MCE Technical Committee Meeting
Friday, June 6, 2025
10:00 a.m.
1125 Tamalpais Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94901
2300 Clayton Road, First Floor Conference Room, Concord, CA, 94520 Public comments may be made in person or remotely via the details below.
Remote Public Meeting Participation
Video Conference: https://t.ly/QzAmo
Phone: Dial (669) 900-9128, Meeting ID: 828 5103 7385, Passcode: 142534 Materials related to this agenda are available for physical inspection at MCE’s offices in San Rafael at 1125 Tamalpais Ave, San Rafael, CA 94901 and in Concord at 2300 Clayton Road Suite 1150, Concord, CA 94520.
This Committee may be attended by Board Members who do not serve on this Committee. In the event that a quorum of the entire Board is present, this Committee shall act as a Committee of the Whole. Any item acted upon by the Committee of the Whole will be considered advisory to the Board of Directors and require consideration and action by the Board of Directors at a noticed Board meeting before adoption or approval of the item.
DISABLED ACCOMMODATION: If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation or an alternative format, please contact MCE at (888) 632-3672 or [email protected] at least 72 hours before the meeting start time to ensure arrangements are made.
Agenda Page 1 of 2
1. Roll Call/Quorum
2. Board Announcements (Discussion)
3. Public Open Time (Discussion)
4. Report from Chief Executive Officer (Discussion)
5. Consent Calendar (Discussion/Action)
Agenda Page 2 of 2
C. 1. Approval of 4.4.25 Meeting Minutes
C.2 Amended Electric Schedule EST – Energy Storage Tariff
6. MCE Sync Dynamic Rates Pilot (Discussion)
7. Request for Information for New MCE Power Supply Resources (Discussion)
8. Committee & Staff Matters (Discussion)
9. Adjourn
The Technical Committee may discuss and/or take action on any or all of the items listed on the agenda irrespective of how the items are described.
DRAFT
MCE TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES
Friday, April 4, 2025
10:00 A.M.
Present: Stephanie Andre, City of Larkspur
Dion Bailey, City of Hercules
Gina Dawson, City of Lafayette
Devin Murphy, City of Pinole
Gabe Quinto, City of El Cerrito
Absent: Charles Palmares, City of Vallejo
Staff
& Others: Jordyn Bishop, Senior Policy Analyst
Jesica Brooks, Lead Board Clerk and Executive Assistant Vidhi Chawla, VP of Power Resources
Vicken Kasarjian, Chief Operations Officer
Caroline Lavenue, Legal Counsel
Tanya Lomas, Board Clerk Associate
Catalina Murphy, General Counsel
Ashley Muth, Internal Operations Coordinator
Efren Oxlaj, Finance Manager
Justine Parmelee, VP of Internal Operations
Zae Perrin, VP of Customer Operations
Mike Rodriguez-Vargas, Internal Operations Assistant
Dan Settlemyer, Internal Operations Associate
Jared Sherwood, Senior Account Analyst
Sabrinna Soldavini, Director of Policy
Maíra Strauss, VP of Finance
Greg Tillman, Associate Director of Rates
1. Roll Call
Chair Murphy called the regular Technical Committee meeting to order at 10:00 a.m. with quorum established by roll call.
2. Board Announcements (Discussion)
There were no comments.
3. Public Open Time (Discussion)
Chair Murphy opened the public comment period and there were comments made by member of the public Rebekah Collins.
4. Report from Chief Executive Officer (Discussion)
DRAFT
Vicken Kasarjian, COO, introduced this item and addressed questions from Committee members.
5. Consent Calendar (Discussion/Action)
C.1 Approval of 3.7.25 Meeting Minutes
Chair Murphy opened the public comment period and there were no comments.
6. Selection of Technical Committee Chair and Vice Chair (Discussion/Action) Vicken Kasarjian, COO, presented this item and addressed questions from Committee members. Directors Andre and Palmares were nominated as candidates for the position of Technical Committee Vice Chair.
Chair Murphy opened the public comment period and there were no comments.
Action 1: The selection of the Chair was conducted by roll call vote, resulting in five votes (Andre, Bailey, Dawson, Murphy, and Quinto) in favor of re-electing Director Murphy. (Absent: Palmares).
