GEN 00002 Published On: 03/01/2022
Question: Will red-lines to the NDA be accepted?
Answer: Duke is willing to review and consider minor edits to the NDA on a case-by-case basis.
GEN 00003 (revised 12/13/2023) Published On: 03/01/2022
Question: Does the transmission interconnect have to be on a line that is owned by Duke, or can it be on a line that is in the subject service area, such as a Centerpoint line?
Answer: There is no requirement that projects be in DEI’s system. There is a strong preference for projects located in MISO LRZ6. Projects must also be transmission level projects.
GEN 00004 (revised 12/13/2023) Published On: 03/01/2022
Question: Are there any affiliate restrictions associated with this RFP? For example, in Duke Energy Carolinas, there are restrictions on project ownership %’s and caps on affiliate offer sizes.
Answer: There are no affiliate-specific restrictions that apply to affiliate bids or self builds. DEI and affiliates of DEI can submit projects into the process so long as the projects meet the basic requirements for participation. All bids including self builds and affiliate bids, will be evaluated using the same evaluation criteria being applied to all projects submitted into the RFP. DEI and affiliates will be afforded no special advantages or special restrictions in the process.
GEN 00005 (revised 12/13/2023) Published On: 03/01/2022
Question: Is Duke looking to self-build assets instead/in addition to this RFP? If submissions are not favorable would they look to self-build and not accept bids?
Answer: Duke is considering self-build options and those projects will be evaluated as part of the RFP process using the same evaluation criteria that applies to all process bids.
GEN 00006 (revised 12/13/2023) Published On: 03/01/2022
Question: Will you give preference to projects that have more advanced MISO queue positions and thus have less uncertainty on their MISO and Affected System upgrade costs? For example, 2020 DPP queues may be past Phase 3 while 2021 will (maybe?) be past Phase 1 by the bid due date. Would these proposal be weighted equally or would the DPP 2021 project be penalized for uncertainty of upgrade costs?
Answer: Projects will be evaluated consistent with the evaluation criteria posted to the Information Website. The Development Risk scoring category outlines how points will be awarded for projects based on their development stage.
GEN 00007 (revised 12/13/2023) Published On: 03/01/2022
Question: Is there a target %, minimum, or maximum capacity of the total non-intermittent supply that DEI would like to be met by BESS projects? Could that number be as low as 0% or as high as 100% of the total MW target?
Answer: There is no technology-specific target or carve out within the intermittent or non-intermittent RFPs. The RFP documents include tentative targets for each broad category. However, as noted in the solicitation documents, DEI reserves the right to deviate from those targets based on the bids received. DEI may contract with greater or fewer MW for each category than what is identified in Table 2 of the Solicitation documents.
GEN 00008 Published On: 03/01/2022
Question: Is Duke Energy Indiana interested in the possibility of purchasing the energy storage system directly to avoid mark up costs by the developers/EPCs?
Answer: Through this RFP DEI is soliciting bids for turnkey projects or similar. DEI is not soliciting options to purchase equipment to supply to developers for use in DEI projects.
GEN 00009 (revised 12/13/2023) Published On: 03/03/2022
Question: For a solar facility paired with storage, can you submit the solar + storage as an intermittent resource and then the storage as standalone as a non-intermittent resource?
Answer: DEI would encourage bidders to submit all bids and options. For the specific scenario described, CRA would request that the bidders identify if bid submissions are mutually exclusive or not.
GEN 00010 Published On: 03/03/2022
Question: Is nuclear considered for a resource for the non-intermittent RFP?
Answer: DEI would consider all options that meet the state resource location requirement for the RFP. Since it is an all-source RFP, DEI will consider a wide range of resources options however, bids for standalone coal assets will not be accepted.
GEN 00011 (revised 12/13/2023) Published On: 03/03/2022
Question: The non-intermittent RFP mentions hydrogen burning capabilities and is that something that needs to be in place now or a potential component in the future?
Answer:
DEI is open to hydrogen bids but bids should be far enough in planning and development to be transaction ready projects. This means bidders need to have specific details about the project's development and the anticipated costs, including a detailed description of the facility capabilities, the infrastructure available to support fuel blending, as well as capital costs and uncertainties associated with such operations. Bids would need this level of detail to be evaluated against more traditional resources. Facilities amenable to carbon capture and sequestration (“CCS”) should similarly describe the facility capabilities, infrastructure requirements, potential sequestration opportunities and costs to achieve.
