MISC 00001 Published On: 10/12/2022
Question: How can bidders find transmission information for projects that may want to site at the Urquhart facility?
Answer: You can contact DESC Transmission. Contact information for DESC Transmission is available at https://www.oasis.oati.com/sceg/index.html.
MISC 00002 Published On: 10/12/2022
Question: What interconnections are available for projects locating at the Urquhart site?
Answer: The Urquhart site has two separate interconnections at 96 MW and 97 MW to the 115 KV transmission system at the Urquhart 115 KV substation. These are “grandfathered” interconnections that predate the current Large Generator Interconnection Process.
MISC 00003 Published On: 10/12/2022
Question: If the Urquhart site has two separate interconnections to the 115 KV transmission system at the Urquhart 115 KV substation, would Urquhart site bids need separate interconnection agreements to mimic the current arrangement?
Answer: A developer submitting a bid for greater than 97 MW of generation at the Urquhart site can request that the two existing 115 KV interconnections be combined into a single interconnection (i.e. a single 193 MW interconnection) if the bid(s) are shortlisted and studied through the Resource Solicitation Cluster process, however, this may trigger upgrade costs. A project that utilizes both existing interconnections (i.e. one 97 MW interconnection and one 96 MW interconnection) separately would be more akin to Generator Replacement as contemplated under DESC’s OATT. The RFP team cautions that any project that is not traditional synchronous generation may trigger upgrade costs due to differences between the existing synchronous generation and inverter-based generation. Additionally, storage projects have bi-directional flows (charging and discharging) while the existing interconnection is only unidirectional (generation).
MISC 00004 Published On: 10/21/2022
Question: We understand that bidders who are selected to move into the Definitive Agreement Phase will also enter the Resource Solicitation Cluster. Will DESC please provide more detailed information and the proposed study timeline for the Resource Solicitation Cluster? This will allow bidders to plan around development timelines and offer more certainty around commercial operation dates.
Answer: The Resource Solicitation Cluster ("RSC") will be administered by DESC Electric Transmission in accordance with the Company's Open Access Transmission Tariff ("OATT"), so the RFP Team cannot provide any guarantees around the duration required for the study.
The RFP Team anticipates kicking off the RSC process following evaluation activities with DESC Electric Transmission on or around February 17, 2023 (as identified in the RFP documents).
Only RFP shortlist project(s) will be studied through the RSC and the duration of the study process will be highly dependent on the number of project(s) ultimately shortlisted to fulfill the RFP requirements.
That said, the RFP Team believes it is reasonable for Bidders to assume that this process will take approximately three months from start of the RSC cluster.
Bidders should clearly identify any assumptions included in their proposal(s) around the anticipated duration of the RSC Cluster and contract negotiations/conformance following a shortlist notification. Bidders should also clearly identify any validity period for their proposal pricing and are invited to provide any escalation/de-escalation to that proposal pricing to extend that proposal validity period.
MISC 00005 Published On: 11/15/2022
Question: My question is in regard to standalone energy storage projects bidding in a PPA. To my knowledge, DESC does not have a tariff that directly addresses service to standalone energy storage projects (PR-Storage tariff only addresses hybrid projects). Rate 24 for Time-Of-Use Large General Service was not designed for front-of-the-meter standalone storage and would make any bid automatically uneconomical. Can DESC speak to what tariff we should adhere to, or should we assume that DESC will create a new PPA tariff for standalone storage in the future?
Answer: This is an All Sources Request for Proposals. It is the responsibility of Bidders to propose commercial terms with respect to their individual projects.
The Bidder is correct that DESC does not have an existing tariff in place that can serve as a "go-by" for designing a standalone energy storage project contract.
With respect to standalone energy storage to be provided through a PPA mechanism, DESC recommends that Bidders propose a tolling arrangement with the project owner never taking title to the stored energy to avoid the potential regulatory challenges of becoming a wholesale customer.
A complete bid response for any energy storage project incorporating grid charging will need to provide necessary technical information (i.e. roundtrip efficiency, assumed metering locations, etc.) for DESC to evaluate the proposal and ensure it is being evaluated equally against other potential projects of similar technology class (i.e. standalone storage, hybrid solar + storage) and contract delivery mechanism (i.e. PPA vs BTA vs APA vs self-build).
MISC 00006 Published On: 11/17/2022
Question: There is a line item in Section D of the bid response sheet (Appendix F) that asks to clarify if the unit being bid has Automatic Generation Control (AGC). Can you please clarify what AGC is, and provide us with a definition or point to a resource that clarifies what qualifies as AGC?