Action 2: A vote was conducted for the two nominees for MCE Vice Chair, Directors Andre and Palmares. The selection was carried out by roll call vote with 5 votes (Andre, Bailey, Dawson, Murphy and Quinto) for Andre, and no votes for Palmares. (Absent: Palmares)
7. Proposed Resolution 2025-02: Authorizing the Execution and Delivery of a Clean Energy Purchase Contract and Certain Other Documents in Connection with the Issuance of the California Community Choice Financing Authority Clean Energy Project Revenue Bonds; and Certain Other Actions Required to Ensure the Reduction in the Costs of Renew able Energy Therewith (Discussion/Action)
Maíra Strauss, VP of Finance, presented this item. Tylor Noble, Municipal Capital Markets, Inc. and several staff addressed questions from Committee members.
Chair Murphy opened the public comment period and there were no comments.
Action: It was M/S/C (Bailey/Quinto) to approve Consent Calendar item C.1.
Motion carried by unanimous roll call vote. (Absent: Palmares).
DRAFT
Action: It was M/S/C (Bailey/Dawson) to recommend to the Board of Directors of Resolution 2025-02: Authorizing the Execution and Delivery of a Clean Energy Purchase Contract and Certain Other Documents in Connection with the Issuance of the California Community Choice Financing Authority Clean Energy Project Revenue Bonds; and Certain Other Actions Required to Ensure the Reduction in the Costs of Renewable Energy Therewith. Motion carried out by unanimous roll call vote. (Absent: Palmares).
8. Proposed Hourly Flex Pricing Pilot (Discussion/Action) Jordyn Bishop, Senior Policy Analyst and Jared Sherwood, Senior Account Analyst, presented this item and several staff addressed questions from Committee members.
Chair Murphy opened the public comment period, and comments were made by Bruce Ackerman.
Action: It was M/S/C (Andre/Dawson) to authorize MCE customers to participate in PG&E’s Hourly Flex Pricing Pilots: Expanded Pilot 1, Expanded Pilot 2, and VGI Commercial Pilot. Motion carried out by unanimous roll call vote. (Absent: Palmares).
9. Committee & Staff Matters (Discussion)
Comments were made by Vicken Kasarjian, Catalina Murphy, and Devin Murphy.
10. Adjournment
Chair Murphy adjourned the meeting at 11:09 a.m. to the next scheduled Technical Committee Meeting on May 2, 2025.
___________________________________________
Devin Murphy, Chair
Attest:
___________________________________________
Dawn Weisz, Secretary
June 6, 2025
TO: MCE Technical Committee
FROM: Catalina Murphy, General Counsel
Alexandra McGee, VP of Strategic Initiatives
RE: Amended Electric Schedule EST – Energy Storage Tariff (Agenda Item #06)
ATTACHMENT: Amended Electric Schedule EST – Energy Storage Tariff Dear Technical Committee Members:
Summary:
The Amended Electric Schedule EST – Energy Storage Tariff (“Amended Tariff”) would allow MCE to bid the aggregated load from customers participating in MCE’s Energy Storage Program into the California Independent System Operator (“CAISO”) marketplace and further the buildout and operation of MCE’s Virtual Power Plant (“VPP”). Financial benefits of this participation would be shared with the customer.
Background:
On July 2, 2020, the Technical Committee approved the Electric Schedule EST – Energy Storage Tariff (“Existing Tariff”), which provides a monthly credit to customers participating in MCE’s Energy Storage Program who have installed a fully operational electricity battery storage unit with a qualifying inverter, and provides MCE with remote control and dispatch capability. Under this Existing Tariff, MCE is permitted to monitor, manage, and dispatch the batteries for daily load shift performance and during Public Safety Power Shutoffs (“PSPS”) and other emergency events.
As MCE continues to develop its VPP, the Amended Tariff would allow MCE to leverage customers within MCE’s Energy Storage Program to aggregate and dispatch battery storage units to manage critical peak loads, minimize procurement costs, and - as market opportunities evolve in CAISO - generate value in wholesale markets.
The Amended Tariff, permitting MCE to bid the aggregated load from customers participating in MCE’s Energy Storage Program into CAISO, would be consistent with the existing controls and dispatch use cases established in the Existing Tariff and the participation agreements signed by participating customers.
Fiscal Impacts:
None. As MCE enrolls battery systems from its distribution system (or customer base) to schedule into the CAISO markets, fiscal impacts will be evaluated for future fiscal years.
Recommendation:
Approve Amended Electric Schedule EST – Energy Storage Tariff. 1 Electric Schedule EST – Energy Storage Tariff
Applicability: The Energy Storage Tariff (EST) is available to any MCE customer that is participating in MCE’s Energy Storage Program who has installed a fully operational battery energy storage system (BESS) with a qualifying inverter providing MCE with remote control and dispatch capability; or (ii) a residential customer who installs a fully operational BESS co-located and connected with a solar PV system installed behind the customer’s utility electric meter as verified by MCE.
