Orange and Rockland Utilities, Inc. (O&R) is seeking qualified respondents to provide innovative non-wires alternatives (NWA) solutions that deliver system reliability and load relief to the electric distribution system in the Sparkill, New York area. This RFP supports the New York Public Service Commission's Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) initiative and the state's energy storage goals outlined in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA).
The Sparkill Substation is a single-bank distribution substation located on Route 340 in Orangeburg, New York, serving approximately 4,400 customers from four 13.2kV distribution circuits in the Hamlets of Sparkill and Palisades and the Villages of Nyack and Piermont, with a small number in Rockleigh, New Jersey. The primary need is to reduce loading on circuit 50-3-13 through the inclusion of distributed energy resources (DERs) to prevent the circuit from exceeding the conductor relief rating. The non-wires alternatives solution must provide specified load relief for a period of ten years through summer 2032, with potential extension up to an additional five years if substation upgrades are delayed. The traditional solution would be construction of a new distribution circuit tie between 50-3-13 and 50-2-13.
Proposed solutions must satisfy capacity requirements detailed in 24-hour peak day load curves and may consist of a portfolio of DER technologies including energy efficiency, demand response, solar, energy storage, or other distributed generation resources. Solutions are anticipated to be located along New York State Route 9W between Rockland Road and the New Jersey state line. The DER shall be balanced 3-phase, connected to the existing overhead 13.2kV system without system upgrades, and capable of remote monitoring and control integrated into O&R's existing DSCADA system. The required load profile specifies maximum peak discharge of 2 MW with 11 MWh total capacity over a 24-hour period, with charging during off-peak hours (primarily midnight to 7 AM) and discharging during peak hours (2 PM to 8 PM).
Respondents must demonstrate financial and technical capability to develop, construct, maintain, and operate proposed projects. Proposals must include detailed project plans, implementation timelines, cost breakdowns, measurement and verification plans, community impact assessments, and environmental benefits analyses. The evaluation process will consider proposal content, solution viability, technology maturity, functionality, environmental and community impacts, unit costs, benefit-cost analysis results, timeliness, reliability, respondent qualifications, REV applicability, implementation feasibility, and community engagement strategies.