DEI encourages bidders to provide information on any facility’s capabilities to blend or substitute hydrogen for natural gas as a fuel source or submit bids supported in full or in part with other emerging technologies or capabilities.
GEN 00014 Published On: 03/08/2022
Question: For development projects is there a preference for selling projects that are at some stage of development or at NTP or at COD?
Answer: We contemplate that we’d acquire projects at one of two points, depending on the bid structure chosen. Under an APA approach, we would acquire the project upon completion of specified conditions precedent related to the development of the project, effectively to get the project ready to start construction (NTP, as referenced in the question). Under at BTA approach, we would acquire the project when the facility is mechanically complete (as defined under the agreement), but has not been energized or placed in service.
GEN 00015 Published On: 03/10/2022
Question: As MISO study results are still pending for some Study Groups, will participants have the opportunity to adjust the submitted price based on the outcome of the study (network upgrade costs)?
Answer: Bidders are expected to submit a firm price for their projects. If a project receives MISO study result information that materially impacts the project cost, DEI will consider changes in network upgrade costs on a case by case basis.
GEN 00016 Published On: 03/11/2022
Question: Would Duke Energy Indiana consider solar projects that are not at 100% NRIS?
Answer: DEI’s RFP is intended to solicit bids to meet its future capacity needs which is dependent upon NRIS qualification. While NRIS interconnected capacity is essential to meet those needs, ERIS interconnected capacity located in the DEI balancing area could meet those needs as well. Therefore, DEI is accepting bids for NRIS and ERIS interconnected resources and combinations thereof . The intermittent and non-intermittent solicitation documents requests that each "Respondent shall also detail its MISO generator interconnection queue position, if any, and the types and amounts of transmission service requested (e.g. 50 MW of NRIS and/or 25 MW of Energy Resource Interconnection Service (“ERIS”))." The value of NRIS, ERIS, or combinations and the resource’s location will be used in the evaluation process to determine the relative value of each proposal to DEI.
GEN 00017 Published On: 03/14/2022
Question: With respect to the LOI and term sheet in Appendix E, under what circumstances does DEI prefer to use A) APA, B) APA plus EPC, or C) BTA?
Answer: DEI is open to all proposal structures and does not have a stated preference for any particular construct. Bidders may also offer the same project under alternative acquisition frameworks. Please note that APA plus EPC may require additional analysis and review on the cost to completion from DEI.
GEN 00018 Published On: 03/14/2022
Question: Does DEI have a preference among the 3 options in Appendix E - A) APA, B) APA plus EPC, or C) BTA?
Answer: DEI is open to all proposal structures. Bidders may also offer the same project under alternative acquisition frameworks. Please note that APA plus EPC may require additional analysis and review on the cost to completion from DEI.
GEN 00020 (revised 12/13/2023) Published On: 03/17/2022
Question: Does Duke have a preference of solar resource datasets used for generation production estimates for BTAs?
Answer: The Duke Energy Indiana (DEI) RFP does not require the use of a specific solar resource dataset (TMY - typical meteorological year) to be used for generation production estimates, DEI would recommend the use of any major, acceptable datasets commonly used in the solar development industry consisting of a sufficient representative historical time period such as 20 years to provide the best estimate of future anticipated solar production.
GEN 00021 Published On: 03/18/2022
Question: Would a firm LD energy only product delivered to the listed locations be acceptable, or is capacity required to accompany the energy?
Answer: DEI's RFP is considering both intermittent and non-intermittent resources in support of the company’s capacity needs and is not considering energy only products.
GEN 00023 Published On: 12/01/2023
Question: When do you expect to release the RFP?
Answer: The 2023 All-Source RFP is expected to be released in mid-December of 2023.
GEN 00024 Published On: 12/14/2023
Question: What steps will CRA take to validate DEI and/or affiliate proposals? Oftentimes such proposals constitute the only thermal bids, so special care is necessary to make sure they are truly competitive offers.
