Energy Storage – Page 7 – Global Power Law & Policy

Hawaiian Electric Company Extends “Intent to Bid” Deadline for O’ahu Energy Storage RFP

May 26 2014

As energy storage matures both technologically and commercially, several investor owned and municipal utilities have begun formal processes to procure storage. Recent examples include Southern California Edison’s request for energy storage to satisfy local capacity requirements in the Los Angeles basin, the Imperial Irrigation District’s request for qualifications with respect to 40 MW of energy storage (summary available here), Southern California Public Power Authority’s request for energy storage proposals pursuant to its rolling RFP process (summary available here and here), Long Island Power Authority’s request for proposals for up to 150 MW of energy storage, and the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative’s recent storage RFP.

Hawaiian Electric Company’s solicitation for large-scale energy storage systems is the latest large energy storage RFP and represents another significant step in the ongoing commercialization of the energy storage sector. Hawaiian Electric’s procurement deserves to be watched carefully.

The RFP seeks proposals for one or more large-scale, grid-connected energy storage systems capable of storing 60 to 200 MW for 30 minutes. Although several of the procurements noted above contemplate the use of power purchase agreements (typically structured like gas tolling agreements) to secure access to storage, Hawaiian Electric has asked for a firm lump-sum price proposal to engineer, procure and construct one or more systems to be located on the island of O’ahu. The RFP package includes the utility’s proposed form of engineering, procurement and construction services (EPC) contract.

Hawaiian Electric intends to use energy storage to continue integrating variable renewable energy generation. Renewable energy on O’ahu consists primarily of wind and solar photovoltaic (PV). The utility anticipates that energy storage will provide certain services, such as sub-second frequency response and minute-to-minute load following, that will allow more of O’ahu’s electricity to come from variable resources. The system(s) are expected to be located within Hawaiian Electric substation facilities and properties, and the utility’s goal is to place the system(s) into service in the first quarter of 2017, if not sooner.

Hawaiian Electric recently extended the deadline to submit an “Intent to Bid Form” to 10:00 am Hawaii Standard Time on May 29, 2014. The deadline for the response to the RFP itself is 10:00 am Hawaii Standard Time on July 21, 2014.

The RFP can be found here.

SCPPA Amends “Rolling RFP” to Encourage Energy Storage Submissions by April 1

Mar 19 2014

The Southern California Public Power Authority (“SCPPA”) recently amended its “rolling RFP” for renewable energy and energy storage projects–the original RFP was described on this Blog in an earlier post).

California’s AB 2514 requires publicly-owned utilities to submit to the California Energy Commission by October 1, 2014 appropriate targets for the procurement of cost-effective energy storage. As a result, SCPPA’s members are now actively seeking proposals for energy storage system development. Because SCPPA expects to conduct its first in-depth analysis and review of energy storage-related proposals during April 2014, it “strongly encourages” energy storage respondents to submit proposals on or before April 1, 2014. The RFP amendment adds that energy storage-related proposals will be accepted after April 1, 2014 and throughout the term of the RFP (through December 31, 2014), but states that SCPPA’s current request is intended to encourage proposals that may be immediately evaluated for their near term cost-effectiveness and viability for SCPPA’s members.

SCPPA’s RFP, as amended, can be found here.

Important Upcoming Energy Storage Events on the US West Coast

Mar 12 2014

There’s a busy week ahead for those who are involved in energy storage on the US West Coast.

In California, the three investor owned utilities (Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric) have now applied to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for review and approval of their energy storage procurement plans. The plans explain how each IOU intends to procure by 2020 its share of the 1,325 MW energy storage target set by the CPUC in D. 13-10-040. The CPUC will be holding a workshop to provide information on the applications from 10am to 4pm on Friday, March 14, 2014, at the CPUC’s auditorium at 505 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco. There is also a call in number for the workshop: 866-830-4003, Participant passcode: 9869619.

A little to the north of California, energy storage is becoming a focus of attention in Oregon. Renewables Northwest will be holding its Second Energy Storage Meeting in K&L Gates’ Portland Office, 1 SW Columbia St, 19th Floor, from 10am to Noon on Thursday, March 13. The meeting will help interested parties prepare for an energy storage workshop organized by the Oregon Department of Energy and the Oregon Public Utility Commission, which will be held from 8am to 4:30pm on Wednesday, March 19 at the White Stag Building, 70 NW Couch St, Portland, OR 97209. You can register for the workshop here.

Still further north, K&L Gates will be sponsoring a Washington Clean Technology Alliance meeting on Progress and Promise in U.S. Grid Energy Storage, Including Washington State, featuring special presentations by Dr. Imre Gyuk, U.S. Department of Energy, and Richard Locke, Washington State Department of Commerce. This event will be held on March 20, 2014 from 4:00 to 6:30 pm at K&L Gates’ offices in Seattle, 925 4th Ave, Suite 2900. Advanced tickets are required, and they’ll be on sale through March 16. You can obtain tickets for the event here.

K&L Gates attorneys will be attending each of these events, and we look forward to seeing you there!

Southern California Public Power Authority (SCPPA) Issues Renewable Energy and Energy Storage RFP

Feb 25 2014

The Southern California Public Power Authority (SCPPA) recently announced a Request for Proposals for Renewable Energy and Energy Storage Projects. In the RFP, SCPPA seeks proposals for — in addition to customary renewable energy products — “Permanent Load Shifting (PLS), including energy storage and permanent load-shifting technologies” and “energy storage solutions (ESS) for both distribution and grid levels.” According to the announcement, respondents may propose (i) project ownership by SCPPA, (ii) a power purchase agreement (or, for storage, an “equivalent commercial agreement”) with an ownership option, or (iii) a power purchase agreement (or, for storage, an “equivalent commercial agreement”) without an ownership option.

Imperial Irrigation District Energy Storage RFQ

Feb 05 2014

The Imperial Irrigation District (IID), the third-largest public power utility in California, recently issued QR 123, the first step in a solicitation for 20 megawatts to 40 megawatts of “battery” storage. The solicitation seeks storage that can accommodate a very broad range of specified operational characteristics, and it may prove challenging for any given storage technology to meet all of those characteristics. The solicitation’s reference to “battery” storage implies that IID is not seeking flywheels or other energy storage technologies.

At this stage, QR 123 is in the nature of a request for vendors to supply their qualifications to “design, engineer, procure and construct a utility-scale energy storage project” that will have the desired operational characteristics. Responses are due February 11, 2014.

Information about QR 123 can be found here.

K&L Gates is Gold Sponsor of Annual Storage Week in Santa Clara

Feb 03 2014

K&L Gates will be a Gold Sponsor at Infocast’s 7th Annual Energy Storage Week in Santa Clara from February 11-13. This event will address the projected rapid rise in energy storage project development over the next 3-5 years. Early movers in this market are poised to capture larger than average advantages. Policy makers and senior executives at the forefront of energy storage deployment will be attending the summit to share up to date information on the policies, procedures and industry best practices into business plans and to gain access to key players and decision makers across the entire supply and utilization chains of storage services to further storage projects. K&L Gates attorneys Bill Holmes, Paul Lacourciere, Dirk Michels, Charlie Schwenck and Andrew Young will be attending Infocast’s Energy Storage Week. We look forward to seeing you there!

Catagory:Energy Storage