CPS Energy Issues RFP for up to 500 MW of Energy Storage Systems

by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
September 19, 2023

Texas public power utility CPS Energy has launched a request for proposals for up to 500 megawatts of energy storage systems.

The RFP is part of the utility’s power generation plan approved by the utility’s Board of Trustees earlier this year.  

Projects under this RFP may be diverse and responses are welcomed from both large-scale and smaller sized projects, the utility said.

“We worked closely with our Board of Trustees and community to approve a generation plan that will provide power for our fast-growing community,” said Rudy D. Garza, President and CEO of CPS Energy. “We are casting a large net through this RFP process and are excited to secure more resources to meet that growth.”

The addition of more storage resources strengthens the utility’s future power generation portfolio by adding flexible resources that can quickly respond to changes in customer demand or grid conditions, it noted.

This aligns with CPS Energy’s Vision 2027 “to evolve and serve the community now, and into the future. These smaller scale projects can be strategically placed at different locations within the CPS Energy service area, providing another tool to meet community growth and the ability to improve reliability in specific locations,” CPS Energy said.

The RFP will be the first time CPS Energy has issued a notice solely for standalone storage projects. Past RFPs have included storage as an overall component. 

This is the third RFP that CPS Energy has launched this year as part of its approved power generation plan.

The first was for up to 700 MW of solar generation, and another for up to 50 MW of community solar.

All participants can view the RFP and must submit information here.

Proposals are due Oct. 18, 2023.

After the closing date, CPS Energy will begin evaluations with a goal of making selections by the end of the year.