This optional schedule is available to customers which meet the conditions detailed below in the Program Requirements section, and who meet one of the following qualifications:
Have completed the MCE Energy Storage Program Agreement (ESPA), or Are residential customers who have completed the Energy Storage Verification (ESV) form verifying that a fully operational BESS has been installed and agreeing to operate that system consistent with requirements set forth in the EST.
Rates: All usage billed under this schedule will be in accordance with the customer’s otherwise applicable MCE rate schedule. In addition, customers served under this schedule will receive a monthly credit on their billing statement determined as follows:
Residential System Capacity
Between 7 kWh and 20 kWh: $10 per
month Over 20 kWh: $20 per month
Commercial System Capacity
$20 per month per 20kWh installed, up to a maximum of $200 per month Residential customers not participating in MCE’s Energy Storage Program may remain on the EST for a maximum of five years, after which the customer must complete a new ESV to continue service under the EST, if the EST is still available at that time.
Residential customers participating in MCE’s Energy Storage Program may elect to continue service under the EST upon expiration of their ESPA, so long as the EST is available, and the customer meets the requirements of the EST. Upon expiration of the ESPA, residential customers must complete an ESV and will be subject to the program requirements and conditions of the EST pertaining to customers not participating in the Energy Storage Program to continue service under the EST.
2 Program Requirements: To be eligible for the EST, a customer must meet-and-maintain the following requirements:
All customers taking service under the EST must have their BESS co-located and interconnected with a fully operational solar PV system located behind the utility electric meter for as long as they remain on the EST. If the customer anticipates that the BESS and/or solar PV system will become non-operational for any reason for a period longer than 30-days, the customer must notify MCE at least 30-days prior to the start of the period of non-operation and provide MCE with the expected start and end dates of the non-operation. In such instances, and subject to MCE’s verification and approval, MCE may suspend bill credits for up to 90-days. If either the BESS or solar PV become nonoperational for longer than 30- days, and the customer has not received approval for a temporary suspension of the bill credits, the customer will be removed from this EST and the bill credits will be discontinued immediately.
Customers participating in MCE’s Energy Storage Program must comply with the terms and conditions described in their ESPA and have installed a fully operational battery with a qualifying inverter compatible for communications and dispatchability by MCE pursuant to this tariff.
The customer’s BESS must provide a minimum of 7 kWh of storage capacity per 24-hour discharge cycle and provide a minimum discharge rate of 2 kW per hour.
Customer BESS installations must be compliant with the rules, stipulations, and restrictions of all manufacturer warranties and State and local codes and regulations. Customers must also be authorized to interconnect and operate a BESS by PG&E.
Customers must take service under one of the following rate schedules:
Residential: E-TOU-A, E-TOU-B, E-TOU-C, E-TOU-D, EV2, E-6 and EM-TOU.
Commercial: B-1, B1-ST, B-6, B-10, B-19, B-20, BEV and SB.
Other rate schedules as determined by MCE will be
noted at www.mcecleanenergy.org/resiliency.
Customers receiving a monthly credit must enroll in or already be enrolled in a net energy metering program.
Aggregated net energy metering customers may participate, but for their generating account only.
Virtual net energy metering customers are ineligible from participating, except with the written approval of MCE, in situations where the battery is designed to provide emergency power to a multi-family housing facility.
Customers who change onto an ineligible rate schedule may be removed from the 3 Energy Storage Program and Energy Storage Tariff.
Customers must have an installed a SmartMeter, MV-90, or equivalent load meter capable of providing 15-minute interval data.
Customers must provide any information reasonably requested, such as specifications for BESS or solar installations, by MCE or its authorized designees that is necessary for MCE to administer this EST.
The EST is available to MCE customers only. If a participating customer opts-out of MCE service, the customer will be immediately removed from the EST on the effective date of the optout and will be ineligible for further credits.
Customers participating in MCE’s Energy Storage Program and who have completed an ESPA agree to allow MCE and its authorized designees to operate the BESS consistent with the MCE Energy Storage Program rules and guidelines contained in the ESPA. A participating customer must allow MCE to charge/discharge the BESS at its discretion, subject to the following limitations:
MCE shall have the option to discharge the BESS daily, up to the capacity and charge or discharge limits set by each BESS’s warranty. As applicable, MCE, at its discretion, may dispatch the BESS consistent with the requirements of the California Independent System Operator (“CAISO”) Open Access Transmission Tariff (“OATT”).
MCE may at its discretion charge the BESS, except as necessary during Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) or unplanned outage events (see Special Conditions 1 and 2 below).
