REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
FOR AUDIT SERVICES
RFP Issue Date:
Thursday, May 21, 2026
RFP Submittal Deadline:
Monday, June 15, 2026
5:00 p.m. PDT
Northern California Power Agency
651 Commerce Drive
Roseville, CA 95678
Attn: Sondra Ainsworth, Audit Services Proposal
Documents available online at:
www.ncpa.com
1. Scope of Services
The Northern California Power Agency (NCPA or Agency) is soliciting proposals for qualified,
independent certified public accountants to perform the annual audit of the financial statements,
including associated reporting for the Agency, and potentially other audit services, if and as
requested by the Agency. The Agency intends to award a contract for a three-year term for fiscal
years 2026, 2027, and 2028. At the sole option of the Agency, it is subject to renewal options as
further described herein.
The proposing Certified Public Accounting firm, for and in consideration of the payment to be
made to it as hereinafter provided, hereby agrees to furnish all labor, material, and equipment
necessary or required for the work described as Northern California Power Agency audit services,
in strict conformity with the terms and conditions of the Agreement. The Proposal submitted by
the Certified Public Accounting firm and the terms, conditions, and scope of services, included in
Request For Proposal are hereby incorporated as a part of this Agreement by reference, to the
same extent as if they were fully set forth herein; a sample NCPA Agreement is included in
APPENDIX A.
The Agency seeks a collaborative and professionally independent audit relationship focused on
timely, accurate, and high-quality audit services. The Agency has no interest in the manner or
methods the Certified Public Accounting firm may employ to accomplish the results to be
achieved, which shall be left to the sole and exclusive direction and control of Certified Public
Accounting firm provided that such manner and method conforms with the standards for
performance set forth in the Agreement (agreement template in Appendix A) and with all laws,
rules and/or regulations applicable to the performance of such services.
1.1 Overview of the Agency
NCPA was formed in 1968 as a joint powers agency of the State of California and consists of 16
members. The Agency is generally empowered to purchase, generate, transmit, distribute, and
sell electrical energy.
The Agency's project construction and development programs have been individually financed by
project revenue bonds that are collateralized by the Agency's assignment of all payments,
revenues, and proceeds associated with its interest in each project. Certain revenue bonds may
be additionally supported by municipal bond insurance credit enhancements. Each project
participant has agreed to pay its proportionate share of debt service and other costs of the related
project, notwithstanding the suspension, interruption, interference, reduction or curtailment of
output from the project for any reason (that is, the take or pay member agreements). Project
participants own percentage shares of the output or capability of the projects.
Members participate in the projects of the Agency on an elective basis. Various legal and tax
considerations caused the Agency to provide that separate not-for-profit corporations should be
delegated by the Agency to own the geothermal electrical generating projects undertaken by the
Agency. These Associated Power Corporations, Northern California Municipal Power
Corporations Nos. Two and Three, have delegated to the Agency the authority to construct,
operate and manage their respective geothermal plants and related assets. The Agency, in return
for financing the costs of acquisition and construction, acquires all the capacity and energy
generated by the plants. The Associated Power Corporations have no employees and have no
other operations.
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The Agency and the Associated Power Corporations are intended to operate on a not-for-profit
basis. Therefore, any balance in Accumulated Net Revenues primarily represents differences
between total revenues collected, using collections based on estimated operating expenses and
debt service, and the total actual expenses incurred. In subsequent periods of operation, excess
collections (net of encumbrances) that the participants do not direct to be held by or released to
the Agency for expenditure by the Agency are refunded to the participants. In the event the
Agency incurs an Accumulated Net Expense balance, the balance would be subject to recovery
in participant collections under the terms of the related take-or-pay Member Agreements.
Power sales to participants for their resale include both power generated by operating plants and
power purchased from outside sources. Collections for power sales are designed to recover costs
that include budgeted annual operating costs and debt service. Additional amounts for operating
reserves or rate stabilization may be included in collections under the terms of bond indentures.
During fiscal years 2024 and 2025, no amounts were specifically collected for rate stabilization.
As a participant in the California deregulated wholesale power market, from time to time the
Agency buys or sells power, transmission or fuel under forward market, fixed price contractual
arrangements to manage its loads, resources and energy price risk. The Agency does not enter
into these agreements solely for trading purposes. Such arrangements are normal purchases
and sales subject to settlement at their actual cost.
The Agency’s collections for electric service are not subject to the regulatory jurisdiction of the
California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
(FERC). Rather, the Agency’s collections are established annually in connection with its budget,
which is approved by its governing Commission.
The Agency is governed by a Commission comprised of one representative for each member.
The Commission is responsible for the general management of the affairs, property, and business
of the Agency. Under the direction of the General Manager, the staff of the Agency is responsible
for providing various administrative, operating and planning services for the Agency.
For accounting purposes, NCPA is a special-purpose governmental entity that is engaged in a
business-type activity, principally as a supplier of wholesale electricity and transmission to its
member participants. As such, the Agency’s financial statements are presented as an enterprise
type fund, that is, similar in most respects to the financial statements of a private sector for-profit
entity involved in the same kind of business.