Answer: Any entity is invited to submit a written proposal in accordance with the requirements described in each RFP. Any proposal that meets the requirements for participation in the relevant RFP will be evaluated consistent with the process detailed in the Evaluation Criteria document (Appendix G). CRA’s role as Independent Third-Party Administrator and RFP Manager is to encourage participation in the RFP and to evaluate third-party and self-build proposals on an equal footing. Suggesting to respondents whether their offers may be considered “competitive” or not would be inappropriate and may be considered a manipulation of the RFP outcome.
GEN 00025 Published On: 12/19/2023
Question: Are there circumstances in which an RFP proposal for a Zone 4 non-intermittent resource under development could be selected for more than a 5 year PPA?
Answer: Any proposals from facilities located outside of LRZ6 will only be considered for contract term lengths no longer than 5 years. For more information, see Table 1 In the Non-Intermittent RFP document.
GEN 00026 Published On: 12/21/2023
Question: Is the DEI MISO Load Balancing Authority ("LBA") the same as the DEI Service Territory on page 4 of the RFP document?
Answer: DEI's LBA area is the same as DEI's service territory.
GEN 00027 Published On: 01/05/2024
Question: I note that there has been an extension of the proposal due date. Is there also an extension to complete the changes to the NDA for execution?
Answer: The Pre-Qualification documents (Appendices A-C) due date has been moved to January 16.
GEN 00028 Published On: 01/05/2024
Question: Is there any survey, construction, or easement preparation components to this RFP? Or is it solely for purchase or contractual control of generating stations?
Answer: The RFP is open to all facilities currently in the MISO queue, facilities that have completed all requirements associated with participation in the MISO queue, and facilities using MISO’s Generator Replacement Process. Bidders should provide either a valid MISO queue number or a completed MISO Generation Interconnection (“GI”) Application Checklist along with an affirmation that the project meets all MISO requirements for site control outlined in the MISO Site Control Submission Checklist. Both checklist forms are available on the RFP Website at https://deirfp.com/RFP-Documents.
GEN 00029 Published On: 01/08/2024
Question: First Solar Series 6 modules are listed as approved; will Duke also approve the use of Series 7?
Answer: First Solar Series 7 modules are not approved for Duke Energy projects.
GEN 00030 Published On: 01/08/2024
Question: Fluence Gen6 Cube is listed as approved; will Duke also approve the Fluence Gridstack Pro (newest product)?
Answer: The Company has not separately specified any approved BESS enclosures. Bidders should input the proposed BESS enclosure information in the appropriate section of the RFP response form.
GEN 00031 Published On: 01/08/2024
Question: Inverters options for 690V systems on for BESS are approved; however the Gridstack Pro requires an 850V inverter solution. Will inverters such as Gamesa, PE, or a newer iteration of the EPC inverters be approved?
Answer: Technology on the AVL currently is preferred. A bidder can provide an alternate option but Duke would need to perform due diligence before additional vendors can be approved. If the data and information required for due diligence is not available in a timely manner the approval process will be delayed and in that scenario Duke can not guarantee approval for the proposed product for the RFP.
GEN 00032 Published On: 01/08/2024
Question: Will you do a portfolio analysis of all shortlisted projects before selection? How will that be done?
Answer: DEI will conduct a portfolio modeling exercise which will guide the selection of an optimal portfolio of assets to be advanced to the final negotiations phase. Inputs to the portfolio modeling will be provided by CRA and will consist of representative “tranches” of resources in the RFP providing market-based cost and performance characteristics by resource type. CRA will also evaluate the economics and other scoring considerations related to each proposal independent of DEI or any DEI affiliates and will provide the utility with a ranked list of projects to consider for advancement to the final negotiations phase. The ranked list of projects will be based on the results of the portfolio modeling. To the extent required, CRA may support additional due diligence conducted prior to final selections and contracting.
GEN 00033 Published On: 01/08/2024
Question: Could you please explain what assumptions around dispatch, operating time, energy project will be used in calculations of annual operating costs under Section 2.1?
Answer: Where applicable, assumptions will be consistent with those used in the IRP scenarios.
GEN 00034 Published On: 01/11/2024
Question: Will there be other RFPs issued to consider solar less than 50 MW ICAP?
Answer: Currently there is no information to share about future RFPs.
GEN 00035 Published On: 01/15/2024
Question: How will the bid be submitted--through email or portal uploads?