The BESS shall be charged during non-peak hours from the co-located solar PV system, except as described in Special Condition 1 below.
MCE may charge and discharge the BESS multiple times during the day, up to limits set in the ESPA and no more than the BESS vendor’s charge cycles under warranty.
MCE, at its sole discretion, may enroll or disenroll the BESS in any program, product, or market (including any distributed energy resource aggregation) under the CAISO OATT. MCE shall be entitled to all revenue received from the BESS’s participation in such program, product, or market.
If an unplanned outage or emergency situation occurs, MCE will cease usage of the BESS until the situation is resolved; see Special Conditions 2 and 3 below.
If MCE loses connectivity with the BESS, it will continue to charge and discharge autonomously based on expected conditions; see Special Condition 4 below.
Residential customers not participating in MCE’s Energy Storage Program must sign the ESV form and agree to operate their system as follows:
4 Normal Operation: During non-emergency, normal operating days, the BESS must be set to charge exclusively from the solar PV and to discharge down to the reserve margin for the BESS during the system peak period between 4:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. every day, including weekdays, weekends and holidays. Customers may set their normal daily operating schedule either manually or via a software application provided by their battery installer, set to “TOU Mode,” “Solar Self-Consumption Mode,” or any similar operating mode.
Planned Outages: In the event of an official notice from PG&E of a planned outage or Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) event, customers may set their BESS to fully charge and maintain a 100 percent state of charge up to 48-hours in advance of an announced outage event. When power from the grid is interrupted, the BESS should be set to “Backup Mode.” At the conclusion of the event, and once the BESS has fully charged, customers must resume Normal Operation, as described in 12(a) above.
In the event of an unannounced, unanticipated grid outage, customers may operate the BESS in “Backup Mode” until the event is over and the BESS has fully charged.
Once the system has fully charged, customers must resume Normal Operation, as described in 12(a) above.
Reserve Margin: During Normal Operation, the BESS must have the reserve margin set to a maximum of 20 percent. If a grid outage is anticipated, either due to a planned outage, PSPS event, severe weather events, or potential wildfire events, customers may temporarily increase the reserve margin to ensure the BESS reaches a 100 percent state of charge up to 48-hours in advance of such events. Once the event has ended and the BESS has been fully recharged, the reserve margin must be reset to 20 percent.
Customers not participating in MCE’s Energy Storage Program may elect to stop participation in MCE’s EST by contacting MCE. Termination of participation in EST, and the credits for participation, will be effective at the end of the customer’s current billing cycle.
Special Conditions for Customers Participating in MCE’s Energy Storage Program:
Public Safety Power Shutoffs. In the event that PG&E calls a pending Public Safety Power Shutoff event (PSPS) in the vicinity of a customer, MCE will attempt to charge the BESS to full capacity in advance of the PSPS event. If necessary, MCE may charge the BESS to full capacity during any time of day, including “peak” periods, to maximize resiliency benefits for customers. Once the PSPS event has been resolved, and power has been restored, MCE will resume its normal dispatching of the BESS.
Unplanned Outages. MCE will instruct the BESS to operate independently in the event of an unplanned outage. The BESS will be charged using on-site generation resources if available, and only discharged to provide power for on-site usage. Once grid power has 5 been restored, MCE will resume its normal dispatching of the BESS.
Emergency Situations. In the event of a disaster event (flooding, wildfires, earthquakes, etc.) MCE will cease dispatching the BESS and signal for the BESS to begin charging as rapidly as possible to maximize resiliency benefits for customers, subject to Special Condition 4 below. Once the disaster event has been resolved, MCE will resume its normal dispatching of the BESS.
Loss of Connectivity. It is the customer’s responsibility to ensure continued connectivity to the BESS and inverter. If MCE loses connectivity to a BESS, such as due to interruption of internet or cellular connection, the BESS will revert to autonomous control, using pre-defined operating parameters established by MCE, until connectivity is restored.
MCE Sync
Dynamic Rates Pilot
June 6, 2025
MCE Technical Committee
Grant Funded
2 ChargeWise
• $41M Responsive, Easy Charging Products with Dynamic Signals (REDWDS) Grant from the California Energy Commission (CEC) • Phase 1: $1,597,084
• Phase 2: $39,698,160
• Goal is to create a VPP of up to 275,000 EV drivers across CA MCE Sync – Standard Tier
3,400+ vehicles enrolled (12% in DAC)
$50 enrollment incentive & $10/month
for participating in low carbon events
Charging optimized to off-peak hours
while meeting driver’s needs
3 MCE Sync – Dynamic Rewards
427 vehicles enrolled (24% in DAC)
The difference between the Otherwise
Applicable Tariff (OAT) and the
Dynamic Rate is credited to the
customer
Average credit = $19
Charging is optimized based on the
lowest cost times of the day
Eligible Tariffs
4 TOU-C
EV2-A
EV2-A Dynamic Rate Components
5 price/kWh
February
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 CAISO Dynamic Price
Signal
MCE Capacity Adder
MCE Revenue Neutral
Adder
PG&E EV2 Distribution
Adder
Power Charge Indifference
Adjustment (PCIA)
PG&E Other Adders
(Transmission, etc.)
