U.S. utility to solicit more green power

ROSEMEAD, California, US, April 27, 2005 (Refocus Weekly)

The largest purchaser of green power in the U.S. will ask for more renewable energy.

Southern California Edison will conduct its third competitive solicitation in the last three years for additional renewable power contracts. In a recent solicitation, six projects were selected that will yield between 140 to 425 MW of green power capacity as early as 2007. The utility and project developers are waiting for approval of those agreements from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).

"We are on track to reach California's renewable power standard of 20% for utilities well ahead of schedule," says Pedro Pizarro of SCE. "We continue to look for cost-effective opportunities to help the state achieve its renewable energy goals."

It will seek contracts for 10 to 20 years which will result in 730 million kWh, or 1% of the total annual electricity used by the utility's bundled customers. It has filed draft copies of proposed solicitation with the CPUC, with a request to start the request for proposals this summer.

Eligible resources include solar PV, wind, geothermal, solar thermal generating, hydroelectric facilities under 30 MW, thermal electric generating using biomass or landfill gas, ocean wave, ocean thermal, tidal current, fuel cells using renewable fuels, or municipal solid waste conversion generating facility using a non-combustion thermal process. Facilities must be located in California or near the state border.

SCE wants interested parties to provide general information about possible bids in advance of the solicitation, to facilitate preliminary transmission cost analysis for the RFP.

Earlier this month, SCE said it may issue a request for offers for contracts lasting up to ten years for new power plants that could be online between June 2006 and August 2008. That RFO would be open both to renewable and non-renewable power providers.

SCE leads the U.S. in green power delivery, procuring 13,000,000 MWh of renewable energy last year, more than any U.S. utility or state except for California. Its current portfolio can deliver 2,588 MW of electricity, including 1,021 MW from wind, 892 MW from geothermal, 354 MW from solar, 226 MW from biomass and 95 MW from small hydro.

Southern California Edison is one of the largest electric utilities, serving a population of 13 million though 4.6 million accounts in central, coastal and southern California.

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