Measurement and Verification Provider for Virtual Power Plant Program Request for Proposals (RFP)
MCE seeks an independent Measurement and Verification (M&V) Provider for its Virtual Power Plant (VPP) program, funded by a CEC grant. The selected firm will develop M&V plans, validate DER performance, implement CAISO-approved methodologies (e.g., NMEC), and produce CEC deliverables. Proposals with a detailed cost proposal not to exceed $390,000 are due August 30, 2026.
Categories
Important dates
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Draft M&V Plan due (CEC milestone)
Per CEC Grant Schedule (Exhibit A)
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Published
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Final M&V Plan due (CEC milestone)
Per CEC Grant Schedule (Exhibit A)
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Pre-Bid Webinar
Register at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86241753080?pwd=0ckH99aRmv1EpVOOOnbVa0ymQerEwf.1, Webinar ID: 862 4175 3080, Passcode: 617372
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Deadline for Questions
Submit questions to contracts@mcecleanenergy.org with subject line 'MCE RFP 2026-03 Question'
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MCE Responses to Questions
Responses sent to all bidders who submitted questions and/or provided a complete Notice of Interest
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Submission deadline
Deadline passed -
Anticipated Selection of Contractor
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Contract Start
Estimated start date based on selection timeline
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First M&V Findings Report due (CEC milestone)
Per CEC Grant Schedule (Exhibit A)
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Second M&V Findings Report due (CEC milestone)
Per CEC Grant Schedule (Exhibit A)
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Third M&V Findings Report due (CEC milestone)
Per CEC Grant Schedule (Exhibit A)
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Contract end date
Initial term ends; extensions possible at MCE's sole discretion
AI overview
MCE (Marin Clean Energy) is seeking an experienced, independent Measurement and Verification (M&V) Provider to support its Virtual Power Plant (VPP) program. The selected bidder will serve as a core member of MCE's VPP project team, working closely with MCE staff, VPP partners, and the California Energy Commission (CEC) under Grant Agreement No. EPC-24-040. MCE intends to select a single bidder to fulfill the M&V role for the VPP program, with the initial term of the agreement extending until March 30, 2029, with the option for additional one-year extensions at MCE's sole discretion. Proposals must include a detailed cost proposal not to exceed $390,000.
The VPP program aggregates distributed energy resources (DERs) such as energy storage, building energy management systems, smart thermostats, EV chargers, lighting controls, heat pump water heaters, and other load-shifting technologies. These resources will be integrated into a unified, managed program leveraging MCE's Enterprise Distributed Energy Resource Management System (eDERMS) to send and coordinate load-modification and VPP events. The program will include participation in California Independent System Operator (CAISO) markets to generate revenue that can be shared with customers and VPP partners. MCE will leverage pay-for-performance (P4P) contracts with customers and VPP partners to share value generated by the deployment and dispatch of DERs.
Key tasks for the selected M&V provider include developing an M&V Plan, coordinating data infrastructure and systems, measuring and verifying VPP performance (including developing and maintaining energy performance baselines, validating MCE's eDERMS, quantifying load reduction and DER dispatch, and conducting independent third-party analysis of program efficiency and value creation), implementing new Performance Evaluation Methodologies (PEMs) such as Normalized Metered Energy Consumption (NMEC), and producing CEC-related deliverables including a Draft M&V Plan, Final M&V Plan, M&V Parameters Report, and three M&V Findings Reports. Bidders must demonstrate experience with utility/CCA programs, CEC grants, California energy markets, large-scale interval data sets, and OpenADR-enabled DERMS environments, as well as independence from OEMs, developers, or aggregators.
Key dates include a Pre-Bid Webinar on August 5, 2026, at 2:00 PM PST; Deadline for Questions on August 7, 2026, at 5:00 PM PST; MCE Responses to Questions on August 18, 2026; and the Submission Deadline on August 30, 2026, at 4:00 PM PDT. Anticipated selection of the contractor is September 21, 2026. Submissions must be made via the Egnyte upload link in PDF or DOCX format. Evaluation criteria include Bidder Information and Experience (25 points), Technical Approach (25 points), Data Integration and Management (20 points), Cost Proposal (20 points), and Project Management (10 points), with an additional 20 points for Interview Performance.
Resources & contact
Proposal Document
View proposal documentSolicitation number
2026-03
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