TOU-C Dynamic Rate Components
6 price/kWh
February
3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27
CAISO Dynamic Price
Signal
MCE Capacity Adder
MCE Revenue Neutral
Adder
PG&E EV2 Distribution
Adder
Power Charge Indifference
Adjustment (PCIA)
PG&E Other Adders
(Transmission, etc.)
TOU-C Dynamic Rate Components
Dynamic Rewards TOU-C Dynamic Rewards EV2-A
Pilot Results
Conclusions/Next Step
• Minor positive incremental impact from Dynamic Rates over standard enrollment in MCE Sync.
• More savings passed along to customers.
• Automation makes it easy for customers to benefit from dynamic rates.
• Applying dynamic rates to EV load only can be more equitable than whole home dynamic rates.
Next Step: Waiting on Phase 2 funding decision from the CEC Thank you!
mceCleanEnergy.org
[email protected]
June 6, 2025
TO: MCE Technical Committee
FROM: Bill Pascoe, Senior Power Procurement Manager
RE: Request for Information for New MCE Power Supply Resources (Agenda Item #07)
ATTACHMENTS: A. Power Resources RFI Results Presentation B. 2025 RFI Press Release
C. RFI Procedural Overview Instructions
Dear Technical Committee Members:
Summary:
As part of MCE’s mission to confront the climate crisis by eliminating fossil fuel greenhouse gas emissions, producing renewable energy, and creating equitable community benefits, MCE sought information from qualified suppliers of renewable energy, energy storage products and Resource Adequacy (RA) to inform MCE’s formal long-term offer solicitation in 2025. MCE’s procurement team launched a Request for Information (RFI) as an initial step in its long-term procurement efforts in 2025.
MCE believed that this new approach would streamline procurement efforts for all participants.
MCE sought information for prospective full-toll agreements (all applicable products) with a minimum contract term length of at least five (5) years from Renewable Energy (PCC1-eligible) projects, Renewable Energy Paired with Energy Storage projects, and Standalone Energy Storage projects.
Projects were to be no less than 5 MW for 24x7 load profiles or no less than 25 MW for intermittent resources. Beyond these categories, responses were not limited in any other respect (e.g., deliverability status, queue status, online date.)
Background:
Due to numerous headwinds in the market for grid-scale projects, including interconnection delays and process reforms, permitting challenges, and federal tax credit and tariff uncertainty, MCE sought a new approach to its long-term procurement in 2025. The procurement team believed a streamlined RFI process would provide an indication of the current landscape for projects in all stages of development. The procurement team worked closely with MCE’s Public Affairs team, leveraged external stakeholders, including CalCCA, and communicated with an extensive network of developers to draw participation in the RFI.
Based on the results of the RFI, detailed below, the procurement team found that there is a healthy supply of viable projects to pursue with near-term expected completion dates.
Conforming Responses to Pricing Questions:
In the interest of a consistent review process, MCE requested that respondents reflect certain commercial assumptions in their indicative pricing. If respondents wished to provide indicative pricing using alternative assumptions, respondents were provided with an opportunity to provide additional pricing and context in a follow-up question in the RFI questionnaire.
Key Deadlines:
MCE’s Long-Term Offer 2025 RFI was administered based on the following schedule:
Milestone Date
Issued RFI 4/14/2025
Respondent Q&A Window 4/14/2025 – 4/28/2025
Response Window 4/14/2025 – 5/8/2025
Response Window Closure 5/8/2025, 11:59 P.M.
MCE launched the RFI on April 14, 2025. Complete Responses were submitted via an “RFI Submission form” on MCE’s website no later than the Response Window Closure.
RFI Response Summary:
MCE received 113 responses to its RFI from 43 unique counterparties predominantly located in California, as shown in the table below. 56 responses were from projects with Full Capacity Deliverability Status (FCDS) meaning that the project is deemed capable of delivering its full output capacity onto the grid under the current existing infrastructure or after certain identified upgrades are completed. FCDS is a critical feature of projects that the procurement team pursues because it is required for the project to deliver RA to MCE.
