide copies of completed studies, and provide the name of the substation and interconnection voltage applicable to the facility as well as the nearest 230kV substation in the Offer Form. 

4. Credit Application (doc)
5. Supplier Diversity Information (doc) if applicable
6. Redline forms of the ESSPPTA or a summary term sheet for the ESSBOT or ESSEPC (doc)

The Model PPA includes some terms that provide options.  Respondent should provide a redline of the Model PPA that reflects the attributes of their proposed project by selecting the correct options.  Terms that do not provide options are non-modifiable.

All Offers must be uploaded to the PowerAdvocate® website no later than 1:00 p.m., Pacific Prevailing Time, on the CLOSING DATE (see RFO Schedule).  

Storage RFO Schedule

The following schedule and deadlines apply to this RFO.  SDG&E reserves the right to revise this schedule at any time and in SDG&E’s sole discretion.  Respondents are responsible for monitoring the RFO Website for updated schedules and possible amendments to the RFO or the solicitation process.

RFO Communication

The RFO and all subsequent revisions and documents are available for download from the RFO Website (http://www.sdge.com/AllSourceRFO2014) and the 2014 Energy Storage System  RFO event on the PowerAdvocate® website.  Potential Respondents are responsible for monitoring the RFO Website and PowerAdvocate® for subsequent updates, notices and postings.

The RFO website contains RFO forms and documents, the RFO Schedule, and a Question and Answer forum.  All questions or other communications regarding this RFO must be submitted via email to [email protected] by the DEADLINE TO SUBMIT QUESTIONS as specified in Section 6.0 RFO Schedule.  SDG&E will not accept questions or comments in any other form, and will not respond to questions submitted after the DEADLINE TO SUBMIT QUESTIONS.

Questions and Answers / FAQs

Outreach Event/Pre-Bid Conference

SDG&E will host three bidder outreach events.  The first event is scheduled for September 26, 2014 which will be an in-person event (with dial-in / webinar available for those that cannot attend in-person).  The second event will be a conference call / webinar only and is scheduled for October 24th.  The third event will focus primarily on the demand response, energy efficiency and energy storage product types will be in-person (conference call / webinar available) and is scheduled for November 10th.  Participation in these events is NOT mandatory in order to submit an offer.

Please monitor the RFO Website for further details (such as conference presentation materials and final arrangements).  SDG&E will make efforts to notify bidders of outreach event details via e-mail as well as providing this information via the RFO Website.

Any party interested in attending these events should email the following information to [email protected]:

• Company name, and
• Attendees’ names, titles and contact information

RFO Announcements

Please check this website periodically as SDG&E will post all solicitation announcements, including scheduling changes or RFO amendments if any.

Register to Submit Offers

Any party interested in submitting an Offer must register to receive access to the 2014 SDG&E RPS RFO event on PowerAdvocate® in order to submit an Offer. To register, Respondents must follow the instructions outlined in Section 7 of this RFO, RFO Website and Communications. All Offers must be uploaded to the PowerAdvocate® no later than 1:00 p.m., Pacific Prevailing Time, on the CLOSING DATE (see RFO Schedule).  If Respondents encounter technical difficulties with the uploading process, they should provide evidence of such difficulties (e.g. a screen shot of the error message) and email the bid to:

The RFO mailbox: [email protected]

Carbon Copy (CC) to: [email protected]  and [email protected]

Emails shall be received by 1:00 p.m., Pacific Prevailing Time, on the Closing Date.

[1] For example, SDG&E filed Application (A.) 14-02-006 – the Energy Storage Procurement Application - in response to the Energy Storage Decision.  A.14-02-006 can be found on SDG&E’s website at: http://www.sdge.com/regulatory-filing/10246/sdge%E2%80%99s-energy-storage-procurement-application

[2] Preferred Resources are defined in the Energy Action Plan – as updated in the Energy Action Plan II and 2008 update to the Energy Action Plan II in the loading order as follows: “The loading order identifies energy efficiency and demand response as the State’s preferred means of meeting growing energy needs. After cost-effective efficiency and demand response, we rely on renewable sources of power and distributed generation, such as combined heat and power applications. To the extent efficiency, demand response, renewable resources, and distributed generation are unable to satisfy increasing energy and capacity needs, we support clean and efficient fossil-fired generation.” – See the Energy Action Plan II, p.2 at: http://www.energy.ca.gov/energy_action_plan/2005-09-21_EAP2_FINAL.PDF

[3] See Ordering Paragraph (OP) 2 of the Track 4 Decision (at p. 143).  The Track 4 Decision is available at: http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Published/G000/M089/K008/89008104.PDF

[4] For the utility owned offers (ESSESA plus additional services), the maximum utility owned capacity will be 787.5 MW.