Portland General Electric (PGE) selected Accion Group to again serve as Independent Evaluator for two RFPs. The RFPs are being conducted online using the Accion Power RFP website platform. The 2012 RFP is for Capacity and Baseload Energy Resources. A RFP for renewable products will also be released in 2012. PGE will accept proposals based upon a variety of structures, including power purchase agreements, build-own-transfers, sales of existing assets and acquisition of project development assets/rights, and Engineering Procurement and Construction on PGE's site. Bids are due online in August 2012. The website is accessible at https://portlandgeneralrfp.accionpower.com.

Selected in January 2011 to serve a two-year term as a participant in Southern California Edison's (SCE) pool of Independent Evaluators (IE), Accion Group currently serves as the IE for SCE's Renewable Auction Mechanism Request for Offers (RAM RFO). SCE launched its online RAM RFO in September 2011 using the Accion Power RFP Website platform, with RAM Auctions to be held in May 2012 and November 2012.

The RFO solicits offers from owners of eligible renewable resource (ERR) generating facilities, and is open to projects utilizing ERRs with contract capacities not less than 1 MW and not greater than 20 MW. Additional Offer qualification criteria can be found in the RAM RFO Participant Instructions (RFO Instructions), available in the Documents section of the RAM RFO Website.

Tucson Electric Power launched its online RFP website today for the 2011 Wind RFP, with bids due online by August 25, 2011. The website is accessible at http://tepie.accionpower.com.

The objective of this RFP is to solicit competitive proposals for the procurement of cost effective, wind-generated renewable energy that will contribute to the diversification of TEP's internal fuel resources, reduce environmental impact of new resources, and provide environmental attributes as part of the Arizona Corporation Commission's Renewable Energy Standard and Tariff (REST) requirements. The RFP will only consider wind generation resources located within the State of Arizona, with a maximum capacity of 50 MW.

Accion Group is serving as the Independent Monitor for the 2011 Wind RFP, and Accion Group's online RFP website for TEP offers bidders the opportunity to submit bids completely electronically through an online bid form.

Additionally, registered users can post questions on the site's "Q&A" page, upload documents, and receive automatic email notifications when updates or announcements are posted to the RFP website. A copy of TEP's RFP is currently available for download to registered users at the RFP website.

Georgia Power Company recently launched its online RFP website for the 2011 Solar Photovoltaic RFP, with bids due online by July 11, 2011. The RFP is seeking a solar PV generating system facility rated at not less than 100 kW and not more than 1000 kW, net alternating current peak output.

Accion Group is serving as the Independent Monitor for the 2011 Solar P/V RFP, and Accion Group's online RFP website for Georgia Power Company offers bidders the opportunity to submit bids completely electronically through an online bid form. Additionally, bidders (and all registered users) can post questions on the site's "Q&A" page, upload documents, and receive automatic email notifications when updates or announcements are posted to the RFP website. A copy of Georgia Power's draft RFP is currently available for download to registered users at the RFP website.

Portland General Electric ("PGE") launched its online RFP website yesterday for a 2011 Capacity RFP that will open for bids in late July, seeking new electric generating resources to meet peak periods of demand for electricity and help integrate variable energy resources onto the grid.

Accion Group is serving as the Independent Evaluator for the 2011 Capacity Power Supply Resources RFP, and Accion Group's online RFP website for PGE offers bidders the opportunity to submit bids completely electronically through an online bid form. Additionally, bidders (and all registered users) can post questions on the site's "Q&A" page, upload documents, and receive automatic email notifications when updates or announcements are posted to the RFP website. A copy of PGE's draft RFP is currently available for download to registered users at the RFP website.

PGE issued a press release regarding the 2011 Capacity RFP yesterday. A copy of the press release is posted below:

Portland General Electric Company (NYSE: POR) today issued a draft of a request for proposals (RFP) that is expected to open for bids in late July, seeking new electric generating resources to meet peak periods of demand for electricity and help integrate variable energy resources onto the grid. The draft RFP gives potential bidders an opportunity to review and ask questions about PGE's request in advance of the bidding window.

