Renewables and All-Source Procurement RFPs: Fundamentals & Best Practices

August 2-3, 2022 | Online ::

0822-all-source-rfp

When it comes to utility resource procurements, renewable energy and all-source competitive solicitations (ASCS) are emerging as instruments of choice. Though the two different approaches share many of the same characteristics, there are important distinctions in their analyses and evaluations. 

This course will provide all soliciting and bidding parties with an overview of best practices and tools to strategically prepare, design, and respond to both targeted, renewable energy-specific and all-source procurement solicitations.  Those active in project development will find the course useful also, as they prepare and position their offering most advantageously. Subject matter experts will share their experiences and strategies to ensure the most competitive and transparent renewable energy procurement RFPs and the benefits they confer to utilities, project developers, EPCs and other transaction parties.

Learning Outcomes

• Describe typical renewable and all-source procurement RFP processes
• Construct a template for preparing and designing procurement RFP processes
• Define products for procurement
• Assess administrative elements
• Determine protocols
• Identify terms and conditions
• Discuss project evaluation criteria
• Review project short-listing elements for negotiation
• Examine after-the-project-award actions

Tuesday, August 2, 2022 : Central Time

 

12:30 – 12:45 p.m. :: Overview and Introductions

12:45 – 2:15 p.m. :: RFP Starting Point – The Resource Plan

• Approaches to IRP development
• Available modeling tools and capabilities
• Defining specific resource targets vs. defining broader needs
• Incorporating a request for information (RFI) process
• Identification of resource need(s)
  • Capacity
  • Energy
  • Ancillary services
  • Environmental attributes

Matt Lind, Director – Resource Planning & Market Assessments, 1898 & Co (part of Burns & McDonnell)

2:15 – 2:25 p.m. :: Afternoon Break #1

2:25 – 3:25 p.m. :: Procurement RFP Design & Structure

• Identifying the need(s)
• Defining the products and/or resource eligibility
• Defining eligible resources
• Description and characteristics
• Needed online date(s), timeline(s) and RFP schedule

Lauren Shwishberg, Manager – Electricity Practice, RMI

3:25 – 3:30 p.m. :: Afternoon Break #2

3:30 – 5:00 p.m. :: RFP Development and Process Plan

• Overall RFP process and options to consider
  • Process overview
  • RFP design options
• Approaches to Proposal Evaluation
  • Portfolio
  • Resource
• General timelines
• RFP package contents
• Distribution list development and market survey
• Logistics:
  • RFP information management
  • Bidders’ conference
  • Q&A
  • Communications and protocols
• Evaluation process plan
• Evaluation criteria
  • Threshold and eligibility requirements
  • Qualitative (non-price) evaluation criteria
  • Quantitative criteria
• Final selection procedures
• Contract negotiations and execution

Dean Koujak, Principal, Charles River Associates (CRA)

5:00 p.m. :: Course Adjourns for Day

 

Wednesday, August 3, 2022 : Central Time

 

12:30 – 1:30 p.m. :: Evaluation Considerations – Renewable Only vs. All-Source RFPs

• Quantitative modeling approaches: a comparison
• Evaluating ownership vs. PPAs:
  • Modeling costs under PPA vs. ownership
  • Qualitative differences
• Conducting sensitivity analyses
• Interconnection cost handling
• Other portfolio factors
  • Congestion costs and benefits
  • Transmission and distribution deferral
  • Contribution to system resiliency

Dean Koujak, Principal, Charles River Associates (CRA)

1:30 – 2:30 p.m. :: Ensuring a Fair and Robust Process

• Separation protocols in allowing self-build options and affiliate bidding
• Contract negotiations – allowance of post-RFP changes vs. locking down the agreements
• Internal team development and siloing
• Best practices in stakeholder engagement
• Transparency – striking the right balance in terms of disclosure of the evaluation process mechanics and potential gaming
• Maximizing participation and competition
• Allowing sufficient time for an RFP response

Lauren Shwishberg, Manager – Electricity Practice, RMI

2:30 – 3:15 p.m. :: Function of Independent Evaluators

• Background – when is an IE required?
• Types of oversight – “Administrator” vs. “Monitor/Observer”
• Scope of work comparison
• Selecting an IE – expertise required to function in the role
• Other considerations

Dean Koujak, Principal, Charles River Associates (CRA)

3:15 – 3:30 p.m. :: Afternoon Break

3:30 – 4:00 p.m. :: Externalities That May Not Be Reflected in Bidding Process but Could Impact Selection

• Scalability
• Transmission access
• Siting
• Curtailment
• Risks associated w/project development, resource delivery
• Availability of storage and recognition of value contribution
• Supply chain knots

4:00 – 5:00 p.m. :: After the Project Award

• Execution
• Administration
• Monitoring and coordination
• Scheduling
• Risk optimization

Matt Lind, Director – Resource Planning & Market Assessments, 1898 & Co (part of Burns & McDonnell)

5:00 p.m. :: Course Adjournment

Dean Koujak, Principal, CRA International

Dean Koujak is Principal of CRA International, providing energy market and procurement advisory services to utilities, developers, investors, and other stakeholders in the electric power industry.  Prior to joining CRA, he was a director in the Energy Practice of Navigant, which was later acquired and re-branded as Guidehouse, Inc.  While at the firm, he served as a consultant to utilities and other stakeholders in the industry advising on procurement, large-scale renewable development, renewable portfolio standards compliance, utility business strategy, decarbonization pathways, transmission infrastructure planning, grid modernization, non-wires solutions, power markets matters (NYISO/PJM/ISO-NE/MISO), energy efficiency program implementation, utility contract negotiations, electric resource planning, regulatory compliance strategy, M&A, and industry litigation.  Mr. Koujak is highly qualified in independent procurement oversight and implementation and has served in a variety of capacities in this regard including as an independent evaluator, administrator, independent monitor, and independent observer. He earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering management for New York Institute of Technology, an MBA from Stony Brook University and his law degree from Hofstra University.

