Request for Qualifications from Suppliers Providing Demand Response (DR) Programs

Pacificorp

Background
PacifiCorp, operating as Pacific Power in OR, WA, and CA and Rocky Mountain Power in UT, ID and WY, is seeking information from interested suppliers in anticipation of issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Implementation of Direct Load Control Demand Response (DR) Programs in January 2021. Specifically, PacifiCorp wants to support the creation of a broad list of qualified primary bidders from interested suppliers that are capable of implementing demand response programs which deliver seasonal and/or year-round demand reductions (kW) within PacifiCorp's service territory, with a primary focus on Oregon and Washington. Suppliers interested in subcontracting to a primary supplier may be added to a subcontractor list as a result of their response.

A small (1MW) irrigation pilot program operates in Oregon, but no other DR programs are operational in Pacific Power states. Rocky Mountain Power has experience in the economic dispatch of nearly 475 MW of DR capability in Utah and Idaho in the form of direct load control of customer irrigation pumps and residential and small commercial air conditioning equipment. These load control resources are designed to lower summer peak demand by directly curtailing or shifting load to off peak hours and most recently, are being used for automated frequency regulation.

The 2019 IRP Preferred Portfolio identified the addition of 178 MW of DR system wide by 2029 along with 595 MW of energy storage co-located with 1,823 MW solar, and 1,920 MW wind by 2023 as the major resource additions of a least cost least risk long term resource plan. To acquire these resources, the company issued the All Source 2020 RFP on July 7, 2020 for large scale resources and plans to release a DR RFP in late January for Oregon and Washington DR programs.

PacifiCorp’s primary objective with the RFP will be to acquire cost-effective DR programs to be delivered as a turnkey resource. Programs may target any customer type (residential, commercial, industrial, irrigation) and end-use application. However, of most interest to PacifiCorp are programs which target:

  1. Oregon and Washington service territories,
  2. Large commercial and industrial customers for a variety of end uses,
  3. Residential and small commercial smart thermostats or water heaters,
  4. Irrigation

In addition, PacifiCorp may select some RFP responses targeting Oregon customers, which initially may not be cost-effective, to design a pilot program. The goal of these pilots will be to test improving a key assumption in the program design to increase the long-term cost effectiveness and scalability of the program.

Please send any questions regarding this RFQ to: [email protected].

To be considered for inclusion on the bidders' list of the forthcoming RFP or the Subcontractors List for Interest in providing Demand Response Support services, please complete the following information and email the table below to the following: [email protected] on or before Monday, November 23rd.

 CLICK HERE to read the full RFQ.