Louisiana public power utility Lafayette Utilities System (LUS) is seeking bids for power purchase agreements for up to 300 megawatts of as-generated solar power with a commercial operation date of 2023.
Under a request for proposals issued on Dec. 3, LUS seeks to procure energy, capacity and renewable energy credits for a term between 10-20 years.
Key tenets of project consideration are project viability, price, congestion risk, and deliverability. LUS is only seeking bids for projects physically located within the state of Louisiana – specifically, Midcontinent Independent System Operator Capacity Zone 9.
The RFP is a result of LUS’s recent integrated resource plan and long-term vision.
The IRP evaluated all resource types including wind, solar, and thermal. While LUS is open to all renewable energy types, the final recommendation indicated a strong preference for photovoltaic solar “due to the coincident value of solar energy to mitigate peak hour pricing volatility and diversify energy supply making it the most preferred renewable energy resource for this request,” the RFP noted.
The Energy Authority is serving as the administrator for the RFP, which is available for download here.