Answer: Pre-Qualification documents are to be submitted via email to the RFP Manager. Proposals are due February 23, 2024, and are to be submitted via secure file-sharing service that pre-qualified applicants will be granted access to.
GEN 00036 Published On: 01/18/2024
Question: On the APA, is Duke Energy Indiana interested in Assets that are in the early stages of development and can be sold as is or are they interested in us completing the project to NTP?
Answer: Refer to FAQ GEN 00014.
GEN 00037 Published On: 01/19/2024
Question: Is there a timeline laying out the steps following the February 23rd submission?
Answer: Additional due diligence and definitive agreements signed with bidders is expected to be conducted in Q2-Q3 2024.
GEN 00038 Published On: 01/24/2024
Question: Could you please provide more guidance on how to fill out the Appendix F spreadsheet required for intermittent and non-intermittent resources? This spreadsheets requests expected MWh production, capacity factor, outage rates, etc. How do you recommend bidders predict this?
Answer: Respondents shall provide forecasted MWh production, capacity factor, and outage rates, to the extend these are available. Respondent output estimates may be used as the basis for expected facility output for any final PPA agreements.
Additional information for solar facilities is available in FAQ GEN 00020.
GEN 00039 Published On: 01/24/2024
Question: Are asset transfers with a pre-NTP transfer date accepted? In the Response Form, the dropdown in row 10 implies only direct sale of existing facilities or build transfers are accepted.
Answer: Please see Q&A GEN 00014 regarding NTP requirements. If your response doesn't fall into the options provided in the bid form, you may utilize the Notes Section of the bid form to enter your response.
GEN 00040 Published On: 01/24/2024
Question: Are Asset Purchase Acquisition bids only for operating facilities? Or can facilities under development also bid for an NTP acquisition (without necessarily a BTA agreement)?
Answer: Facilities under development can bid in the RFP and will follow the term sheet for Asset Purchase Agreement (APA) proposals in Appendix E (Key Commercial Terms - Acquisition). Also review Q&A GEN 00014.
GEN 00041 Published On: 01/26/2024
Question: Does DEI have a strong preferrence towards either a hub-settled or a node-settled PPA?
Answer: Per Section 5.16 of the 2023 RFP, for "Unit contingent or system power PPA arrangements priced at Cin.PSI, Indiana Hub or the project bus-bar. Duke’s preference ranking is as follows" in this order:
1. Cin.PSI node,
2. Indiana Hub, or
3. facility bus-bar
GEN 00042 Published On: 01/29/2024
Question: Per the RFP, "Potential counterparties should assume DEI will be the Market Participant (“MP”) for both owned and PPA resources." Can you please explain what "Market Participant" means in the context of this RFP?
Answer: As market participants, companies are legal entities certified by MISO to submit bids to purchase energy, submit offers to supply or reserve energy, hold financial transmission [or auction revenue] rights and other market-related activities. Source:https://www.misoenergy.org/markets-and-operations/mp-registration/market-participation
GEN 00043 Published On: 01/29/2024
Question: Can you please confirm DEI's definition for on-peak and off-peak hours?
Answer: On Peak: Period of time between Hour-ending 0700 EST through and including Hour-ending 2200 Hours EST Monday through Friday excepting New Year’s, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day or if the holiday occurs on a Sunday, the Monday immediately following the holiday. Off peak are hours that are not On peak. Source: https://help.misoenergy.org/knowledgebase/article/KA-01299/
GEN 00044 Published On: 01/30/2024
Question: Can you please provide guidance as to how capacity will be weighed from season to season with regards to the NPV per MW UCAP criteria? Does Duke place greater weight on maximizing capacity in specific seasons?
Answer: The economic analysis of proposals will be consistent for all technologies within resource categories. Seasonal MISO Loss of Load Expectations (“LOLE”) will be used to quantify the relative capacity contribution by resource type by season. Resource planning modeling will identify the portfolio most consistent across seasonal capacity contributions and Duke’s needs.
GEN 00045 Published On: 01/30/2024
Question: What dates can we assume for contract execution, NTP, and regulatory approval?
Answer: The Definitive Agreement Phase is scheduled to commence in April 2024.
