Wisconsin-based Great Lakes Utilities has issued a Request for Proposals to assist in meeting specific resource capacity and energy needs beginning January 1, 2028, through December 31, 2047 (20-year term).
Proposals may cover the entire time period or portion thereof.
Great Lakes Utilities is a joint action agency created to provide low cost and reliable electric power for its eleven members.
GLU provides full requirement services to nine member communities in Wisconsin: Bangor Municipal Utility, Clintonville, Cornell Municipal Electric Utility, Kiel Electric Utility, Medford Electric Utility, Shawano Utilities, Stratford Water & Electric, Trempealeau Municipal Electric Department, and Wisconsin Rapids Water & Light and partial requirements to Manitowoc Public Utilities. Marshfield Utilities is another member that uses generation services from GLU.
The membership is split between GLU East and GLU West. GLU West members reside in Midcontinent Independent System Operator Zone 1, while GLU East members are in MISO Zone 2.
GLU has described its needs as split between two timeframes, however respondents may propose any start and end dates between January 1, 2028 and December 31, 2047 of at least one year duration.
For delineating needs, the first timeframe is January 1, 2028, through December 31, 2031, and the second is January 1, 2032, through December 31, 2047, the RFP noted.
Proposals may seek to meet the qualifications for one, both, or portions of these timeframes. Zonal Resource Credits represent accredited MISO capacity and are specific to a MISO Zone. All of GLU’s MISO members’ needs are in MISO Zone 1 and Zone 2.
Additional details on ZRCs and the MISO accreditation process are included in MISO’s tariff and Business Practice Manuals, with specific relevant details in Business Practice Manual BPM 011, the RFP noted.
GLU is seeking capacity equivalent of up to 125 ZRCs for GLU East and approximately 10 ZRCs for GLU West for the first time period and up to 200 ZRCs for GLU East and 40 ZRCs for GLU West for the second time period.
MISO ZRCs can be aggregated from one or more proposed options, for annual or seasonal periods. Proposals must include at least 2 MW of installed capacity and associated ZRCs as defined in the MISO Open Access Transmission Tariff and MISO Business Practice Manuals.
GLU will consider capacity-only offers and capacity offers with an energy component. GLU will also consider fixed annual volumes up to the highest seasonal need.
GLU is seeking firm energy of up to 130 MW on-peak and 115 MW off-peak for GLU East and approximately 25 MW on-peak and 20 MW off-peak for GLU West for 2031 only, GLU West has no energy needs for 2028 through 2030.
For the second time period, GLU East needs increase to 195 MW on-peak and 175 MW offpeak and GLU West needs increase to 26 MW and 25 MW for the on-peak and off-peak periods, respectively.
Energy can be offered at the bus of a resource or delivered to GLU East (WPS.GLU), GLU West (NSP.GLU), or MISO Minnesota Hub.
GLU will accept proposals for bundled energy and capacity. Proposals may be for annual or seasonal periods and can be aggregated from multiple resources. Proposals must include at least 2 MW of installed capacity and associated ZRCs as defined in the MISO tariff and MISO Business Practice Manuals.
The duties of the RFP Administrator will be performed by Alliance for Cooperative Energy Services Power Marketing LLC.
Proposals will initially be submitted for consideration within Phase 1 of the RFP process.
At the completion of Phase 1 evaluations, GLU, in consultation with the RFP Administrator, will either select proposals for further evaluation in Phase 2 or reject proposals.
The RFP Administrator will notify respondents of their selection for further evaluation or rejection. Upon notification that a respondent’s proposal has been selected for advancement to Phase 2, the RFP Administrator will request final pricing from Phase 2 respondents.
GLU may require approval from its Board of Directors to enter into any binding transactions resulting from this RFP.
Additional details about the RFP including deadlines for submittal of both phases of the proposal process are available here.