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Matthew Lind, Director – Resource Planning & Market Assessments, 1898 & Co. (part of Burns & McDonnell)

Matthew Lind is the director of resource planning and market assessments at 1898 & Co., part of Burns & McDonnell. He has worked as a professional consultant in the utility and energy sector since 2004. Mr. Lind specializes in system planning and market congestion studies driven by strategic, economic and regulatory considerations for generation or transmission development in markets across North America. He has a Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering from Iowa State University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

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Lauren Shwisberg, Manager – Carbon-Free Electricity, RMI

Lauren Shwisberg is a Manager in RMI’s Carbon-Free Electricity Practice, leading research and collaboration projects to support the rapid transition to a low-carbon electricity system. Her work examines the roles that renewable energy and distributed energy resources can play in grid planning and investment.  She has experience as a facilitator for RMI’s Electricity Innovation Lab (e^–Lab), an assembly of thought leaders and decision makers from across the US electricity sector focused collaborative innovation to address critical barriers to clean energy deployment.  Prior to joining RMI, Ms. Schwisberg received her master’s degree from Stanford University in Civil and Environmental Engineering, focused on Atmosphere and Energy. While in graduate school, she worked at RMI as a Schneider Fellow with e^–Lab Leap. She was also an intern at Tesla where she worked on the Powerpack product team, building models to assess large-scale energy storage applications.  Before returning to graduate school, she worked as a civilian engineer for the United States Navy. With Naval Sea Systems Command, Ms. Shwisberg primarily worked in program management on shipbuilding programs, and pursued her interest in renewable energy through execution of the energy efficiency portfolio for large amphibious ships, and energy and environmental policy at the Pentagon. While living in Washington DC, she was a fellow with the Clean Energy Leadership Institute.

We will be using Microsoft Teams to facilitate your participation in the upcoming event. You do not need to have an existing Teams account in order to participate in the broadcast – the course will play in your browser and you will have the option of using a microphone to speak with the room and ask questions, or type any questions in via the chat window and our on-site representative will relay your question to the instructor.

• IMPORTANT NOTE: After November 30 you will not be able to join a Teams meeting using Internet Explorer 11. Microsoft recommends downloading and installing the Teams app if possible. You may also use the Edge browser or Chrome.
• You will receive a meeting invitation will include a link to join the meeting.
• Separate meeting invitations will be sent for the morning and afternoon sessions of the course.
  • You will need to join the appropriate meeting at the appropriate time.
• If you are using a microphone, please ensure that it is muted until such time as you need to ask a question.
• The remote meeting connection will be open approximately 30 minutes before the start of the course. We encourage you to connect as early as possible in case you experience any unforeseen problems.

Please Note: This event is being conducted entirely online. All attendees will connect and attend from their computer, one connection per purchase. For details please see our FAQ

If you are unable to attend at the scheduled date and time, we make recordings available to all attendees for 7 days after the event

REGISTER NOW FOR THIS EVENT:

Renewables and All-Source Procurement RFPs: Fundamentals & Best Practices

August 2-3, 2022 | Online

Your registration may be transferred to a member of your organization up to 24 hours in advance of the event. Cancellations must be received on or before July 15, 2022 in order to be refunded and will be subject to a US $195.00 processing fee per registrant. No refunds will be made after this date. Cancellations received after this date will create a credit of the tuition (less processing fee) good toward any other EUCI event. This credit will be good for six months from the cancellation date. In the event of non-attendance, all registration fees will be forfeited. In case of conference cancellation, EUCIs liability is limited to refund of the event registration fee only. For more information regarding administrative policies, such as complaints and refunds, please contact our offices at 303-770-8800

Credits

EUCI is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard. IACET is recognized internationally as a standard development organization and accrediting body that promotes quality of continuing education and training.

EUCI is authorized by IACET to offer 0.9 CEUs for this course

Requirements for Successful Completion of Program  

Participants must log in each day and be in attendance for the entirety of the course to be eligible for continuing education credit.  

Instructional Methods 

Case studies, PowerPoint presentations, and group discussion will be used in this event.  

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Upon successful completion of this event, program participants interested in receiving CPE credits will receive a certificate of completion.

Course CPE Credits: 10.0
There is no prerequisite for this Course.
Program field of study: Specialized Knowledge
Program Level: Basic
Delivery Method: Group Internet Based
Advanced Preparation: None

EUCI is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its web site: www.nasbaregistry.org

 

 

Who Should Attend

In utilities and other power systems procuring renewable energy resources…

• Procurement staff
• Contract administration staff
• Renewable energy planning staff
• Integrated resource planning staff
• (Resource) origination staff
• Project management staff
• Compliance staff

In the power project development sector providing renewable energy resources…

• Business development
• Project management