Blue Ridge Power Agency Issues Battery Energy Storage System Request for Proposals

Virginia-based Blue Ridge Power Agency (BRPA) has issued a request for proposals (RFP) in which the joint action agency seeks pricing for several battery energy storage system (BESS) configurations that will aggregate to form a portfolio of BESS assets.

BRPA members are non-profit entities from six municipalities, towns, two cooperatives, and a university located in Virginia, each of which owns and operates its public power electric distribution system.

There will be four member projects participating in the RFP for this BRPA portfolio. The locations in the RFP will be strategically spread out across four members to capture benefits from BRPA’s member demand side management (DSM) activities.

The BESS sites are contemplated to be at locations provided by Craig Botetourt Electric Cooperative in Virginia, City of Radford, Va., City of Salem, Va., and Virginia Tech Electrical Services.

BRPA is seeking competitive proposals for a BESS to support BRPA’s DSM activities.

As outlined in the RFP, BRPA is looking for pricing for several BESS system configurations (2, 5, and 10 megawatt capacity ratings) that will aggregate to form a portfolio of BESS assets.

BRPA intends to select these configurations based on site-specific costs and project evaluation criteria. Commercial operation for the BESS is scheduled for June 2023.

Potential respondents can request the RFP and other information by contacting BRPA’s consultant, GDS Associates, Inc.  Questions concerning the RFP should be directed to the following email address: BRPA.2021BatteryRFP@gdsassociates.com

Proposals in response to the RFP are due Nov. 1, 2021.

The American Public Power Association’s Public Power Energy Storage Tracker is a resource for association members that summarizes energy storage projects undertaken by members that are currently online.