Questions and answers for 2024 Call for Power
Questions on the Request for Proposals ("RFP"), the RFP process and related documents issued during the call process, and BC Hydro's responses, are posted on this page. They are numbered chronologically based on the date of posting. Most recent Q&As are posted first.
BC Hydro's answers to proponent's questions are for general information only. They do not constitute legal or other advice and did not amend or form part of the RFP, unless confirmed by Addendum or revised RFP documents.
Should there be any differences between the responses in these Q&As and the Request for Proposals (RFP) or the Specimen Electricity Purchase Agreement (EPA) issued by BC Hydro when the Call for Power is launched, or subsequently updated, the RFP and the Specimen EPA shall prevail.
Questions will be added regularly.
April 18, 2024
15. Does an accepted Competitive Electricity Acquisition Process Interconnection Request (CEAP IR) mean that my Project will be eligible under the Request for Proposals (RFP)?
No, the CEAP IR process is separate and distinct from the RFP and therefore a valid CEAP IR is not indicative that a Project will meet the Eligibility Requirements under the RFP. Proponents are solely responsible for ensuring that their CEAP IR(s) and Proposal(s) meet the relevant requirements of both CEAP and the RFP.
14. I have submitted my CEAP IR with a Commercial Operation Date (COD) that is outside the Eligibility Requirement COD range (being October 1, 2028 to October 1, 2031). In order to meet the Eligibility Requirements under the RFP, I need to change my COD in my CEAP IR. How do I do so?
If a Proponent wishes to change the COD in their CEAP IR, they need to send an email to CEAP2024@bchydro.com to notify BC Hydro of the COD change. The notification must include the Project name, the COD listed in the original CEAP IR, and the revised COD. The original and revised CODs must include the day, month and year. If you are in the process of correcting deficiencies for your CEAP IR, please do not change the COD on your Interconnection Request form and re-submit the form for the purpose of changing the COD. We request you send a separate email notifying of the new COD as described above.
Please note that in order for any COD change to be reflected in the Interconnection Feasibility Studies, notification of such change needs to be delivered to BC Hydro by May 21, 2024.
13. Can we change the name of the entity and other company details between the CEAP IR submission and proposal deadline?
Yes. For the purpose of the RFP, the entity that submits the CEAP IR does not have to match the entity that submits the Proposal. Pursuant to Section 4.3 of the Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT) M-1 (Standard Generator Interconnection Procedures), an interconnection customer may transfer its queue position to another entity if such entity acquires the specific generating facility identified in the Interconnection Request and the Point of Interconnection (POI) does not change. We will provide each applicant a CEAP IR number that you need to include in your bid submission which will allow us to link the CEAP IR to the bid.
12. Can BC Hydro please provide maps displaying the Cost of Incremental Firm Transmission (CIFT) boundaries for Kelly Lake/Nicola to the Lower Mainland as well as for Vancouver Island? Also, and in relation to the boundaries of Kelly Lake/Nicola to Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island, could BC Hydro please clarify if all the areas outside of those boundaries are considered neutral?
BC Hydro cannot provide a map that delineates the CIFT boundaries explicitly for those projects that are in proximity to Kelly Lake and Nicola 500 kV substations or to Vancouver Island. Certain details need to be confirmed on a case-by-case basis based on the plant Point of Interconnection (POI) with the BC Hydro system.
BC Hydro confirms that projects that are located in the Lower Mainland are neutral from the perspective of the CIFT evaluation adjuster.
11. BC Hydro pays for curtailed energy but is excused from this obligation if there is an emergency event or during the first 24 hours of a BC System constraint event. Please confirm the period during which BC Hydro is excused from the obligation to pay.
There is no payment or liability for BC Hydro related to curtailment due to an emergency event. During curtailment for a BC Hydro System Constraint, BC Hydro will pay for Deemed Energy after the first 24 hours of the BC Hydro System Constraint.
10. When will additional details be available regarding the RFP information sessions that are planned to take place on May 14 and 16?
Details about the information sessions are provided in the RFP under Section 5.6 of the RFP.
9. Can I meet with BC Hydro to discuss my project or the Call more generally?
We cannot meet with potential proponents to discuss project-specific matters. This is because we are in an active competitive procurement process and need to maintain fairness with all potential proponents.
Please refer to Section 5 of the RFP for further information on the Q&A process.
8. In the scenario where a wind or solar project's proposal can provide a Designated Capacity Commitment, will the Resource Integration Cost still be added to the Evaluation Price?
For the purposes of Proposal evaluation, the Resource Integration Cost adder will be applied to the Evaluation Price for all wind and solar projects, including those that provide a Designated Capacity Commitment.
