NESCOE Commences RFI In Support of Meeting New England’s Renewable Energy Goals Cost –Effectively
December 30, 2010 – The New England States Committee on Electricity1 (“NESCOE”) is pleased to announce the launch of a Request for Information (“RFI”) process that will inform and influence future regional steps in the potential coordinated procurement of renewable energy resources to help meet New England’s renewable energy and environmental goals in the most cost-effective manner. The focus of this RFI effort is on new renewable energy projects whose output would qualify as Renewable Portfolio Standard-eligible in five New England states (CT, MA, ME, NH and RI) and for Vermont’s renewable energy goals, and that could be placed into commercial operation by the end of 2016.
Related Documents:
Responses
In addition to using the information gathered in this RFI in any future Request for Proposals (“RFP”) that may be pursued as part of a coordinated renewable procurement process, NESCOE may also use this information, and supplementary information from transmission planners, owners and developers, to identify those renewable energy projects that may significantly benefit from a coordinated renewables procurement process. Finally, it is possible that information developed in the RFI may inform a potential economic study that would be requested of ISO-NE in the second quarter of 2011. Hence, developers of new renewable generation resources, and developers of new transmission facilities that could help deliver such renewable energy to New England loads, are strongly encouraged to inform and influence these processes by responding to the RFI.
NESCOE has developed this RFI to minimize the amount of “core response information” required from respondents regarding new renewable energy resources, while including the opportunity for respondents to provide any supplementary information that they believe would be useful to NESCOE. The RFI process also allows transmission developers to provide “transmission only” information regarding potential transmission projects that could facilitate the delivery of energy from specific or generic renewable energy resources.
In the RFI, information will be collected through two forms: (1) a short Core Information Spreadsheet that will solicit high-level information on renewable generation resources, and (2) a Supplemental Information Form through which respondents submitting a Core Information Spreadsheet can provide additional information on those resources. In addition, transmission owners and/or developers who have identified specific transmission projects that could facilitate the delivery of renewable energy to New England loads in a cost-effective manner are encouraged to provide information on such transmission projects by submitting a “stand-alone” Supplemental Information Form. The other two documents associated with this RFI include: (3) this transmittal letter; and (4) the Guidance to Respondents memorandum. NESCOE intends to conduct an informational session in January 2011 to review the RFI process and response forms. Details about such a session will be distributed soon. NESCOE will also answer questions respondents pose in writing. The process for submitting such questions is provided in the Guidance to Respondents memorandum.
Completed Core Information Spreadsheets should be submitted to NESCOE by Friday, February 4, 2011, while completed Supplemental Information Forms should be submitted by Friday, February 25, 2011. More information on the RFI process and the RFI response forms (the Core Information Spreadsheet and the Supplemental Information Form) can be obtained from www.nescoe.com.
NESCOE appreciates interested stakeholder participation in this important next step toward meeting New England’s energy and environmental goals most cost-effectively.