CenterPoint Energy has announced that its Indiana-based electric and gas business, Southern Indiana Gas and Electric Co. (SIGECO) is opening a new request for proposals (RFP) to seek a combination of wind, solar and solar + storage resources to meet the future needs of its 145,000 electric customers in southwestern Indiana.
“While we continue negotiating for active projects identified in our first ever All-Source RFP, conducted as part of our most recent Integrated Resource Plan, additional projects are required to fill the remaining need,” said Steve Greenley, senior VP of generation development. “We are excited to enter the next phase of our electric generation resource transition.”
This RFP will assist in identifying replacement generation capacity beginning in 2023. SIGECO recently completed its 2019/2020 Integrated Resource Plan in which the company announced plans to retire 730 MW of coal-fired generation by 2024 and largely fill its ongoing energy need with renewable generation. Specifically, the company is seeking 700 to 1,000 MW of solar and solar + storage as well as 300 MW of wind resources.
SIGECO has retained 1898 & Co., a division of Burns & McDonnell Engineering Company, to act as its agent in managing the RFP process. All RFP inquiries and communications are to be made via email at VectrenRFP@1898andco.com. The RFP documents, schedule and other RFP information can be found at Vectren2020RFP.rfpmanager.biz/.
News item from CenterPoint Energy
Solarman says
“This RFP will assist in identifying replacement generation capacity beginning in 2023. SIGECO recently completed its 2019/2020 Integrated Resource Plan in which the company announced plans to retire 730 MW of coal-fired generation by 2024 and largely fill its ongoing energy need with renewable generation. Specifically, the company is seeking 700 to 1,000 MW of solar and solar + storage as well as 300 MW of wind resources.”
A deep dive into costs vs usefulness of more energy storage to less solar PV and wind generation or more solar PV and wind generation with less energy storage. Right now it seems that energy storage has more stacked grid services attached to one asset. Being able to over generate during the “duck curve” portion of the day could allow both wind and solar PV energy stored, time shifted and used at night of a longer non-fueled energy day. SIGECO will have to do a detailed analysis of the local grid to see what technology to spend the most money on and where one would get the biggest bang for the buck when the system is constructed. IE) At the edge of town as a micro-grid using Medium Voltage A.C. output with fewer transformer step losses between generation and ratepayers, would it make sense up front to install the solar PV on single axis tracking strings and get a couple of hours generation more each day on average, how much more would that cost?