- 250MW of renewables and energy efficiency to be added.
- 300MW of firm capacity (e.g. batteries) is also planned.
Arizona utility Tucson Electric Power has disclosed its interest in adding about 250MW of renewables and energy efficiency, with 300MW of firm capacity, to its network. The company expects to attain these goals by launching an all-source request for proposals (RfP) on April 19, 2022. Submissions will be due by July 1, while winners will be announced near the end of 2022.
A competition round for wind, solar, demand response, and energy efficiency altogether with a combined capacity of about 250MW. About 300MW of the target capacity is set aside for the firm capacity resources such as battery storage, with at least 4 hours of storage capacity every day.
Projects with combined technologies will also be eligible to compete. The contracted capacity has to go into service from May 1, 2024, to May 1, 2025.
The RfP will be held to support TEP’s 2020 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), under which the utility aims to cut its carbon emissions by 80% and secure 70% of its power supply with power from wind and solar resources by 2035. The utility also plans to retire coal-fired power plants and replace them with renewable and natural gas-fired capacity.