Burlington Electrical points RFP to exchange expiring renewable vitality sources – Vermont Biz

To Guarantee Continued Sourcing of 100 P.c of Metropolis’s Energy from Renewable Vitality Era in Pursuit of Internet Zero Vitality Objective

Vermont Enterprise Journal Burlington Electrical Division (BED) this week issued a request for proposals (RFP) for renewable vitality assets to make sure that the municipal utility is ready to proceed to supply one hundred pc of the Metropolis’s energy from renewable vitality era in pursuit of Burlington’s Internet Zero Vitality by 2030 objective. BED will proceed to go above and past the State of Vermont renewable vitality necessities because it invitations proposals for renewable vitality assets to exchange contracts that can be expiring within the subsequent two to 5 years.

“With this RFP, Burlington Electrical once more is demonstrating our dedication to proceed to supply one hundred pc of our energy from renewable era, whilst we transfer towards better use of electrical energy for electrical automobiles, chilly local weather warmth pumps, and different clear vitality applied sciences,” said Darren Springer, BED Normal Supervisor. “Policymakers typically cite the significance of supporting further renewable vitality tasks in Vermont and, by means of this RFP, we’re doing our half by inviting cost-effective, Vermont renewable vitality tasks, in addition to regional renewable vitality tasks, to submit aggressive proposals to provide a portion of BED’s future vitality wants.”

Mike Kanarick, Supervisor of Buyer Care, Communications, and Vitality Service for BED, advised VermontBiz: “We now have each wind and hydro contracts reaching their full phrases over the subsequent a number of years. Please observe that our issuance of the RFP shouldn’t be primarily based on a present shortfall, however relatively is an act of cautious, advance planning by our crew primarily based on open future positions a number of years out.”

Nice River Hydro expires on 12/31/2024 and Sheffield Wind expires on 9/19/2026. Each are Vermont era tasks. Hancock Wind in Maine expires on 12/10/2026.

Burlington was acknowledged in 2014 as the primary metropolis within the nation to supply one hundred pc of its energy from renewable era and has continued to take action. BED not solely sources one hundred pc of its energy from renewable era, but additionally is one hundred pc renewable after accounting for renewable vitality certificates (REC) gross sales and purchases.

In 2019, Mayor Miro Weinberger and BED launched the Net Zero Energy Roadmap to information efforts to strategically electrify within the thermal and floor transportation sectors and to make different efforts to cut back emissions in service of the Metropolis’s 2030 local weather objective.

BED’s technique of getting a mixture of utility-owned vegetation, such because the McNeil Producing Station, the Winooski One Hydroelectric Plant, and photo voltaic arrays, in addition to long-term contracts with renewable vitality tasks, helps to cut back price pressures for BED prospects throughout a interval of traditionally excessive costs within the New England area.

For instance, absent McNeil’s operation, BED would have wanted an estimated further 20 p.c fee improve in fiscal 12 months 2023 on account of unstable fossil gas costs within the regional vitality market.

The expiring assets symbolize roughly 28 p.c of BED’s vitality portfolio, which at present has extra energy-producing assets. BED tries to take care of some extra vitality availability to take care of one hundred pc renewability in years with lower-than-expected renewable vitality manufacturing. 

BED’s choice because it pursues an economical vitality contracting technique is to buy vitality related to a number of renewable producing services, relatively than for generic New England wholesale market vitality.

Additional, BED would favor native, Vermont-based proposals, and would take into account assets that exist or are being developed for the New England area.

events might view the RPF at burlingtonelectric.com/RFP by clicking on RFP # PS-2022-1. Responses are due by 4:30pm on Friday, October 21, 2022.

burlingtonelectric.com  Burlington, VT – Burlington Electrical Division 9.29.2022