Solar_Power_Purchase_Agreement_RFI-2026-06-12_Final_.pdf

Request for

Information

Solar Power Purchase

Agreement (PPA)

Town of La Plata

No. RFI-2026-6-12

Town of La Plata 305 Queen Anne Street

La Plata, MD 20646

Table of Contents

1. Purpose

2. RFI Solicitation Schedule

3. Background & Objectives

4. Potential Sites & Load Overview

5. PPA Scope of Interest

6. Regulatory & Program Considerations

7. Information Requested

8. Data Provided by Town (to be attached if available)

9. Response Format & Submission

10. Evaluation (Informational)

11. Disclaimers

12. Attachments & Exhibits

13. Next Steps

1. Purpose

The Town of La Plata (“Town”) is seeking information from qualified third-party solar developers and electric suppliers regarding the feasibility, structure, pricing, and implementation of a Solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) to serve municipal facilities.

This non-binding RFI is intended to inform a potential subsequent competitive solicitation (e.g., RFP) and does not constitute a commitment to procure goods or services.

2. RFI Solicitation Schedule

Date – Solicitation: Friday, June 12th Date – Questions Due: Friday, June 26th by 12:00 PM Date – Question Addendum Due: Monday, July 6th by 2:00 PM Date - RFQ Due: Thursday, July 16 by 5:00 PM

3. Background & Objectives

The Town aims to:

• Reduce electricity costs and price volatility through long-term, fixed or indexed solar PPA pricing.

• Increase renewable energy usage and support state/local climate and sustainability goals.

• Evaluate resilience options (e.g., solar + storage, microgrid-ready designs) for critical facilities.

• Ensure compliance with applicable Maryland laws and regulations (e.g., Maryland PSC rules, interconnection standards) and the Town Charter/Code.

• Assess options for on-site systems (rooftop, ground-mount, parking canopy) and off-site crediting programs (e.g., virtual net metering or community solar, as applicable).

4. Potential Sites & Load Overview

The Town is considering solar for one or more facilities (subject to refinement):

• Town Hall

• Public Works/Wastewater Treatment Facility

• Police Facilities

• Water/Wastewater Infrastructure (Pump Stations)

Note: Respondents may propose on-site, off-site, or portfolio approaches, including aggregation of multiple meters, subject to Maryland rules and utility tariff constraints.

5. PPA Scope of Interest

Please provide information on the following PPA structures and services:

• Design, Engineering, Procurement, Construction (EPC) and commissioning.

• Ownership & Financing (third-party owned PPA).

• Interconnection with local utility (e.g., SMECO service territory as applicable).

• Metering & Monitoring (revenue-grade meters, data access).

• Operations & Maintenance (O&M), performance monitoring, and warranty.

• Pricing (fixed $/kWh, fixed with escalator, index to market, hybrid pricing).

• Term (e.g., 15–25 years) and end-of-term options (buyout, removal, renewal).

• Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs/SRECs) ownership/transfer and environmental claims.

• Resilience Enhancements (solar + storage, islanding/microgrid capability).

• Community Benefits (local workforce, apprenticeships, MBE/WBE participation).

• Insurance & Risk (site access, liability, bonding if required).

• Decommissioning plan and site restoration.

6. Regulatory & Program Considerations

Respondents should describe how their approach complies with:

• Applicable Maryland PSC regulations, utility interconnection standards, and net metering/virtual net metering/community solar programs (as applicable).

• Any permits, easements, and zoning requirements for La Plata sites.

• Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) considerations for public documents.

• Federal/state incentives (e.g., tax credits, depreciation, grants) as applicable to third-party ownership, without obligating the Town to claim or qualify for such incentives.

Please identify regulatory assumptions, program dependencies, caps, queue risks, and any constraints that could affect schedule or pricing.

7. Information Requested

Provide concise responses to the items below. If a question is not applicable, state “N/A” and briefly explain why.

A. Company Profile & Qualifications

1. Legal name, address, and business form; point(s) of contact.

2. Relevant licenses/registrations and Maryland experience.

3. Years in business; total MW installed; public-sector references (3+ preferred).

4. Safety record (TRIR/EMR) and O&M track record.

5. Financial capacity and typical financing partners.

B. Technical Approach

6. Proposed system types (rooftop, ground-mount, canopy), typical module/inverter/storage specs.

7. Preliminary capacity estimates per site and any siting constraints (roof age, geotech, shading).

8. Interconnection pathways, queue expectations, and anticipated schedule.

9. Performance modeling methods (assumptions for degradation, availability, losses).

10. Monitoring platform, cybersecurity practices, and data-sharing (API/interval data).

C. Pricing & Commercial Terms

11. Illustrative PPA price structures (fixed, fixed with annual escalator, or market-indexed); include bands/assumptions.

