Duke Energy issues request for renewable energy proposals

US utility company Duke Energy Carolinas (DEC) has issued a request for 750,000MWh of energy located in its territory, including biomass and landfill gas installations.

Results from the request for proposals (RFP) will help DEC meet North Carolina's 2007 Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (REPS), which mandates the company generate 12.5% of its retail sales in the state by renewable energy or energy efficiency programmes by 2021.

The RFP is open to biomass, landfill gas, solar, wind, and other facilities that qualify as a renewable energy resource under REPS requirements, excluding swine and poultry waste.

"We want to encourage market development of more renewable generation in the Duke Energy Carolinas system in the most competitive manner possible," said Rob Caldwell, president at Duke Energy Renewables and Distributed Energy Technology.

"This RFP gives developers the opportunity to either pursue projects themselves or sell current projects under development to Duke Energy," he added.

The 750,000 MWh figure is enough to supply the energy needs of nearly 62,000 residential houses when operating at peak capacity.

Currently, about 75% of Duke Energy's owned and purchased solar generating capacity is in the Duke Energy Progress (DEP) territory.

"We are well ahead of our compliance in our Duke Energy Progress territory, and view this as an opportunity to bring more renewable energy to customers in other parts of the state," said Caldwell.

Interested bidders must already be in the DEC interconnection queue, which includes renewable projects already proposed in the region.

The RFP allows bidders the flexibility to offer purchased power proposals, engineering, procurement and construction turnkey proposals in which Duke Energy takes ownership of the new facility, or project development proposals that are in the late stages of development where Duke Energy would take ownership and build the new facility.

The RFP closes on 28 November and the proposed projects must be in operation by 31 December, 2018.