Detroit Edison Calls for Renewable Power Proposals
Detroit Edison has issued two requests for proposals (RFPs) that will add a significant amount of Michigan-based renewable power to the company's energy portfolio over the next two years.
The two RFPs will help the company meet renewable energy provisions contained in the Clean, Renewable and Efficient Energy Act, a comprehensive energy reform package approved last year that requires Michigan's electric utilities to serve 10 percent of their retail sales using renewable energy resources by 2015.
"This is a major step forward in Detroit Edison's plan to meet the state's renewable energy targets," said Trevor F. Lauer, vice president of retail marketing for DTE Energy, parent company of Detroit Edison. "These RFPs will enable us to add more than 180 megawatts (MW) of homegrown renewable energy to our portfolio and at the same time encourage the development of new green energy projects located right here in Michigan."
The first RFP seeks potential partners for the development of a Michigan-based wind farm (or farms) capable of producing up to 75 MW of new wind power. The facilities must be operational by Dec. 31, 2011. Upon completion of the project (or projects), Detroit Edison would take ownership of the facilities and would receive 100 percent of the wind energy and renewable energy credits. Responses to this RFP are due by Nov. 2.
The second RFP seeks long-term agreements for the purchase of capacity, energy and renewable energy credits from approximately 106 MW of renewable energy resources. Detroit Edison expects to sign multiple 20-year long power purchase agreements for qualifying Michigan-based energy produced from resources such as wind, solar, landfill gas and biomass. Responses to this RFP are due by Oct. 23.
Detailed bid documents for both RFPs are available on the PowerAdvocate bid event platform. Potential bidders must be registered with PowerAdvocate to access the bid documents; the registration site is www.poweradvocate.com.
The company plans to own facilities to meet up to half of that capacity and contract with third-party producers for the rest. It has acquired more than 70,000 acres of land easements in Michigan's Thumb area as sites for wind farms and other related infrastructure.