NCPA’s accounting and investment functions are performed by the Finance Department. The
records of the Agency and its Associated Power Corporations are maintained substantially in
accordance with the FERC Uniform System of Accounts. Accounting principles generally
accepted in the United States of America are applied by the Agency in conformance with
pronouncements of the Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) and, where not in
conflict with GASB pronouncements, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB)
pronouncements issued on or before November 30, 1989. The combined financial statements
encompass the Agency and Associated Power Corporations on an accrual accounting basis. All
significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated from the combined
amounts reported.
The Agency’s financial database is maintained on Microsoft Dynamics GP (Great Plains) software
system, along with other data systems by the Agency’s Information Technology group.
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The Agency’s fiscal year is July 1 to June 30. Additionally, there have been no disagreements in
connection with matters of accounting principles and, in fact, NCPA has continued to receive
unqualified opinions.
1.2 Significant Agency Parameters
• NCPA is a joint powers public entity whose headquarters is located in Roseville, CA.
• The Agency and its 16 members are not-for-profit entities (most public entities).
• Accounting based on FERC Uniform Chart of Accounts—not Fund Accounting.
• Generating and Transmission Projects are supported by Take-Or-Pay contracts.
• Projects are in four locations: Geothermal (Geysers Area) near Middletown, CA;
Hydroelectric (North Fork Stanislaus River) near Murphys, CA; Combustion Turbine
No. One (two locations), Lodi, and Alameda; CA; Combustion Turbine No. Two and
Lodi Energy Center, Lodi, CA.
• The NCPA fiscal year begins July 1 and ends June 30 of the following year.
• The Agency utilizes Microsoft GP (Great Plains) software for accounting purposes.
• The Agency’s Information Systems group develops, operates, and maintains
sophisticated software for its own use.
• Approximately 155 employees.
• NCPA processes timesheets internally and integrates data with a third-party payroll
service provider.
1.3 Project Location
NCPA Headquarters: 651 Commerce Drive, Roseville, CA 95678
1.4 Required Audit Services
NCPA desires the auditor to express an opinion on the fairness of presentation of its combined
statements of net position, statement of revenues, expenses, and changes in net position, and
statements of cash flow in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles. The auditor
is not required to audit the individual statements of the Northern California Power Agency and
Associated Power Corporations.
The audit shall be conducted in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the
United States of America (GAAS), Government Auditing Standards issued by the Comptroller
General of the United States, applicable Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB)
pronouncements, and other applicable professional standards.
Required Audit Products
Draft reports shall be provided electronically for Agency review prior to issuance of final reports.
For each fiscal year end, June 30, the Proposer shall provide the Agency with the following
formal documents:
• Report on the Combined Financial Statements
• Negative assurance for Supplementary Combining Information
• Report on Internal Control and Related Matters / Management Letter
• Required communications to those charged with governance, including significant audit
findings, uncorrected misstatements, internal control matters, and qualitative accounting
issues.
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• Negative assurance for Certain Bond Indenture of Trust Provisions (No Default)
• Report on Compliance with the Agency’s Investment Policy
• Report and discussion on audit with Finance Committee
• Consent to use audited financial statements in bond offerings and on the Agency’s
Website.
Audit Role of Agency
NCPA recognizes that assistance from its Treasurer-Controller staff during an audit conducted by
an external auditor will reduce the cost of an audit. Agency staff will provide the normal Prepared
by Client work papers in the same format provided to the current auditor in past years. NCPA
Treasurer-Controller staff members write the Management Discussion and Analysis (MD&A),
footnotes to the financial statements, and required supplementary information.
Prior Year Audit Working Papers
Baker Tilly US, LLP is the current audit firm for the Agency. The successful bidder will be
responsible for arranging any review of the prior year’s work papers, which the Agency will
approve in advance.
The successful proposer shall retain audit documentation in accordance with applicable
professional standards and make relevant working papers available to successor auditors and
authorized oversight agencies upon request
Bond Indenture Requirements
The Agency’s Indentures of Trust require an independent annual audit and no default letter to be
filed with the Trustee within 120 days after the close of the fiscal year. In addition to ability to
meet the schedule, the Certified Public Accounting firm performing the audit must demonstrate
experience and recognized professional standing in providing audit services to public power
agencies, joint powers authorities, or similarly complex governmental enterprise entities. In order
to meet the schedule for the production of the Agency’s Annual Report, it is required that the
reports of independent auditors, which includes the audited combined financial statements, need
to be issued by October 10th of each year.
Fixed Price, Not-To-Exceed Amount for Annual Audit Services
The Agency intends to award a contract for a three-year term for audit services for fiscal years
ended June 30 of 2026, 2027, and 2028. Each annual audit will be based on a fixed not-to-
exceed fee for the audit services. The agreed-upon fees shall constitute the maximum
compensation for the services described unless additional services are separately authorized by
the Agency. In addition, at the sole option of the Agency, the Agreement is subject to two
additional three-year renewals. The fee proposal shall address the annual audit not-to-exceed fee
for each of the years covered by the Agreement.
1.5 Additional Services
Consulting or Other Work
The audit firm retained by the Agency shall not perform consulting or other nonaudit services for
the Agency unless such services are separately requested and approved in advance by the
Agency. The audit firm may, however, be retained by the Agency’s underwriters or other parties
acting on behalf of the Agency in connection with bond defeasance escrow verification or similar
financing-related services, subject to prior Agency approval.
The audit firm shall disclose any existing or proposed relationships, engagements, or nonaudit
services that may reasonably be perceived to bear on the firm’s independence. Any significant
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This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.