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Prepa to issue RFPs to expand renewable energy, storage capacity

By on January 27, 2021

Public utility plans biddings for total of 3,750 MW in additional renewable power 

By José Alvarado Vega 

SAN JUAN – The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (Prepa) announced Wednesday that it will shortly issue a request for proposal (RFP) for the procurement of 1,000 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy and 500 MW of energy storage resource capacity to shore up the grid. 

The RFP includes 150 MW of capacity to be provided by “virtual power plants (VPPs) made up of distributed generation, store and demand response resources,” Prepa Deputy Director of Operations Fernando M. Padilla said in a press release.  

Padilla stressed that this is the first of six RFPs to install a cumulative total of 3,750 MW of renewable energy as well as 1,500 energy storage resources in the Prepa grid during a three-year period, in accordance with the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) and certain orders issued by the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau (PREB). 

Puerto Rico generates a little over 2% of its electricity from renewable sources, which include solar- and wind-generated power, according to the Puerto Rico Financial Oversight and Management Board-approved (FOMB) Prepa fiscal plan issued last year.

“Issuing the upcoming RFP is a fundamental step towards the implementation of our Integrated Resource Plan and the start of large-scale penetration of renewable energy in Puerto Rico, aimed at achieving the goal of reaching 100 percent by 2050,” the Prepa official said in the press release. “[Prepa] views the publication of this event as a critically important step towards the transformation of [the] Puerto [Rico] electrical system.” 

For several months, Prepa has coordinated with PREB and FOMB to ensure compliance with the infrastructure and fiscal plans governing the development of generation and energy storage projects, Padilla said. The public utility has formed a committee to manage the RFP process, the Prepa official stressed, noting that advisers have been hired to assist with “the evaluation of proposals submitted as part of the RFP process in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.” 

Padilla said that Prepa will make the RFP document available at www.aeepr.com (under the “Servicios-Suplidores-Oportunidades” section) and urged interested parties to access the “PowerAdvocate” electronic platform to register and participate in the process. 

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