Request for Proposals for Renewable Energy Generation and Transmission Projects Pursuant to the Northern Maine Renewable Energy Development Program

Docket No. 2024-00099

Request for Information and Indications of Interest

By Order issued on December 22, 2023 in docket 2021-00369, the Commission terminated its procurement and indicated its intent to initiate a new procurement and to consider what changes, if any, should be made to the procurement process prior to initiating a new RFP. 

By Order issued on May 10, 2024 in docket 2024-00099,  the Commission initiated a process to inform the re-opening of its procurement for qualified transmission and generation projects pursuant to the Northern Maine Renewable Energy Development Program and sought responses to a Request for Information (RFI) and Indications of Interest. The intent of the RFI was to provide information to the Commission relative to commencing a new procurement. Comments were requested to be submitted by June 21, 2024  by filing in the Commission’s Case Management System in DN 2024-00099. 

More recently, on December 13, 2024, the New England States Committee on Electricity (NESCOE) filed a request with ISO New England (ISO-NE) to conduct a regional solicitation under the long-term transmission planning process (LTTP) approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on July 28, 2024.  NESCOE describes its objectives in doing so as: (1) strengthening the connection between northern and southern New England; and (2) facilitating the integration and deliverability of additional affordable generation resources located in Maine. ISO-NE issued its 2025 LTTP RFP on March 31, 2025.

Considering this, the Commission seeks responses to a second RFI and Indications of Interest. The intent of the RFI is to provide the Commission with additional  information relevant to commencing a new procurement. Initial comments are requested to be submitted by June 2, 2025 by filing in the Commission’s Case Management System in DN 2024-00099. Supplemental comments, if any, may be submitted through September 30, 2025.

Please note that this is a “secured” case and these submissions will be visible only to the Commission, including its Staff and Consultants, the Maine Governor’s Energy Office, other state agencies and prospective state and utility partners that express interest in participating in a joint procurement, subject to appropriate memorandums of understanding, non-disclosure agreements, protective orders, or other measures taken to ensure the confidentiality of submitted materials.

Concurrent with the second RFI, the Commission is requesting Indications of Interest in the procurement. Specifically, interested project developers and potential bidders in the Northern Maine Procurement are hereby requested to complete and submit an Indication of Interest form by June 2, 2025. Completed Indication of Interest forms should be submitted by email to NorthernME.RFP.PUC@maine.gov.

All questions or requests for additional information should be submitted by email to:  NorthernME.RFP.PUC@maine.gov. 

Docket No. 2021-00369

Initial Procurement

Pursuant to P.L. 2021, Chapter 380, codified at 35-A M.R.S. § 3210-I (Act), the Maine Public Utilities Commission (Commission) is seeking viable and cost-effective proposals for the development and construction of renewable energy generation projects in Northern Maine and a transmission line or lines to connect such generation projects with the New England Independent System Operator (ISO-NE) system.  The Commission is conducting this Request for Proposals (RFP) and associated procurement process to promote the development of renewable energy resources in Northern Maine and the delivery of power from those resources to the system and market operated and administered by ISO-NE.  

The Commission will conduct this RFP process in two phases.  Phase 1 will be to receive and consider proposals for Transmission Projects.  Relevant information about Transmission Projects that meet the eligibility requirements of the Act will be made available to interested Generation Project Bidders subject to an appropriate non-disclosure agreement.  Phase 2 will be to receive and consider proposals for Generation Projects.  

The key events and timing of this procurement is as follows:
 

Event Expected Date

Request for Proposals Issued

November 29, 2021

Transmission Project Proposals Due

March 1, 2022
Transmission Project Relevant Information Available to Generation Bidders

Beginning March 7, 2022
Generation Project Proposals Due May 2, 2022
Commission Decision Regarding Procurement Results No later than November 1, 2022

All questions or requests for additional information should be submitted by email to:  NorthernME.RFP.PUC@maine.gov

To the extent bidder inquiries elicit generally applicable information or corrections/clarifications to existing information, a Frequently Asked Questions log (FAQ Log) will be available on this site and will be updated periodically. 

The RFP contact person is Faith Huntington, the Commission’s Director of Electric and Gas Utility Industries. She may be contacted by email at faith.huntington@maine.gov.