Appalachian Power has issued pre-qualification documents for parties interested in bidding on an up-coming Request for Proposal (RFP) for up to 10MWac of ground-mounted solar energy resources located in Virginia. The RFP will seek proposals that allow Appalachian either to own one or more solar projects or purchase such solar projects' output under one or more 20-year renewable energy purchase agreements.

The approved solar project of a pre-qualified bidder must be located within Virginia, be interconnected to the PJM Regional Transmission Operator (RTO) or Appalachian Power's distribution system, and have a nameplate rating of 5 MWac or more. An approved project must have started construction after Jan. 1, 2013, and be capable of being operational by Dec. 31, 2017.

Solar projects selected by Appalachian through the RFP process will be submitted to, and be conditioned upon receipt of appropriate orders from, the required regulatory authorities. 

Appalachian Power currently has 375 MW of wind energy and 799 MW of hydro generation in its portfolio of power generation. It seeks to further diversify its fuel sources in the future and include utility-scale solar power in that mix.