Maine Launches Solicitation for 375 Megawatts of Distributed Generation

The Maine Public Utilities Commission issued a request for proposals from solar and other renewable energy developers for small-scale projects, pursuant to a 2019 law that established a distributed generation procurement program, according to a Feb. 28 news release. The law directs the agency to conduct multiple solicitations to obtain 250 megawatts of distributed generation from shared resources and 125 megawatts from commercial and institutional accounts over the next five years.

The agency seeks proposals for the Block 1 procurement from projects sized less than 5 megawatts in one of two categories namely, commercial/institutional or shared projects for a procurement target of 25 megawatts and 50 megawatts, respectively. Selected bidders will enter into 20-year contracts with Central Maine Power Company or Emera Maine, depending on the location of the project.

The commission is required to hold an initial solicitation for the first block of output on or before July 1, 2020, and establish market-based, declining block contract rates to procure the remainder by July 1, 2024.