Black Hills Energy proposes adding up to 200 megawatts of renewable energy resources
Black Hills Energy submitted a proposal Monday to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) outlining a plan to add up to 200 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy resources to its Southern Colorado system.
The company noted that it expects its Renewable Advantage plan to deliver significant savings to customers.
As proposed, the plan would include a competitive solicitation process in December that seeks proposals for large-scale renewable energy projects, including wind, solar, and battery storage.
“Our customers have expressed a strong interest in lower energy costs and having their electricity supplied by clean, renewable energy resources,” Vance Crocker, Black Hills Energy’s vice president in Southern Colorado, said. “Our Renewable Advantage plan establishes a clear path for getting this done.”
Black Hills Energy expects that the new renewable energy projects would be sited close to the company’s existing customer load center to keep costs low. The opportunity would be open to all bidders.
Under the proposed plan, bidders would have until Feb. 15, 2020, to submit project proposals. An independent evaluator overseen by the CPUC would then review the bids. Black Hills Energy noted that if the bids would not ultimately result in savings for customers, no procurement would occur.
The company expects that, following successful contracting, customers would start to see savings on their bills by 2020.
If Blacks Hills Energy adds 200 MW of renewable energy resources, approximately 60 percent of its Southern Colorado generation portfolio would be carbon-free resources by 2023. The company will reach 30 percent renewables by 2020 due to the recent addition of the 60 MW Busch Ranch II wind project.