12. Term options (e.g., 15/20/25 years) and termination/buyout structures.

13. REC/SREC treatment (who owns, monetizes, and claims environmental attributes).

14. Treatment of capacity, transmission, and distribution costs or credits, if relevant.

15. Expected O&M inclusions; warranties (modules, inverters, workmanship).

16. Insurance requirements; bonding options, if any.

17. Price adjustment mechanisms (e.g., interconnection cost changes, policy changes).

D. Resilience & Storage (Optional but Encouraged)

18. Solar + storage options sized for critical load support; islanding capabilities.

19. Preliminary resilience design concept (black-start, ride-through, microgrid readiness).

20. Value streams (peak shaving, demand charge reduction, TOU optimization) and control strategy.

E. Community Benefits & Compliance

21. Local workforce/prevailing wage, apprenticeship utilization, and MBE/WBE/Veteran participation strategies.

22. Community engagement (education, internships, benefits to residents).

23. Environmental compliance (stormwater, biodiversity, agrivoltaics potential, recycling/end-of-life plans).

24. Decommissioning plan and site restoration process.

F. Project Management & Schedule

25. Typical project timeline from award to COD (key milestones and durations).

26. Required Town inputs (site data, easements, roof upgrades, structural work).

27. Risk register (top 5 risks and mitigation strategies).

8. Data Provided by Town (to be attached if available)

• 12–24 months of utility interval data per meter.

If not available at RFI stage, please list what minimum data you need to produce indicative pricing and system sizing.

9. Response Format & Submission

Firms shall submit one (1) Request for Information submission in accordance with the following requirements.

Format

• Submissions shall consist of a single PDF document, not to exceed thirty (30) pages, excluding appendices and front/back covers.

• Submissions should include the following sections in your PDF:

o Executive Summary o Responses to Sections A–F (above) o Illustrative Pricing & Assumptions o Appendices (team resumes, reference projects, sample term sheets)

Method of Submission

Firms may submit either:

• Two (2) hard copies of the Request for Information submission in a sealed envelope, or

• One (1) electronic PDF of the Request for Information submission via email or file transfer portal.

Email Submissions

• Email submissions shall be sent to: cwilson@townoflaplata.org.

• The email subject line shall read: “RFI Response – Solar PPA – [Company Name]”.

• PDF can also be submitted via the Procurement File Transfer Portal:

https://www.townoflaplata.org/407/File-transfer-for-RFPRFBRFQs

Mailed or Hand-Delivered Submissions

Hard copy submissions shall be enclosed in a sealed envelope clearly marked “Statement of Qualifications – Solar PPA” and addressed as follows:

Town of La Plata Attn: Colleen Wilson, Procurement and Asset Manager PO Box 2268 La Plata, MD 20646 https://www.townoflaplata.org/407/File-transfer-for-RFPRFBRFQs

Deadline

• Request for Information submissions must be received by Thursday, July 16th by 2:00 PM (local time), whether submitted in hard copy or by email.

• The Town is not responsible for delays in mail, courier, or email delivery, and late submissions may be rejected as non-responsive.

Include the following sections in your PDF:

1. Executive Summary

2. Responses to Sections A–F (above)

3. Illustrative Pricing & Assumptions

4. Appendices (team resumes, reference projects, sample term sheets)

10. Evaluation (Informational)

The Town will review RFI submissions for market insights and feasibility. No scoring or awards will result from this RFI. Feedback may inform a subsequent Request for Proposals

(RFP).

11. Disclaimers

• This RFI is for information only and does not obligate the Town to issue an RFP, award a contract, or pay any costs incurred in responding.

• Information received may be subject to disclosure under the Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA). Respondents should clearly mark proprietary/confidential portions and provide a redacted version suitable for public release.

• The Town reserves the right to modify, cancel, or reissue this RFI at any time.

12. Attachments & Exhibits

Exhibit A – Illustrative PPA Pricing & Terms Provide at least one option; if multiple, list each with assumptions.

Item Option 1 Option 2 Option 3

PPA Price (Year 1, $/kWh)

Annual Escalator (%)

Term (Years)

REC/SREC Ownership

Buyout Option (Year/Method)

Storage Included (Y/N)

Interconnection Cost Assumption

Performance Guarantee (kWh, Availability)

O&M Inclusion

Insurance/Bonding

Key Dependencies

Exhibit B – Reference Projects Provide 3–5 public sector projects with contact info, MW size, commissioning date, and brief performance summary.

13. Next Steps

Following this RFI, the Town may:

• Conduct stakeholder briefings and a public meeting summarizing findings.

• Refine scope and issue a competitive RFP.