STM 00001 (revised 05/10/2022) Published On: 05/06/2022
Question: Can you post written responses to the questions raised during the Stakeholder Meeting held on April 18th, 2022?
Answer: Responses to the questions from the Stakeholder Meetings are posted on the Stakeholder Materials page of this website at https://www.duke2022solarrfpcarolinas.com/StakeholderMaterials.
STM 00002 Published On: 05/11/2022
Question: There was some discussion on the April 18, 2022, Solar Stakeholder Meeting around whether Asset Transfer (without an EPC Agreement) would remain as an option in the final RFP document. Given the uncertainties around supply chain, procurement, and government action against certain module providers, we think it is important that Asset Transfer (without an EPC Agreement) remain a bid option. This would allow the developer to offer a lower price for the sale of the asset as the risk of procurement would be on Duke and Duke may be better prepared to navigate and accept these risks. Can you confirm that the Asset Transfer (without an EPC Agreement) will remain an option in this RFP?
Answer: Confirmed; the Asset Transfer (without EPC Agreement) is a Proposal option for the 2022 SP.
STM 00003 Published On: 05/11/2022
Question: There was some discussion on the April 18, 2022, Solar Stakeholder Meeting conference call that instead of or in addition to bidding on a basis excluding System Upgrade costs, MPs might also be allowed to or be required to bid a PPA price that excludes System Upgrades costs subject to a $/MWh per $1M System Upgrade cost adjuster. If this bid with price adjuster approach is enacted, would it apply only to Facilities that are in the DISIS cluster, or would it apply also to Facilities that already have an LGIA and/or to Facilities that are in the Transition Cluster and already have some estimate of System Upgrade costs? It would seem to be apples-to-apples comparable to bids by Facilities in the DISIS cluster, that Facilities with LGIAs or Facilities in the Transition Cluster with estimates of System Upgrade costs should be allowed to bid on this same price adjuster basis? And, even if bid on this basis, such Facilities with LGIAs or Facilities in the Transition Cluster with estimated System Upgrades costs would have lower risk with more certainty of system Upgrades costs than Facilities in the DISIS cluster. How will the bidding criteria be structured to ensure that PPA pricing is most apples-to-apples comparable for projects at differing stages of System Upgrade cost certainty? How will the level of certainty in System Upgrade costs be acknowledged and valued as part of the selection process?
Answer: Proposals with an existing LGIA will pay for their own System Upgrades and should incorporate those assigned costs into their bid price (they will not have a “Part B” bid price). Proposals in DISIS will be required to submit a proposal that includes a “Part A” and a “Part B” bid price. The “Part A” bid price should include interconnection facilities but exclude System Upgrade costs. The Part B bid price should include the Part A price plus the $/MWh per $1 million System Upgrade Cost Adjuster. Projects in the Transitional Cluster must exit the Transitional Cluster and enter the 2022 DISIS Cluster process if they would like to participate in the 2022 SP.