Total
Unique Counterparties 43
Responses 113
Unique Counties 34
In-State (% of total responses) 91%
Full Capacity Deliverability Status 56
Refer to Attachment A for detailed RFI results.
Following the RFI:
MCE’s Procurement Team will continue to evaluate the RFI responses and determine the next steps in the long-term solicitation process, which may include bilateral outreach to respondents to solicit additional materials or launching one or more formal invite-only Requests for Offer(s).
Fiscal Impacts:
There is no impact on the Fiscal Year 2025/26 budget.
Recommendation:
Information only. No action required.
Power
Resources
RFI Results
June 6, 2025
MCE Technical Committee
Background
• Launched RFI in April
• Closed early May 2025
• Successful outreach via partnership with
Public Affairs team, CalCCA, existing
developer relationships
Objectives
• Take pulse of current market for grid-scale projects
• Gain insights on ongoing
interconnection processes
• Streamline approach
• Inform MCE’s 2025 procurement strategy
2 Response Summary
3 Total
Unique Counterparties 43
Responses 113
Unique Counties 34
In-State (% of total responses) 91%
Out-of-state (% of total responses) 9%
Full Capacity Deliverability Status 56
Responses by Expected Operational Date
4 1 3
11 22 21
25 22
8 0
5 10
15 20
25 30
2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032+
Project Size by Expected Operational Date
5 0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
2026 2027 2028 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033
MEGAWATTS (MW)
Renewable Generation Capacity (MW) Storage Capacity (MW) Next Steps
• High-level Cost-Benefit analysis
for Projects of Interest
• Request firm offers
(pricing, detail)
• Detailed Congestion Analysis
• Aiming to begin PPA
negotiations in Q3 2025
mceCleanEnergy.org
[email protected]
Thank you!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 8, 2025
Press Contact:
Jackie Nuñez | Senior Communications Manager
(925) 695-2124 | [email protected]
MCE to Launch Request for Information for Long-Term Offers on April 14, 2025
As part of MCE’s mission to confront the climate crisis by eliminating fossil fuel greenhouse gas emissions, producing renewable energy, supporting grid stability and resilience, and creating equitable community benefits, MCE will seek information from qualified suppliers of renewable energy, energy storage products and Resource Adequacy (RA) to inform MCE’s 2025 procurement decisions.
MCE’s procurement team is launching this Request for Information (RFI) as a precursor to potential future Request for Offers or bilateral offer discussions to streamline the process for all participants.
Important Dates:
MCE will make the RFI available on Monday, April 14, 2025. Responses should be submitted within the Offer Window between April 14, 2025, at 12:00 A.M. Pacific Prevailing Time, and Thursday, May 8, 2025, at 11:59 P.M. Pacific Prevailing Time.
MCE’s Procurement Team will review the responses and depending on the best fit for MCE will determine the next steps in the long-term solicitation process.
Responses:
MCE is seeking information for prospective full-toll agreements (all applicable products) with a minimum contract term length of at least five (5) years from:
● Renewable energy (PCC1-eligible) projects
● Renewable energy paired with energy storage projects
● Standalone energy storage projects
Energy generating projects should be at least 5 MW for 24x7 load profiles (e.g., geothermal) or no less than 25 MW for intermittent resources. Beyond these categories, responses are not limited in any other respect (e.g., deliverability status, queue status, online date) and we encourage submissions from projects in all stages of development.
Submission Process:
Respondents will be asked to complete a questionnaire that will be live on MCE’s website at mceCleanEnergy.org/solicitations on April 14, 2025. For the RFI, only the questionnaire is necessary for a complete submission, but an option will be available to provide supplemental documentation such as project narratives.
To receive solicitation updates, please take a moment today to add or update your agency’s contact information via the Get Notified About Upcoming Solicitations page under Energy Supply Project Development on our website:
www.mceCleanEnergy.org/solicitations.
MCE’s RFI continues to encourage energy equity:
MCE encourages suppliers to include in their responses project elements that benefit adjacent communities, support local workforce development, and supply chains, and encourage the utilization of diverse contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers.
Please direct any questions regarding the RFI to [email protected]. ###
About MCE: MCE is a not-for-profit public agency and the preferred electricity provider for more than 585,000 customer accounts and 1.5 million residents and businesses across Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, and Solano counties.
Setting the standard for clean energy in California since 2010, MCE leads with 60-100% renewable power at stable rates, delivering a 1200 MW peak load and significantly reducing greenhouse emissions and reinvesting millions in local programs. For more information about MCE, visit mceCleanEnergy.org, or follow us on your preferred social platform @mceCleanEnergy.
