Alabama Power is seeking proposals for potential renewable energy projects, starting this week.

On Oct. 19 the company issued a request for proposals (RFP) for renewable energy resources. The deadline to submit a proposal is Dec. 1.

“We are eager to test the market to see if there are renewable projects that may make economic sense for our customers,” said John Kelley, Alabama Power’s director of Forecasting and Resource Planning. “We have always supported a diverse portfolio of energy resources as we strive to meet our customers’ desire for clean, safe, reliable, affordable energy.”

Under the renewables RFP, the company will consider a variety of proposals, including solar, wind and geothermal projects, energy from tidal or ocean current, and low-impact hydro and biomass. Projects involving gas derived from sewage treatment processes, solid municipal waste or landfills, and heat and power projects may be submitted.

Alabama Power is seeking renewable energy proposals, including wind. (file)

Alabama Power is seeking renewable energy proposals, including solar, like the company helped develop at Fort Rucker. (file)

Alabama Power is seeking renewable energy proposals, including biomass. (file)

The submitted projects must be at least 5 megawatts but no larger than 80 megawatts and can be turnkey projects or energy-purchase contracts with terms of 10 or 25 years. Alabama Power would receive all the environmental attributes from the projects.

The RFP will also explore and evaluate the potential of renewable energy storage technologies.

All projects submitted must be located in Alabama and connect directly to the company’s electric system. The proposals also must meet the criteria of the Green-e energy National Standard for Renewable Electricity Products, Gold Standard, the Climate Registry or similar certifications approved by Alabama Power.

Bids for the renewables RFP must be received by 6 p.m. CST on Dec 1, 2020. It will take several months to analyze the projects to determine if any would be beneficial to Alabama Power customers. The company will look to pair potential projects with interested industrial and large commercial clients. Any project must be approved by the Alabama Public Service Commission.

For more information about the renewables RFP, click here. You can also go to www.alabamapower.com. Click on “Our Company” and then “2020 Renewable Energy RFP”.