GEN 00046 Published On: 01/30/2024
Question: Can you please provide guidance as to whether two technical solutions for the same project should be submitted in two separate bids? Or, can they be proposed within a single bid?
Answer: Multiple proposals/bids may be submitted per project, and a different technical solution would constitute a different proposal. Each proposal/bid must be accompanied by an Appendix F (Standard RFP Response Form). Thus, multiple Appendix F forms should be submitted if a project is offered under different technical solutons. If other supporting documents apply to multiple proposals, this should be clearly identified in the file name and content of each document.
GEN 00047 Published On: 02/01/2024
Question: We would like to propose a possible integrator for a BESS project not on the Approved Vendor List (AVL). What steps would we have to take and what materials should we provide for Duke to perform due diligence and get the BESS integrator approved?
Answer: The BESS integrator not on the AVL can be provided as an alternate bid if technical documents for the solution are included in the bid proposal. The base bid must conform with the Approved Vendor List.
GEN 00048 Published On: 02/06/2024
Question: If our project site layout cannot fully conform to Duke's Site Layout Guidance regarding excluding all areas with Depth to Bedrock less than 150 cm, can we still submit a non-conforming bid? The current project site layout includes areas that do not conform to this guidance, so would you suggest we limit the project site to the land conforming to the bedrock requirements or submit a higher nameplate capacity project which has several areas within the layout that do not conform with the bedrock requirements?
Answer: The RFP SITE LAYOUT AND PVSYST GUIDANCE apply to Asset Transfer and Build Own Transfer proposals. You may submit a PPA proposal for the site layout that doesn't conform to the RFP site layout guidance. Asset Transfer or Build Own Transfer proposals for a non-conforming site layout will not be evaluated.
More than one proposal may be submitted for the same project/facility. In your case, you may also opt to submit proposals for the lower nameplate capacity that would conform to the site layout. Such proposals may be submitted as either PPA, Asset Transfer, or Build Own Transfer.
GEN 00049 Published On: 02/06/2024
Question: Is a P90 8760 or P90 capacity factor required for PPA offers for projects in development? Appendix F, row 107 provides space to fill this information only for existing facilities, but the RFP document notes the P90 capacity factor requirement.
Answer: A P50 8760 forecast is required and a template is available at DEI RFP > RFP Documents. Forecasted P50 and P90 capacity factors are also required in Appendix F.
GEN 00050 Published On: 02/13/2024
Question: Can you provide an estimate of the timeline for typical IURC approval relating to the winning bids in this RFP? Should we expect not to receive final regulatory approval until some time in 2025?
Answer: Please see the response to FAQ GEN 00045. No further information regarding regulatory approval is available at this time.
GEN 00051 Published On: 02/13/2024
Question: If our project is to come on-line by the end of 2028, is 12/31/2032 still the preferred start date for a non-intermittent PPA? Or does DEI have preference for an earlier start date of the PPA?
Answer: Both the intermittent and non-intermittent RFPs are seeking bids from resources with in-service dates from the near-term to 12/31/2032. 12/31/2032 is the latest acceptable project in-service date. It is preferred that the earliest project in-service date is provided with the bid.
RFP respondents are encouraged to submit multiple proposals/bids if different PPA start terms or in-service dates can be offered. Each proposal/bid must be accompanied by an Appendix F (Standard RFP Response Form).
GEN 00052 Published On: 02/14/2024
Question: Is there a preferred time interval for creating time series profiles? (Ex. battery terminal voltage recorded every 4 seconds, or every 1 minute?) Does a time series location need to be recorded by a meter directly or is calculating the value sufficient? (Ex. In some cases, aux consumption may be calculated as HV meter - MV meter - MPT losses.)
Answer: Bidders are requested to provide hourly data for the time series profiles. If more granular data is available, it can be provided additionally. Meter and calculated values are both sufficient but should be labeled as such.
GEN 00053 Published On: 02/14/2024
Question: Will Duke accept a passing score from another system other than Avettea, such as ISNetworld? Will Duke accept a variance?
Answer: Avetta is the only approved system.
GEN 00054 Published On: 02/21/2024
Question: Can standalone storage offers be in $/kW-mo, rather than $/kW-yr, for a tolling structure?
Answer: Please multiply the $/kW-month value by 12 to provide any data requested in $/kW-year.