EnergyNewswatch

All-Source RFP Competitive Solicitations

Live Streaming Online June 22-23, 2022

A BankWebinars.com Program

Click Here to register ($1195)

If you are unable to attend at the scheduled date and time, we make recordings available to all registrants for three business days after the event

When it comes to utility resource procurements, all-source competitive solicitations (ASCS) are emerging as the instruments of choice. Though they can prove significantly more complex to administer than targeted, resource-specific procurement RFPs, they are driving exceptionally favorable outcomes across the board.  Utilities and load serving entities, oversight commissions and stakeholders mostly agree that they yield superior outcomes.

This course will provide all soliciting and bidding parties with an overview of best practices and tools to strategically prepare, design, and respond to these all-source procurement solicitations.  Those active in project development will find the course useful also, as they prepare and position their offering most advantageously. Subject matter experts from utilities, project developers, EPCs and others will share their experiences and strategies to ensure the most competitive and transparent all-source procurement RFPs.

Learning Outcomes

  • Describe a typical all-source RFP procurement process
  • Construct a template for preparing and designing an all-source RFP procurement process
  • Define products for procurement
  • Assess administrative elements
  • Determine protocols
  • Identify terms and conditions
  • Discuss project evaluation criteria
  • Review project short-listing elements for negotiation
  • Examine after-the-project-award actions

Agenda

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2022

1:00 – 4:45 p.m. Central Time

1:00 – 1:20 p.m. :: Overview and Introductions

1:20 – 2:45 p.m. :: ASCS Starting Point – The Resource Plan

  • Basis and identification of resource need(s)
  • Capacity
  • Energy
  • Reserves
  • Resource attributes

ASCS Design & Structure

  • Define products
  • Description and characteristics
  • Satisfying the need(s)
  • Schedule(s)
  • Needed online date(s)

2:45 – 3:00 p.m. :: Afternoon Break

3:00 – 4:45 p.m. :: ASCS Resource Evaluation Priorities (Spec)

  • Net value vs. lowest cost
  • Calculating capacity credits
  • Integration costs
  • Assigning value of real-time flexibility
  • Congestion costs and benefits
  • Transmission and distribution deferral
  • Factoring in natural gas price risk
  • Contribution to system resiliency

Ensuring a Fair and Robust ASCS Process

  • Ownership structure
  • Affiliate inclusion
  • Contractual elements
  • Assembling cohesive internal team
  • Formulating transparent process
  • Diversified marketing channels and outreach
  • Engaging expansive supplier participation
  • Conducting vigorous stakeholder involvement
  • Coherent bidder requirements
  • Evaluation metrics
  • Rational timelines

4:45 p.m. :: Course Adjourns for Day

THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2022

9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Central Time

9:00 – 10:45 a.m. :: ASCS Bidders Engagement

  • Bidder information and documentation
  • Proposal submission procedures
  • Process for soliciting offers
  • Eligibility requirements
  • Timelines
  • Documents
  • Pre-qualification requirements
  • Communication protocols
  • Evaluation approaches
    • portfolio
    • resource
  • Evaluation criteria
    • Quantitative
    • Qualitative (non-price)
  • Bidders conference and question/answer period
  • Offer selection
  • Contract negotiations and execution

10:45 – 11:00 a.m. :: Morning Break

11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. :: Function of Independent Evaluators (Spec)

  • “Administrator” or “Monitor/Observer”?
  • Review of solicitation materials
  • Facilitate communications with bidders
  • Monitor solicitation process
  • Verify utility evaluation results
  • Contract negotiations oversight

Role of Regulatory Oversight Commission

  • Review of ASCS design and process
  • Engagement of independent evaluator
  • Approval of results

12:30 – 1:15 p.m. :: Lunch Break 

1:15 – 2:45 p.m. :: Externalities That May Not Be Reflected in Bidding Process but Could Impact Selection

  • Scalability
  • Transmission access
  • Siting
  • Curtailment
  • Risks associated with project development and resource delivery
  • Availability of storage and recognition of value contribution
  • Supply chain knots

2:45 – 3:00 p.m. :: Afternoon Break

3:00 – 4:30 p.m. :: After the Project Award

  • Administration
  • Monitoring
  • Scheduling
  • Risk optimization

4:30 p.m. :: Course Adjournment

Workshop

Features & Benefits of All-Source Competitive Solicitations (ASCS)

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2022 : CENTRAL TIME

Overview

Under what conditions does a utility or other load serving entity (LSE) determine to engage in an all-source competitive solicitation (ASCS) vs a more traditional competitive, resource-specific RFP?  What alterations are necessary when conducting an ASCS by utilities or LSEs in different utility operating or regulatory contexts? Do ASCS solicitations effectively accommodate non-generation resources such as demand response, DERs, storage and non-wire alternatives (NWAs)?   How effective are ASCS in yielding low-cost resources compared to more traditional competitive, resource-specific RFPs?

This workshop will explore how the concept of resource procurements has evolved over the years, and why it’s important to understand that evolution.  It will also explain when utilities and LSEs might choose to conduct an ASCS or more traditional competitive, resource-specific RFP. And, through case studies of utilities that have conducted such procurement solicitations, it will detail the sometimes-dramatic improvements these ASCS efforts have yielded over previous resource-specific RFPs.

Learning Outcomes

  • Review the historical perspective on competitive solicitations by electric utilities and why that’s important to the administration of ASCS
  • Identify how ASCS solicitations differ based on the regulatory context in which the utility or LSE operates
  • Examine when it makes sense to procure resources through ASCS rather than directed resource procurement RFPs
  • Explore how ASCS must be formulated to accommodate non-generation resources such as demand response, storage and distribute energy resources

Agenda

9:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

9:00 – 9:20 a.m. :: Overview and Introductions

9:20 – 10:30 a.m. :: Distinctions between Resource-Specified vs All-Source Competitive Solicitations (ASCS)

  • Historical perspective on competitive solicitations by electric utilities
  • Recent technology, policy, and market trends and how they have motivated renewed interest in all-source competitive solicitations (ASCS)
  • Recent trends in ASCS
  • When it makes sense to procure resources through ASCS rather than directed resource procurement RFPs

ASCS In Different Utility Operating Contexts

  • Market participating utilities (ISOs, RTOs and EIMs)
  • Non-market participating utilities
  • IOUs
  • Public power
  • Cooperatives and G&Ts

10:30 – 10:45 am :: Morning Break

10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. :: Accommodation of Non-Generation Resources in All-Source Procurements

  • Demand response (DR)
  • Distributed Energy Resources (DERs)
  • Non-wires Alternatives (NWAs)
  • Storage

Resource Price Discovery as an Output: Case Studies

  • Xcel Energy
  • Northern Indiana Public Service (NIPSCO)
  • Portland General Electric (PGE)
  • Hawaiian Electric
  • Public Service of New Mexico (PNM)

12:15 p.m. :: Workshop Adjournment