1 2025 Long-term Offer
Request for Information
Issuance Date: April 14, 2025
Response Due Date: May 8, 2025
Procedural Overview & Instructions
As part of MCE’s mission to confront the climate crisis by eliminating fossil fuel greenhouse gas emissions, producing renewable energy, supporting grid stability and resilience, and creating equitable community benefits, MCE will be seeking information from qualified suppliers of renewable energy, energy storage products and Resource Adequacy (RA) to inform MCE’s formal long-term offer solicitation in 2025.
MCE’s procurement team is launching this Request for Information (RFI) as a precursor to potential future Request for Offers or bilateral offer discussions. MCE believes that this new approach will streamline procurement efforts for all participants.
MCE is seeking information for prospective full-toll agreements (i.e., all applicable products from the project) with a minimum contract term length of at least five (5) years from new and existing renewable energy (PCC1-eligible) projects, renewable energy projects paired with energy storage projects, and standalone energy storage projects. Energy generating projects should also be at least 5 MW for 24x7 load profiles (e.g., geothermal) or no less than 25 MW for intermittent resources. Beyond these categories, responses are not limited in any other respect (e.g., deliverability status, queue status, online date).
I. About MCE
MCE is a public, not-for-profit agency that has been setting the standard for clean energy in California since 2010. MCE procures retail electric power on behalf of more than 585,000 customer accounts, serving 1.5 million residents and businesses in 37 communities across four Bay Area counties: Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, and Solano. MCE serves a 1,400 MW peak load and offers 60-100% renewable power at stable rates, significantly reducing greenhouse emissions and reinvesting millions in local programs. For more information about MCE, visit mceCleanEnergy.org, or follow us on your preferred social platform @mceCleanEnergy.
MCE’s audited financial statements are available at https://www.mcecleanenergy.org/key-documents/. 2 II. Introduction
As part of its ongoing effort to deliver environmentally responsible, competitively priced retail electric service options, MCE established its long-term solicitation process to provide a competitive, objectively administered opportunity for qualified suppliers of various energy products to fulfill certain portions of MCE’s future energy resource requirements. This year, MCE will utilize an RFI as a precursor to further solicitation efforts, and will seek information from qualified suppliers capable of providing the following products:
i. Renewable Energy. PCC1-eligible Renewable Energy, Green Attributes/Renewable Energy Credits and Capacity Attributes (RA). Note: Resources utilizing a PV fuel source must be paired with integrated energy storage to be considered. ii. Renewable Energy Paired with Energy Storage. In addition to the requirements for the Renewable Energy product, MCE is interested in projects that also include an energy storage component. Note: Both four-hour and long-duration (eight-hours or more) will be considered, as well as any storage technology type. iii. Standalone Energy Storage. MCE is interested in standalone energy storage projects, with the same considerations as energy storage paired with renewables.
By responding in this RFI process, the Respondent acknowledges that they have read, understand, and agree to the terms and conditions set forth in these Procedural Overview & Instructions. MCE reserves the right to use the information provided in response to this RFI to determine if a project is of interest to MCE to request further information from the Respondent, including but not limited to additional project or respondent information from the Respondent, extension of an invitation to participate in a subsequent limited Request for Offers (RFO), or invitation to submit a bilateral offer submitted directly to MCE for expedited consideration outside of an official RFO. MCE also reserves the right to not offer any follow-up to responses that do not comply with the requirements identified herein. Furthermore, MCE may, in its sole discretion and without notice, modify, suspend, extend, or terminate this RFI without further liability to any organization or individual. This RFI does not constitute an offer to buy or create an obligation for MCE to enter into an agreement with any party, and MCE shall not be bound by the terms of any offer until MCE has entered into a fully executed power purchase agreement.
III. Required Content of Responses and Multiple Responses Respondents shall complete a questionnaire that will be live on MCE’s website at mceCleanEnergy.org/solicitations until Thursday, May 8, 2025 at 11:59 P.M. Pacific Time. MCE’s Procurement Team will evaluate the submissions and determine the next steps in the long-term solicitation process, detailed more in Section VI, below.
For the RFI, only the questionnaire is necessary for a complete submission, but an option will be available to provide supplemental documentation, such as project narratives. Responses must include answers to all required questions in the questionnaire, as noted in the form. 3 Respondents may submit more than one project, but it is requested that Respondents provide one questionnaire submission per project.
