Appalachian Power is looking to add up to 1,100 megawatts of wind, solar and battery energy storage capacity to its electricity portfolio.
Virginia’s second-largest electric utility, with more than 540,000 customers in western Virginia, aims to meet renewable energy requirements mandated by the Virginia Clean Economy Act of 2020 and support renewable-energy legislation in West Virginia, the company said in a news release.
Wind and solar are common sources of renewable energy. Battery energy storage systems can store electricity from both renewable and nonrenewable sources to be used as needed, such as during power outages or peak demand times. Appalachian has issued three requests for proposals, or RFPs, and is accepting submissions through mid-July.
“The advertised RFPs play an important role in helping us meet our clean energy commitments,” Appalachian President and COO Aaron Walker said in the news release. “These projects will also support local communities by generating jobs and tax base.”
The utility is requesting bids for:
- up to 800 megawatts of wind, solar and battery energy storage systems where Appalachian would purchase the projects’ limited liability companies outright. Eligible projects must be operational no later than Dec. 15, 2028, and projects already operating are eligible. Wind and solar resources that connect to the PJM network — which coordinates wholesale distribution of electricity across 13 states and Washington, D.C. — must be at least 50 megawatts in size, while battery energy storage systems must be at least 10 megawatts. Resources that connect to Appalachian’s distribution system must be at least 10 megawatts. Battery energy storage systems could be co-located with solar facilities or stand alone.
- up to 300 megawatts of wind or solar where Appalachian would buy the energy through a power purchase agreement and a separate company would maintain ownership of the facility. Eligible projects must be operational by Dec. 31, 2028. Solar projects must be at least 5 megawatts and wind projects must be at least 50 megawatts.
- an unspecified amount of renewable energy certificates, which are market instruments created by the generation and delivery of renewable energy. The certificates essentially prove that a certain amount of energy came from renewable sources; utilities such as Appalachian can purchase these certificates to help meet their clean-energy goals.
The Virginia Clean Economy Act requires Appalachian to transition its electricity portfolio to 100% carbon-free sources by 2050. That target can be achieved by using renewable resources — typically wind and solar — that are located within the PJM transmission region, said Appalachian spokesperson Teresa Hamilton Hall.
Appalachian currently owns one in-service solar facility of approximately 5 megawatts, located about 5 miles outside the town of Amherst, Hall said. It began generating electricity in October.
The utility has six in-service wind power purchase agreements totaling about 495 megawatts and three solar power purchase agreements totaling about 55 megawatts.
As of September, Appalachian Power’s owned and purchased power generation across Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee totaled 8,461 megawatts.
Of that, about 64% came from coal, 19% from natural gas and about 17% from hydroelectric, wind and solar, Hall said.