Answer: Automatic Generation Control ("AGC") is the ability of a resource to be directly dispatched by and respond automatically to a control signal provided by DESC Electric Transmission/System Control. DESC does not have a formal guidance document on AGC implementation within its Balancing Area Authority; technical implementation of AGC is on a resource-by-resource/project-by-project basis.
This RFP is seeking fully dispatchable resources; a resource must have the ability to utilize an AGC signal provided by DESC to be considered fully dispatchable. Bidders should explicitly state any material assumptions in their proposal concerning the provision of AGC implementation for their project(s).
MISC 00007 Published On: 11/17/2022
Question: Are any rate class ineligible for demand side resource participation in this RFP? Ex. Rate 8 etc.
Answer: DESC will not accept any proposals received through this RFP process that create a customer/customer class cost shift, nor will it sponsor the creation of any new or modification of any existing tariff(s) with respect to projects assoicated with this RFP process.
It is the obligation of the Bidder to ensure that these principles are not violated in their proposed project design.
DESC's Interruptible Service ("IS") rider program to Rates 23 and 24 is an existing demand response program that Bidders should be aware of when designing any potential demand response proposals to ensure that they do not conflict with this existing program. The terms of this rider are not intended to be a model for Respondents as they design their proposals.
MISC 00008 Published On: 12/05/2022
Question: Can the PV and BESS be separate terms? Or do they all have to follow one term length?
Answer: For hybrid facility proposals, the RFP Team strongly recommends against Bidders proposing different contract terms for assets within the facility. Such a contract arrangement will be extremely difficult to accurately model and compare to similar proposals for third-party owned hybrid assets.
To the extent a Bidder provides separate proposed contract terms for assets within a hybrid facility, the Bidder must be explicit in their proposal how they are proposing to accomplish this functionally (i.e. severability of interconnection rights between the assets, shared or standalone inverters, etc.).
MISC 00009 Published On: 12/14/2022
Question: Long Term Service Agreement appears capitalized in 5.10 but it is not defined. Please provide a definition.
Answer: A Long Term Service Agreement would be any such agreement(s) with a third-party that provide for post-commercial operation activities, including, but not limited to: operational staffing, preventive/corrective/predictive maintenance, major maintenance activities (including major overhauls), and on-going compliance testing and reporting activities.
MISC 00010 Published On: 12/14/2022
Question: With regards to the RSC, if a project is shortlisted and moves into the RSC, does that mean that the Phase 1 start date would be 2/17/23 per the attached DISIS cluster study timelines? Or would it be another point in the timeline i.e. application window, customer engagement window, etc.?
Answer: The RSC will follow the process that is outlined in DESC's Open Access Transmission Tariff ("OATT"). The shortlist notifications associated with the RFP process will trigger the RSC initiation. The conduct of the RSC is outside of the control of the RFP Team and will be at DESC Electric Transmission's discretion withinin the bounds of the OATT.
The RFP Team would direct Bidders to Section 10.2 of the Standard Large Generator Interconnection Procedures ("LGIP") of the OATT.
MISC 00011 (revised 01/20/2023) Published On: 01/19/2023
Question: Is there a standard set of requirements that DESC uses to assess eligibility of a parent guarantee for an acceptable form of security from an entity?
Answer: For DESC to assess the eligibility of a parental guarantee as an acceptable form of security for an entity, DESC will require the entity to provide:
Each such request will be evaluated by DESC on a case-by-case basis. Per DESC’s sole discretion, (i) the parent company must be satisfactory to DESC, and (ii) any parental guarantee must be in form and substance satisfactory to DESC.
MISC 00012 Published On: 02/10/2023
Question: Can DESC provide its form LoC?
Answer: DESC will provide its form Letter of Credit for the Letter of Intent ("LOI") Security along with the form LOI document to Bidders who have been notified of their selection through the RFP process.
DESC presently plans to provide the LOI document to these Bidders no later than Monday, February 20th, 2023 and more information around the LOI and LOI Security will be sent with RFP selection notifications.
MISC 00013 Published On: 01/03/2024
Question: If contact information has changed, will that be updated via the non-binding Notice of Intent? I’ve been moved into a different org within the company and have a new email but still would be RFP lead.
Answer: Correct, you can update your contact information on Appendix A (Notice of Intent).
MISC 00014 Published On: 01/10/2024
Question: What is the meaning of facility description in the NOI?
Answer: In the Notice of Intent form due January 12, 2024, the 'Facility Description' field is optional and can include information you wish to provide in addition to information captured in other fields on the form.
