The Northern California Power Agency on Nov. 20 issued a request for proposals for renewable energy resources and/or energy storage resources.
Responses to the RFP may propose project ownership by NCPA, a power purchase agreement with an ownership option or a power purchase agreement without an ownership option.
NCPA members include municipalities, a rural electric cooperative, and other publicly owned entities for which the public agency provides such services as the purchase, aggregation, scheduling, and management of electrical energy.
Most critically for its 16 members, NCPA over the past four decades has constructed and today operates and maintains a fleet of power plants that is among the cleanest in the nation, and that provides reliable and affordable electricity to more than 700,000 Californians, it notes.
“NCPA is well positioned and experienced in facilitating joint ownership structures for renewable power or other projects for the benefit of its members,” the joint action agency noted in the RFP.
Under the terms and conditions of the NCPA Joint Powers Agreement entered into by all members, NCPA possesses the general powers to acquire, purchase, generate, transmit, distribute and sell electrical capacity and energy.
Specific powers include the power to enter into contracts, acquire and construct electric generating facilities, set rates, issue revenue bonds and notes and acquire property by eminent domain.
NCPA said it would consider power purchase agreements, either with or without an option to purchase the project during the term of the agreement, and energy prepayment structures.
RFP Objective
NCPA seeks cost effective resources to support its members’ Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) for 2026 and beyond.
The RFP seeks to find a best combination of projects or products to deliver Portfolio Content Category 1 energy and RECs from facilities that will be RPS compliant (pursuant to Public Utilities Code Sections 399.16 (b)(1)), compliant upon COD and throughout the term of the agreement.
NCPA’s members have a preference for resources that qualify as long-term contracts (pursuant to Public Utilities Code Sections 399.13 (b)(1)) with a term of 10 years or greater.
NCPA also seeks cost effective energy storage resources to support its members’ portfolio objectives.
The RFP seeks to find a best combination of energy storage projects or related products to: (i) achieve compliance with Resource Adequacy requirements; therefore, energy storage resources and related products that include Resource Adequacy Benefits are preferred; (ii) use as complementary resources to manage variability associated with Variable Energy Resources (e.g., solar and wind resources); and (iii) provide economic support and can be used to manage market price volatility risk.
NCPA’s members have a preference for energy storage resources and related products that have a capacity of 100 MW or less, based on current portfolio objectives.
NCPA’s members will consider whole projects or partial projects that are consistent with this preferred capacity target.
NCPA requires that during the term of any agreement, the seller will assume the risk of maintaining and bringing the facility or project into compliance should there be a change in law that renders the facility non-compliant with RPS.
Since this is one of the critical elements of a renewable project or product for NCPA, respondents are being asked to describe how this risk would be assumed and addressed by the seller.
Responses to the RFP are due Jan. 16, 2026.
