CPS Energy, the largest public power utility in the US state of Texas, has taken a big step towards fulfilling its ambitious clean energy goals by issuing its first Request for Proposals (RFP) aimed at adding 700MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity to its existing generation portfolio.
The utility, which currently has over 1.1GW of solar capacity under contract, is inviting businesses of all sizes to respond to the RFP, with a second call for community solar projects to follow in the coming months. The deadline for proposal submissions under this RFP is 1st June at 5pm CST.
According to Rudy D. Garza, the President and CEO of CPS Energy, this move is driven by a commitment to cleaner energy, and is aimed at securing more energy for the growing Texas community in the near future.
“We know that clean energy is important to our community, and our RFP for up to 700MW of solar capacity will secure more energy for our growing community in the near future,” said Garza. “We look forward to the responses we will receive from this process and will work to select the providers that align with both CPS Energy's and our community's needs.”
CPS Energy introduced its ‘Global FlexPOWER' program in 2020 to increase its renewable energy capacity and to reduce its carbon footprint. Under this program, the utility signed a deal in February 2023 to purchase 100MW of solar PV and 50MW of energy storage capacity.
Texas is one of the largest state markets for solar development in the US, and this move by CPS Energy is a welcome development for the industry. Other players in the market include Swift Current, which recently closed financing on 266MW of solar PV in Texas, and Iberdrola subsidiary Avangrid, which signed a 240MW power purchase agreement (PPA) with Meta.
With this RFP, CPS Energy is taking a proactive approach to meeting its energy needs in a sustainable and responsible manner. As the utility continues to prioritize clean energy, it is likely that more such initiatives will be forthcoming in the near future.
As Garza stated: “We know that our community expects us to lead on this issue, and we are committed to doing so in a way that benefits everyone.”