"Our goal is to acquire the resources our customers need at a reasonable cost through an open and impartial process - and we want to make certain potential bidders have all the information they need to be able to submit complete, competitive proposals that are ready to be executed," said Jim Lobdell, PGE's vice president for power operations and resource strategy.

The RFP will seek approximately 200 megawatts of year-round flexible and peaking resources, to help supply customers with electricity during peak demand periods and to help balance load as well as integrate increasing levels of variable energy resources such as wind. In addition, the RFP will ask for two seasonal peaking resources: Approximately 200 megawatts of bi-seasonal (winter and summer) peaking supply and approximately 150 megawatts of winter-only peaking supply. PGE plans to bring these resources online in the 2013-2015 timeframe.

PGE will hold two workshops to help inform interested parties and potential bidders and seek input on the draft RFP. On May 11, non-bidding stakeholders are invited to attend a workshop from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the World Trade Center Conference Center, 121 SW Salmon Street in Portland, Oregon. On May 12, potential bidders are invited to attend a workshop from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the same location.

PGE is scheduled to submit a final draft RFP to the Oregon Public Utility Commission in late May. The commission will accept comments and a recommendation from its staff before deciding whether to allow the RFP to proceed in late July.

This RFP is conducted pursuant to guidelines established by the OPUC and is the first step in implementing a PGE integrated resource plan that the OPUC acknowledged in November 2010. Two additional RFPs, for renewable and baseload energy resources respectively, are planned for later this year. PGE expects to submit self-build "benchmark" proposals in each competitive bidding process for new resources.

Accion Group, Inc., an independent evaluator hired by the OPUC, will assist in conducting the RFP and reviewing bids to assure an open and impartial process. The independent evaluator will also provide an assessment of the bid scoring, including PGE's benchmark proposals, and short list selection resulting from the RFPs. The IE will then issue a closing report with a detailed assessment of the process and its results.

Further information on the RFPs, the workshops and the competitive bidding process is available online at portlandgeneralrfp.accionpower.com.

Accion Group just launched www.accionpower.com, a consolidated website that hosts all of the competitive procurements that Accion is currently running online. Accion Power serves as a portal to access RFPs run completely online, with 100% electronic, paperless bidding.

Three RFPs are currently accessible through the Accion Power portal - Hawaiian Electric Company's "HECO FIT" program, Georgia Power Company's 2015 RFP, and Portland General Electric Company's 2011 Capacity RFP.

Accion will be launching an online RFP website for Georgia Power Company's 2011 solar photovoltaic RFP in late April, and will be launching the online website for Tucson Electric Power Company's wind RFP in June 2011. Visit Accion Power to access the three RFPs currently up and running, and to sign up for email notifications with the Georgia Solar and TEP wind RFPs launch.

In April, 2011 Accion Group was recommended by the Commission to serve as Independent Evaluator (IE) for three of Portland General Electric's (PGE) RFPs. Accion Group is under contract to provide IE services through 2012 for RFPs issued to fulfill the energy, capacity, and renewable resource actions identified by the Commission in Order No. 10-457.

Accion Group was selected by PGE as the top applicant out of a pool of 16 bids, and was the only bidder to score in the top five for price and non-price criteria. Subsequent analysis by Commission Staff also resulted in Accion Group achieving the highest evaluation score. Read the Oregon PUC Staff Report announcing Accion Group's selection.

Accion Group has previously served as the Independent Evaluator for PGE's 2008 RFP for Renewable Resource, and will conduct the 2011 RFP process similarly, using our proprietary online procurement platform.

Accion Group was selected by Tucson Electric Power Company (TEP) to serve as the Independent Evaluator for TEP's wind RFP. Accion Group has served as the Independent Evaluator for TEP for the past eight years.

Accion will conduct the RFP process using our online procurement platform. Accion's online RFP website has been successfully used during past engagements in Oregon, Georgia, Hawaii, Arizona, and Florida. To read more about Accon's online procurement website, download Accion Group's Website Capabilities.