MISC 00015 Published On: 01/16/2024
Question: Can DESC define what "technical aspects" we are able to change with the projects that we previously bid into the 2022 RFP? For the 2023-2024 RFP reissuance, are we able to change size, configuration, technology, etc.?
Answer: DESC will accept the following technical changes (including, but not limited to) to previous proposals:
However, the projects previously proposed in the original RFP response must be in the same/original physical location and utilize the same Point of Interconnection to the DESC system.
MISC 00016 Published On: 03/07/2024
Question: On hybrid projects can we have different PPA tenors on the PV and BESS portions of the project?
Answer: For a hybrid project, DESC views the combined PV and BESS as one facility, and the same PPA term should apply to the entire facility.
MISC 00017 Published On: 03/22/2024
Question: Please define and share the curtailment % for solar and solar+storage PPA's. Please clarify if a curtailment % will be assumed in evaluating a solar or solar+storage BTA bid.
Answer: DESC has not and does not intend to define the expected level of curtailment for any resource bid into the RFP. Uncompensated curtailments are anticipated for inclusion in the PPAs associated with this RFP; and each bidder should clearly state their assumptions for uncompensated curtailments. The same can be assumed for any BTA bids.
MISC 00018 Published On: 03/22/2024
Question: We understand there may be transmission related curtailment but not economic curtailment in PPAs. Please confirm the maximum % for each curtailment type. Also, will any curtailment be assumed in the BTA / DBT bids?
MISC 00019 Published On: 03/22/2024
Question: Can a PPA bid can be changed to BTA/DBT for the RFP reissuance and vice versa?
Answer: A change of the agreement type as described in this question is acceptable for the RFP reissuance. Note that this response relates to "BTA" only as "DBT" is not a defined term in the RFP. Please also review FAQ MISC 00015.
MISC 00020 Published On: 04/01/2024
Question: Will asset purchase agreement (APA) offers with a transfer date before NTP be accepted? NTP is defined as start of construction mobilization. We would like to submit APA offers where the transfer occurs in mid-stage development (projects in interconnection queue, land control complete, equipment procurement not complete) so DESC can exercise its own preference for equipment vendors.
Answer: No – such offers will not be accepted. DESC does not presently have interest in completion of mid-stage development projects for this RFP.
MISC 00021 Published On: 04/01/2024
Question: If we proposed a bid with a battery capacity slightly higher than what's in our IA, would we need to enter the RSC for just the additional capacity of the battery or would the entire PV + S project need to be studied through the RSC?
Answer: Any material modification to a project beyond its existing IA would require review under the terms of DESC's OATT.
MISC 00022 Published On: 04/23/2024
Question: If selected to execute an LOI, what are the acceptable forms of security?
Answer: The LOI security may be provided in the form of one or more of the following: a letter of credit, cash collateral, or such other form of credit support mutually agreed upon by DESC and the Respondent. All forms of LOI security must be in form and substance acceptable to DESC in its discretion.
MISC 00023 Published On: 05/10/2024
Question: We are prepping the LOI Security on our side as preparation for shortlisting. We are wondering if the LC form will be like the 2022 LOI Security form. Can you please confirm? If the form is not similar, is there any chance you may provide new form?
Answer: After any shortlisted proposals/bidders have been notified of shortlist seclection, the form of LC that may be used for the LOI Security will be provided upon requst to such shortlisted proposals/bildders with ample time for review prior to the date that the LOI Security must be posted.
MISC 00024 Published On: 07/03/2024
Question: Can you please confirm whether projects that are shortlisted in the Dominion RFP and consequently enter the Resource Solicitation Cluster process can continue to remain in DISIS? Our project needs to determine by mid-July whether or not it will stay in DISIS.
Answer: CRA is currently conducting follow-up communications with several bidders in this process. CRA and DESC are aware of the forthcoming readiness milestone for participants in the 2023 DISIS interconnection process and anticipate being able to provide an update to all bidders by the end of next week (Friday, July 12th).
MISC 00025 Published On: 07/09/2024
Question: Can DESC confirm if projects in the Minimum Thermal Bid group are similar to a "reserve list" and have the ability to move forward with contracting if projects in the Reference Scenario group withdraw from the RFP?
Answer: No, the Minimum Thermal Build portfolio is not intended to serve as a “reserve list” of projects to potentially move forward if a project initially selected for contracting is unable to move forward.
MISC 00026 Published On: 07/26/2024
Question: Are projects that are not selected for shortlisting placed in a reserve list in the case that any shortlisted projects are not selected? We are wondering if our project may still be eligible in the case that if a shortlisted project drops out.
Answer: No 'reserve list' of proposals is specifically envisioned in the RFP Documents.