California community choice aggregator (CCA) utility Central Coast Community Energy (3CE) has announced a request for proposals (RFP) to meet its renewable portfolio standard.
3CE’s RFP is seeking offers with a capacity of at least 20MW from renewable generation only, renewable generation plus storage, standalone storage, resource adequacy (RA) only, portfolio content category 1 (PCC1) index+ and bridge mid-term reliability (MTR) import contracts.
The product categories are further defined in the table below:
| Contract Category | Contract Category Details |
| Renewable generation only | RPS-eligible generation (e.g. solar, wind, geothermal). PPA tenor must be between 10 and 20 years. 3CE has a strong preference for projects in this category with an earlier delivery date. |
| Renewable generation plus storage | RPS-eligible generation paired with storage projects. The storage duration must be at least 4 hours, and the storage contract capacity cannot exceed 120% of the guaranteed generating capacity. PPA tenor must be between 10 and 20 years. |
| Standalone storage | Standalone storage projects (e.g. lithium-ion battery storage, compressed air storage). The storage duration must be for at least 4 hours. PPA tenor must be between 10 and 20 years. |
| RA only | RA Only projects from storage, thermals, or other qualifying resources. PPA tenor must be between 5 and 10 years. |
| PCC1 Index+ | RPS-eligible generation (e.g. solar, wind, geothermal) offered as a PCC1 Index+ contract. PPA tenor must be between 10 and 20 years. |
| Bridge MTR Import | RA resources eligible under CPUC Mid-Term Reliability Decision 21-06-035 that are classified as Imported Electricity from Unspecified Resources. Offers in this product category must provide bundled Energy and RA and have a PPA start date no later than June 01, 2027. PPA tenor must be between 1 and 3 years. 3CE has a strong preference for offers with an earlier delivery date. |
3CE is utilising energy software and consulting group Ascend Analytics’ Power Procurement (APP) platform to procure power purchase agreements (PPAs).
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The utility is looking to procure the PPAs with new or existing clean energy and storage projects, with most categories having an acceptable PPA start date no later than 31 December 2032. Bridge MTR Import contracts must start no later than 1 June 2027.
Ascend is administering and organising the RFP process on 3CE’s behalf, the company will also help in evaluating bids.
In 2024, 3CE and Ascend announced a similar RFP, which sought to procure PPAs with with new or existing clean energy and storage projects in the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) market.
That RFP required proposals to offer capacity of at least 20MW under a firm renewable energy, renewable energy plus storage or standalone storage contract categories.
In the same year, IPP Clearway Energy Group signed an Energy Storage Exclusivity Agreement (ESEA) with 3CE for a 750MW/3,000MWh standalone BESS project located in Monterey County, California.
The agreement gave 3CE exclusivity to negotiate an Energy Storage Agreement (ESA) with Clearway for its Holman BESS project at a later date.
The deadline for RFP proposal submissions is 25 April and an informational webinar for interested bidders will take place on 9 April. More information about the webinar can be found on the 3CE RFP website.
