2026 Clean Energy and Reliability Request for Offers (RFO)

Clean Power Alliance (CPA) is soliciting competitive proposals to meet its portfolio needs and achieve compliance with California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Procurement Orders, including Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS), Resource Adequacy (RA) requirements, and Decision D26-02-057 obligations for new build baseload/firm renewable energy and long duration storage. The RFO has multiple product categories and generally targets resources between 15 MW and 150 MW, with potential reduction to 5 MW minimum for projects located within CPA's service area in Los Angeles or Ventura Counties.

Proposers may submit offers across seven product categories: (1) Renewable Generation Only Contracts including CPUC Decision D.26-02-057 Eligible Baseload/Firm Renewable Energy with at least 80% capacity factor and Regular RPS Resources; (2) Renewable Generation Plus Storage Contracts with 4-hour or 8-hour storage duration; (3) RPS Generation Plus Storage paired with existing CPA resources; (4) Standalone Storage Contracts with 4-hour or 8-hour duration; (5) RA Only Contracts from storage, thermals, or qualifying resources; (6) PCC1 Energy Only fixed price or index plus contracts for RPS-eligible generation; and (7) Dispatchable Thermal Energy with RA Contracts including existing gas projects paired with storage or using blended fuels. Commercial Operation Dates (COD) or Contract Term Start Dates (CTSD) range from January 1, 2029 to December 31, 2033 depending on category. Contract tenor must be between 2-20 years depending on product category.

Key submission milestones include: RFO opens May 19, 2026; Proposer Webinar on June 2, 2026 at 11:00 AM PT; questions deadline June 5, 2026 at 11:59 PM PT; Q&A document posted June 12, 2026; proposal submission deadline June 29, 2026 at 5:00 PM PT. Proposers will be notified of shortlist status in late September 2026, with Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), Resource Adequacy Purchase Agreement (RAPA), and Energy Storage Agreement (ESA) negotiations occurring October 2026 through February 2027.

Evaluation criteria include economic value, development risk, workforce development, environmental stewardship, benefits to Disadvantaged Communities, and project location. Dispatchable Thermal Energy projects will also be evaluated on cleaner operations and GHG emissions reductions. All proposers must register on the RFO Website and comply with RFO Protocol requirements. A Fast Track Negotiations option is available for projects with exigent circumstances upon request.