Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection

Grid Scale Competitive Procurements

In order to continue making progress towards the state’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, diversify fuel sources, and improve electric reliability, DEEP has conducted procurements for grid-scale renewable and zero carbon resources to provide the support needed to bring these resources online.

DEEP conducted its first procurement of renewable energy in 2011 using authority from Section 127 of Connecticut Public Act 11-80, which directed that 30 MW of Class I renewables be procured through an open, competitive RFP, and the state’s EDCs were authorized to own and operate no more than 10 MW each of that authority.
Instead of utility-only procurements, DEEP has the responsibility for procurement of renewable resources to maintain the competitiveness of the solicitation and mitigate potential utility conflicts of interest.

 

Active Procurements


Expanded Electric Efficiency and Affordability Initiative

On October 29, 2024, DEEP released a Draft Request for Proposals (RFP) for passive demand response measures to improve energy efficiency in Connecticut. This initiative seeks measures that, either singularly or in aggregation, will provide electric summer and winter demand savings of at least 1 MW over their lifetime. Comments submitted in response can be accessed at DEEP’s Energy Filings webpage.

A Notice of Revised Schedule, Technical Meeting, and Request for Written Comments was issued on January 28, 2025, stating DEEP’s intent to expand the scope of the RFP to include measures for commercial and industrial customers, in addition to residential customers, and clarify payment structures that will be considered in the final RFP. Comments submitted in response can be accessed at DEEP's Energy Filings webpage, linked above.

On February 11, 2025, a Technical Meeting was held to ensure shared understanding with potential bidders prior to the release of the final RFP.

Procurements Pending Review


Zero Carbon Resources and Offshore Wind

DEEP conducted 2023 procurements for new zero carbon electricity generating resources and offshore wind. The purpose of these procurements was to secure cost-effective zero carbon resources that can improve the reliability of the region’s electric grid, while also improving energy affordability by reducing dependence on fossil fuel resources that are subject to volatile pricing and delivery constraints. The procurements are also consistent with decarbonizing Connecticut’s electricity grid by 2040; achieving the state’s economy-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals, including an interim GHG emissions reduction target of at least 45% below 2001 levels by 2030; and other energy and environmental goals and policies established in the Integrated Resources Plan (IRP) and the Comprehensive Energy Strategy (CES).

On October 27, 2023, DEEP released Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for Offshore Wind Facilities and for Zero Carbon Energy. Bids for the Zero Carbon Energy RFPs were due January 31, 2024. Bids for the Offshore Wind Facilities RFP were due March 27, 2024. Recordings of the bidders' conferences are linked in the following notices: Notice of Offshore Wind Facility RFP and Notice of Zero Carbon RFP.

Related to the Offshore Wind Facilities Request for Proposals, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island entered into an offshore wind multi-state coordination memorandum of understanding (MOU), which created a pathway for a potential coordinated selection of offshore wind as each state solicited offshore wind energy generation through their respective state procurements.

On December 20, 2024, DEEP announced the selection of 3 new solar projects as a result of these procurements, totaling 518 megawatts. As a next step in the RFP process, the selected solar projects are negotiating long-term contracts with the state’s electric distribution companies, Eversource Energy and The United Illuminating Company. DEEP expects any resulting contracts to be filed with the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) for review and approval in 2025.

Energy Storage

On March 11, 2024, DEEP released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for energy storage projects in Connecticut that help achieve policy goals to displace fossil-fuel based electric generation, particularly in environmental justice communities, interconnect large new loads from electrification, and support integration of renewables. DEEP held a public technical meeting on July 10, 2023, to present and receive feedback on modeling that will be used in this procurement of energy storage. DEEP held a bidders' conference on March 22, 2024, which can be viewed here; the presentation slides displayed during the conference are available here. Bids for the energy storage RFP were due May 9, 2024. 

On December 20, 2024, DEEP announced the selection of one new 200 MW energy storage project as a result of the procurement. As a next step in the RFP process, the selected project is negotiating a long-term contract with the state’s electric distribution companies, Eversource Energy and The United Illuminating Company. DEEP expects any resulting contracts to be filed with the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) for review and approval in 2025.

Past Procurements

Since 2011, DEEP has conducted nine procurements, resulting in contracts for:

  • 710 MW of grid-scale solar
  • 1,108 MW of offshore wind
  • 34 MW of incremental energy efficiency to the energy efficiency programs
  • 52 MW of fuel cells
  • Energy and environmental attributes from 10.9 million MWhs of nuclear power
  • Additional environmental attributes associated with 2.85 million MWhs of nuclear power

In total, DEEP is authorized by statute to procure up to 110% of the load associated with the state’s two EDCs from renewable or zero carbon energy resources. To date, Connecticut attained the equivalent of 95% of the EDCs’ load in the forms of energy and/or environmental attributes associated with renewable energy sources.

See Historical Procurement Selections and Pricing for a list of the projects selected in grid-scale competitive procurements and the associated price.



Future Procurements


While Connecticut has already made significant progress towards its 100% Zero Carbon Target, its commitment to procuring grid-scale renewable and zero carbon resources is further solidified through Public Act 19-71, which requires DEEP to provide a procurement schedule for OSW informed by the Integrated Resources Plan (IRP), providing for the solicitation of resources with an aggregate nameplate capacity of 2,000 MW by 2030.

In order to achieve the Target by 2040 at the least cost, it is critical to retain flexibility in planning and executing procurements so as not to acquire more resources than are needed. As outlined in the IRP and the 2022 Procurement Plan Update, the anticipated procurement activity priorities (subject to contingencies) over the next several years are:

  • Focus on siting and permitting enhancements, transmission planning and procurement, and market reforms needed to enable procurement of additional offshore wind resources and other zero carbon Class I resources; and
  • Prior to 2028, depending on contingencies - procure additional zero carbon Class I resources, including OSW, with sufficient time for resources to come online.

DEEP will monitor contingencies and update its procurement schedule for OSW and other zero carbon Class I resources no less than every 12 months to account for any changing market and policy conditions through the release of the next IRP.

Additional Resources

 

Content last updated February 2025.