ISO-NE Consulting Support Request for Proposals

Agency:	Vermont Energy Investment Corporation (VEIC)
State:	Vermont
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	R - Professional, Administrative and Management Support Services
Posted:	Oct 7, 2023
Due:	Nov 10, 2023
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

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Request for Proposal

ISO-NE Consulting Support

RFP Release Date: 10/6/2023

Bidder Questions Due: 10/20/2023

Answers Posted: 10/27/2023

Proposals Due: 11/10/2023

Summary

Efficiency Vermont, a statewide Energy Efficiency Utility administered by Vermont Energy Investment

Corporation (VEIC), is soliciting proposals for consulting services to provide assistance with matters

involving the New England wholesale electricity markets and regional planning efforts. The work includes

assisting VEIC staff with participation in the ISO-NE Forward Capacity Market (FCM) and/or assisting VEIC

staff with reviews of New England Power Pool (NEPOOL) and ISO New England (ISO-NE) meetings and

development of strategies that further Efficiency Vermont’s goals and interests on behalf of Vermont

ratepayers.

Responses to this Request for Proposals (RFP) must be delivered electronically to VEIC by 5:00 p.m. EST

on Friday, November 10, 2023. VEIC will not accept responses submitted after this time. Please submit

your response electronically via e-mail to: dlane@veic.org with RFP Submittal for ISO-NE Consulting

Support in the subject line.

VEIC will respond to individual questions regarding this RFP only as follows: questions regarding

requirements and scope of work must be received by 5:00 p.m. EST October 20, 2023, via e-mail only, to

dlane@veic.org with RFP Questions for ISO-NE Consulting Support in the subject line. When

appropriate, please refer to the RFP page number and Section Heading to inform a helpful response.

VEIC will post answers on the VEIC website (http://www.veic.org/company/requests-for-proposals) no

later than 5:00 p.m. EST, October 27, 2023. VEIC will not address questions submitted after 5:00 p.m.

EST October 20, 2023.

Background

Vermont Energy Investment Corporation

VEIC is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing the economic and environmental

costs of energy use. It carries out its mission, in part, by designing and implementing innovative energy

efficiency and renewable energy programs. Founded in 1986, VEIC is nationally and internationally

recognized for advancing energy efficiency, energy conservation, and renewable energy programs and

projects across the United States, Canada, and Europe. VEIC employs over 300 professionals and is

headquartered in Winooski, Vermont. It also has a presence in several states, including offices in

Washington, DC. For additional information, please see the VEIC website: www.veic.org.

Efficiency Vermont

Launched January 1, 2000, Efficiency Vermont helps ratepayers reduce energy costs, strengthen the

local economy, and protect the environment by making homes and businesses energy efficient.

Efficiency Vermont provides technical assistance, rebates, and other financial incentives to help

Vermont households, businesses, and other institutions—such as K-12 schools—reduce their energy

costs with energy-efficient equipment, lighting, and approaches to construction and major renovation.

Efficiency Vermont partners extensively with contractors, suppliers, and retailers of efficient products

and services throughout the state.

VEIC is the administrator of Efficiency Vermont under an Order of Appointment issued by the Vermont

Public Utility Commission. For additional information, please see the Efficiency Vermont website:

https://www.efficiencyvermont.com.

ISO New England (ISO-NE) is the independent, not-for-profit company authorized by the Federal Energy

Regulatory Commission to operate the power system, administer wholesale electricity markets, and

undertake power system planning for the New England region. The Participants Committee is ISO-NE’s

primary stakeholder advisory body. It is made up of the representatives of the New England Power Pool

(NEPOOL) participants and helps ensure a collaborative process in the administration of New England’s

wholesale electricity markets and power system.

Program Overview

VEIC, as part of its Efficiency Vermont work, became a NEPOOL member and an ISO-NE Demand Resource

Market Participant in August of 2006, in order to monitor and provide input on specific issues of interest

to VEIC and to Vermont, and to allow VEIC to participate in ISO-NE markets. Since the inception of the

Forward Capacity Market (FCM) in 2006, VEIC has participated on behalf of Efficiency Vermont, and other

efficiency activities undertaken on behalf of Green Mountain Power, by bidding Energy Efficiency Demand

Resources into this market. As of June 2020, the VEIC Energy Efficiency Portfolio provides 114 MW of

capacity to the FCM, the largest capacity resource in Vermont. VEIC also participates in other ISO-NE

activities related to its mission, including but not limited to the Energy Efficiency Forecast Working Group

and the Distributed Generation Forecast Working Group.

Scope of Work

This RFP includes options for multiple scopes of work (Options A, B, or C) to support Efficiency

Vermont’s programmatic needs. Respondents must select one scope of work and respond to that scope

of work in their RFP response. In submitting a response to this RFP, the Respondent should identify the

scope of work option on which they wish to bid.

Option A

The selected Contractor will provide consulting services related to VEIC’s status as a NEPOOL member

and Demand Resources (DR) Market Participant in ISO New England (ISO-NE). In summary, the selected

Contractor is expected to track and report on NEPOOL and ISO-NE meetings, alert VEIC to specific issues

related to participation in the FCM and other ISO-NE activities of interest to Vermont, and work with

VEIC to develop strategies to advance policy interests. Identification of the type of issues that warrant

specific attention will be discussed at the beginning of the contract period, and the beginning of each

calendar year thereafter, and then updated on an as-needed basis.

Specific services include, but are not limited to, the tasks outlined below.

