Maui Electric Company is conducting a competitive all-source procurement for renewable firm dispatchable generation and standalone energy storage projects for the Maui system. The RFP seeks proposals for renewable energy resources with battery energy storage systems (BESS), including photovoltaic (PV) plus BESS and wind plus BESS configurations, as well as standalone energy storage projects. The procurement is based on an updated assessment of grid needs for the island as directed by the Public Utilities Commission on February 18, 2022.
The RFP process includes multiple project development phases: RFP Development, Bid Submission, Bid Evaluation, and Project Selection. Proposers may locate projects at the company's Waena Site in central Maui or at other identified interconnection locations. The RFP includes both a variable renewable generation portion and a firm renewable generation portion. Site visit opportunities are available at the Waena property in Puunene, Maui.
Key dates include the Firm Renewable Generation Portion opening May 19, 2023 with bid submission deadline of August 17, 2023 through the Electronic Procurement Platform (Sourcing Intelligence Event #140880). A Waena site visit was held on May 4, 2023 with Q&A results documented. Virtual Technical Conferences were held on August 5, 2022 and February 17, 2023 to discuss procurement details and grid needs assessments.
Proposals are evaluated on both price and non-price factors including technical feasibility, compliance with RFP requirements, interconnection readiness, and project development timeline. The RFP incorporates IEEE Standard 2800-2022 requirements for inverter-based resources. Detailed model Power Purchase Agreements are provided for both firm capacity renewable dispatchable generation and energy storage projects, with specific addendums for Maui projects.