This is because, in the event that a Project provides a Designated Capacity Commitment, it would only cover a portion of the Plant Capacity, and because the Capacity Commitment Period only applies for part of the year. As such, BC Hydro must continue to hold reserves for wind and solar resources, the cost of which are accounted for in the evaluation by the Resource Integration Cost adder.
April 15, 2024
7. Will BC Hydro propose alternative Points of Interconnection (POI) and/or Project Sizes if the Interconnection Feasibility Study reveals that a project is not possible or too costly?
BC Hydro is not able to provide alternatives based on information that is provided in the Competitive Electricity Acquisition Process interconnection request (CEAP IR). To help inform Project configuration and location, BC Hydro made available information on our transmission system in the document [PDF, 370 KB] that was provided in the fall, as well as via the Pre-CEAP process [MS Word, 45 KB] that took place in December and January where Proponents were invited to submit details on proposed Projects for a preliminary assessment.
6. Are Proponents permitted to change the parameters of their bids (e.g., Project Size, Commercial Operations Date (COD), equipment specifications, etc.) between what is submitted in the CEAP IR and the Proposal Schedules?
As specified in Table 1 of the RFP under Section 2.2, and further clarified in Addendum No. 1, the details contained in the CEAP IR must be consistent in all material respects with the information that is provided pursuant to the Schedules of the RFP. A material inconsistency would include any inconsistency that, in BC Hydro's opinion, could reasonably be expected to have an impact on the proposed interconnection including Network Upgrade schedule, or any costs to be borne by BC Hydro in relation thereto. This is important because the cost of Network Upgrades are considered in the evaluation. Accordingly, Proponents should not change the details in their Proposal, otherwise the project may not meet the eligibility requirement.
Notwithstanding the above, the COD reflected in the CEAP IR may be different from the Proposal if the Interconnection Feasibility Study (as defined in the Open Access Transmission Tariff [OATT]) conducted by BC Hydro determines that the COD proposed in the CEAP IR cannot be met due to the time required to complete Network Upgrades. In this circumstance, the COD in the Proposal Schedule may differ from the COD in the CEAP IR provided that the COD in the Proposal Schedule falls between the date by which BC Hydro determines that Network Upgrades may be completed and October 1, 2031.
We provide the following illustrative examples for clarity:
- A change to COD may or may not be material depending on whether or not the change has implications to the Network Upgrade cost estimate and schedule which could be impacted by how many months the COD moves between what was proposed in the CEAP IR and the Proposal Schedules. A COD cannot move to an earlier date in the Proposal Schedules than what was proposed in the CEAP IR because it may not be possible to accelerate the schedule of the Network Upgrades on the BC Hydro System.
- A change in the make, model, number of turbines is not expected to be material as long as the maximum injected capacity is consistent or less than the corresponding Interconnection Feasibility Study.
5. Should a project achieve a COD ahead of the Guaranteed COD, is this time included in the term of the EPA, or is it in addition to the term? Put another way, if there is a 30-year EPA agreement, does a COD 60 days before Guaranteed COD mean the contract goes 30 years + 60 days, or does the agreement term simply start earlier?
The Term of the contract ends on the 30th anniversary of the date that the project reaches COD, pursuant to section 2.1 of the EPA. If a Project achieves a COD prior to the Guaranteed COD, the Term will not be extended to account for the time between the actual COD and the Guaranteed COD.
4. Will future calls allow for expansions of projects that are awarded EPAs under the 2024 Call for Power?
BC Hydro cannot comment on the design of future calls because each call will be informed by BC Hydro's system needs at the time future calls are designed.
3. Does the Project Size requirement apply to the injection at the POI with the BC Hydro system, or the total output of the proposed project (before losses to the POI)?
The Project Size requirement applies to the maximum electrical output of all generating units of the proposed project combined before accounting for i) line losses to the Point of Interconnection (POI), and (ii) transformers between the generators and the POI.
In general, the maximum electrical output for each generating unit corresponds to its nameplate capacity. For all project types except solar projects, the Project Size requirement is based on the total nameplate capacity of all turbine/generator sets combined. For Solar projects, the Plant Capacity is the total nameplate capacity of all inverters combined, based on alternating current output.
2. I am looking to submit a project whose design might need to spread across two parcels that are separated by a road. Are there any RFP rules that deny such a project design/location?
BC Hydro cannot provide project-specific advice as Proponents are responsible for ensuring that their projects meet the requirements of the RFP and its associated Schedules. It is advisable that Proponents seek guidance from technical and legal professionals to determine if the specific project is viable considering the requirements set out in the RFP.
1. Can you confirm that the $5,000 company registration fee is no longer applicable for the May 1 deadline? It was referenced in early documentation but we are unable to locate that requirement in the recently released RFP.
We confirm that there is no longer a registration fee in order to register to participate in the 2024 Call for Power.