1) Routinely advising Efficiency Vermont about relevant ISO New England Committee agenda topics for

the Participants Committee, Markets Committee, Reliability Committee, Transmission Committee,

Planning Advisory Committee, Emerging Technologies Working Group, Energy Efficiency Forecast

Working Group, and Distributed Generation Forecast Working Group, as necessary, through regular

communications (see Deliverables below).

2) Serving as VEIC Proxy vote on the Participants Committee, Markets Committee, Reliability Committee,

and Transmission Committee, as directed by VEIC. In such instances, the contractor will vote on VEIC’s

behalf in the interest of Vermont ratepayers and to offer VEIC the opportunity to discuss voting strategy

when necessary.

3) Assisting Efficiency Vermont staff in interpreting ISO New England Tariff, Market Rules, manuals, and

other policy and operational determinations. The contractor will identify new initiatives related to the

New England power system and discuss with VEIC their potential impact on VEIC’s goals and interests.

4) Representing Efficiency Vermont’s interests in NEPOOL Officers meetings, ISO Board Nominating

Committee meetings, and other periodic meetings.

5) Other advice and consultation, as requested by Efficiency Vermont, within the limits set forth in the

scope of work.

Deliverables

• Annual list of major topics for each contract year that is updated monthly as part of the NPC

agenda summary. This list will be reviewed with Efficiency Vermont at the beginning of the year.

The monthly update will identify upcoming issue and meetings, including NEPOOL and other

committee meetings, as appropriate to cover issues of interest to Efficiency Vermont. For those

issues or meetings that are of interest to Efficiency Vermont, the Contractor will suggest

participation and voting strategies consistent with the monthly budget. Efficiency Vermont will

request calls to discuss issues and / or voting if deemed necessary.

• Follow-up communications with results of relevant committee votes or other ISO-NE actions.

• Timely responses to emails or telephone calls requesting further information regarding NEPOOL

or ISO-NE meetings, potential strategies for advancing the interests identified by VEIC, and

general questions regarding NEPOOL and ISO-NE issues.

• Other items as agreed upon by the parties.

Scope of Work Option B

Option B includes the following services:

Specific services include, but are not limited to, support, assistance, guidance, recommendations,

strategies, and optionally tools, for the administration and operations of Efficiency Vermont’s resources

in the ISO-NE FCM, including tasks outlined below.

1) Efficient management of an increasing number of resources, through existing capacity qualification,

show of interest, new capacity qualification, auctions, and asset creation.

2) Forecasting and bidding strategies across the Forward Capacity Auction (FCA) process and the

annual and monthly reconfiguration auctions to balance revenue and limit risk.

3) Reporting performance through the Energy Efficiency Measure Database, measure assignment to

assets, Financial Assurance, CPS Reports and Monitoring, getting data from the Market Information

System (MIS).

Option B includes the following deliverables:

• Proactive suggestion to increase efficiency or reduce opportunity for errors in the processes

within Scope Option B.

o Review existing system for forecasting and tracking capacity obligations and

performance by resource.

o Suggest at least one alternative used by another market participant in ISO-NE or PJM or

similar forward capacity markets that include efficiency, or other substantially similar

situations.

• Advanced notice of upcoming changes to these processes, anticipation of how ISO will

implement rule changes, and suggestions for how to deal with them.

• Timely responses to emails or telephone calls requesting further information regarding

operational, administrative, and technical issues as part of participation in FCM.

Scope of Work Option C

Option C scope of work includes all services and deliverables in both Option A and Option B listed above.

Schedule / Milestones

Efficiency Vermont intends to follow the below schedule with regard to this RFP and the work described

herein, but reserves the right to adjust the schedule as necessary.

RFP release

OPTIONAL-Notice of Intent to Respond

Bidders Questions Due

Answers distributed no later than

Proposals due to Efficiency Vermont

Selection review and potential interviews

Selection and contract negotiations

Performance period begins

Performance period ends

Friday, 10/6/2023

Friday, 10/20/2023

Friday, 10/27/2023

Wednesday, 11/10/2023

11/10 – 11/29

Tuesday, 11/29/2023

1/1/2024

12/31/2026

Proposal Requirements

Proposals should be limited to 10 pages in length. Cover letters, Table of Contents, and a completed

Certificate of Agreement and Compliance (Attachment A) are not included in this page limit. Resumes,

sample documents, and other exhibits may be presented as Appendices and are not included in this

total.

All proposals must be signed by a duly authorized representative of the party (or parties) submitting the

proposal. Include the names and phone numbers of personnel authorized to negotiate the proposed

contract with VEIC.

Proposals must include at minimum the following information:

Identification of Organization - State the full name and address of the organization and, if applicable,

other subcontractors that will perform, or assist in performing, the work. Include a brief description of

the organization’s history, structure, and size.

Implementation of the Scope of Work – Identify the respondent’s selected Scope of Work option

(Option A, B, or C). Discuss the respondent’s proposed implementation of the selected Scope of Work

described above. Give particular attention to describing the methods and resources the respondent will

use and how the respondent will accomplish the tasks involved. Be sure to provide enough detail to

illustrate an in-depth understanding of the ISO-NE committee structure and market function, and the

activities that will be emphasized in order to meet the objectives of this RFP. If subcontractors are

involved, clearly identify the work each will perform.

Prior Experience - List recent work performed, especially that which is similar to the Scope of Work. To

the extent that the bidder has previously prepared summaries of NEPOOL or ISO-NE meetings, please

provide a sample of such a document. Please discuss any past, current, and anticipated relationships

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ISO-NE Consulting Support Request for Proposals

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