IV. Conforming Responses to Pricing Questions
In addition, MCE will evaluate indicative pricing that reflect the following commercial assumptions in their responses. There will be an opportunity to provide information about alternative pricing assumptions, but for the purposes of comparing commercially consistent responses, respondents must price responses according to these assumptions:
1. The project will seek Investment Tax Credits (ITC) and will not seek Production Tax Credits (PTC) or structure the offer so that Buyer is not responsible for PTC Amounts associated with unearned PTCs.
2. Buyer is permitted uncompensated economic curtailments per year in the amount of 50 hours multiplied by the Guaranteed Capacity of the generating facility. (Not applicable to offers for standalone energy storage.)
3. Seller is subject to an outside termination date and termination penalty for failure to achieve the Guaranteed Commercial Operations Date, as may be extended for permitted extensions including Force Majeure by not more than 180 days.
4. Seller will post a Development Security of $125/kW and performance security of $105/kW in the form of cash or letter of credit.
V. Key Deadlines and Submission Requirements
MCE’s Long-Term Offer 2025 RFI will be administered based on the following schedule (all times in Pacific Prevailing Time):
Issue RFI 4/14/2025
Respondent Q&A Window 4/16/2025 – 4/28/2025
Response Window 4/14/2025 – 5/8/2025
Response Window Closure 5/8/2025, 11:59 P.M
i. Response Window. MCE will launch the RFI on April 14, 2025. Completes Responses must be submitted within the Offer Window indicated above. ii. Respondent Q&A Window. Any questions related to the content of this RFI must be submitted at [email protected] during the “Respondent Q&A window.” iii. Deadline for Q&A Responses. On a weekly basis, MCE will reply to questions and will post responses to questions posed by more than one party on the MCE Procurement page.
4 iv. Response Window Closure. To be eligible for consideration, Responses must be submitted via the RFI Submission form on MCE’s website no later than the Response Window Closure.
VI. Following the RFI
MCE’s Procurement Team will evaluate the submissions and determine the next steps in the long-term solicitation process, which may include bilateral outreach to respondents to solicit additional materials or launching one or multiple formal invite-only Requests for Offers.
Additional requested materials may include Offer Forms, Term Sheets, Supporting Documents, or other information necessary to perform a comprehensive evaluation.
VII. Supplier Diversity and Labor Practices
Consistent with the California Public Utilities Code and California Public Utilities Commission policy objectives, MCE collects information regarding supplier diversity and labor practices from project developers and their subcontractors regarding past, current and/or planned efforts and policies. Pursuant to Senate Bill 255, Respondents that execute a PPA with MCE will be required to complete a Supplier Diversity questionnaire.
MCE does not give preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin; providing such information to MCE will not influence the selection process.
VIII. General Terms and Conditions
MCE’s Reserved Rights
MCE may, at its sole discretion, and without notice, modify, suspend, extend, or terminate this RFI at any time, and/or choose not to proceed with commercial discussions with any or all Respondents.
Respondents are solely responsible for any costs or expenses incurred in connection with the preparation and submittal of a response. MCE shall be held harmless and free from any and all liability, claims, or expenses whatsoever incurred by, or on behalf of, any person or organization responding to this RFI.
All data and information furnished by MCE or referred to in this RFI are furnished for the Respondent's convenience. MCE does not guarantee that such data and information is accurate and assumes no responsibility whatsoever as to the accuracy of such data or its interpretation.
During the evaluation process MCE may request additional information from Respondents which MCE deems necessary to determine the Respondent’s ability to perform the required services. If such information is requested, the Respondent shall provide such information within a commercially reasonable amount of time.
5 Public Records
All responses and documents submitted into this RFI will become the property of MCE upon submittal and will be subject to the provisions of the California Public Records Act (the “Act”) and any other applicable disclosure laws. To the extent permissible by law, upon submission all responses shall be treated as confidential until the RFI process concludes, at which point all responses shall be deemed public record subject to disclosure. Notwithstanding the foregoing and to the extent permissible by law, MCE intends to treat as confidential for a period of one (1) year from the submittal date the following: responses to questions related to pricing, project locations, financing, contracting, equipment procurement plans, and ownership structure. MCE is required to comply with the Act as it relates to the treatment of any information marked “confidential.” Respondents requesting that additional portions of its response(s) be exempt from disclosure must contact MCE separately to identify such elements.
MCE will consider a Respondent's request for an exemption from disclosure; however, if MCE receives a request for documents under the Act, or any other applicable disclosure laws, MCE will decide based upon applicable laws. Respondents should not over-designate material as confidential, and any requests or assertions by a Respondent that designate the entire submittal, or significant portions thereof, as being are exempt from disclosure may not be honored.
Thank you for your interest!