Developers of new small to mid-size renewable energy projects in the TVA power service area can participate in TVA’s Renewable Standard Offer program.   This program offers pre-set prices and terms and conditions for power generated by selected, commercially available renewable energy technologies.

Renewable power purchase plans with a set price, or “standard offer,” are used by a number of states and utilities across the nation to promote renewable energy markets. TVA’s Renewable Standard Offer program will help support TVA’s vision and long-term strategy to emphasize cleaner air and greater energy efficiency.

Benefits of the Renewable Standard Offer

TVA’s Renewable Standard Offer will:

• Help support the growth of the renewable generation industry in the TVA power service territory
• Promote TVA’s economic development efforts
• Contribute to the development and use of alternative sources of energy in the TVA power service area and across the country.

A long-term contract with a known price structure and escalation rate can help the developers of selected renewable energy projects provide power to TVA. 

Seasonal and time-of-day prices for hourly delivered energy output are set as of the date of execution of the contract agreement, reflecting varying demand for power at different seasons and times of the day.

A typical annual average price could be 3.7 cents per kWh, with pricing varying between 8.2 cents per kWh on hot, high-demand afternoons in July and August, and 2.9 cents in early morning hours in the fall and spring.

Learn more about pricing

While TVA’s Green Power Providers program is limited to renewable energy projects of less than or equal to 50 kilowatts (kW), the Renewable Standard Offer program is designed for developers of larger projects.

Projects must:

• Be located in the TVA power service territory.
• Be greater than 50 kW and less than or equal to 20 megawatts
• Have been built after October 1, 2010
• Be solar photovoltaics, wind, combustion and gasification of qualified biomass, biomass co-firing (50% minimum  of qualified liquid and gaseous biomass), and methane recovery and utilization
• Establish an interconnection with a distributor’s or TVA’s electric system

Learn more about eligibility requirements

A developer’s application for the Renewable Standard Offer program must include the following details regarding their project:

• Gross nameplate capacity (the maximum rated output of a generation source, commonly indicated by a nameplate attached by the manufacturer to the equipment)
• Expected capacity factor (the ratio of the actual output of a power plant over a period of time to its output if it had operated at full nameplate capacity the entire time)
• Expected initial delivery date
• Renewable fuel(s)
• Proposed delivery point
• Evidence that the applicant has either title or rights of access to the proposed project site.
• A non-refundable application fee of $0.50/kW of the project’s gross nameplate capacity.

Depending on the size of the project, a project developer may be asked to provide information on the design of the system and/or the interconnection so TVA can evaluate potential impacts and the expected initial delivery date.

Applicants are responsible for interconnection costs, costs related to possible environmental review of the project, payment of performance assurance securities, and nonrefundable application fees.
The investment required is significant.  Performance Assurance costs for a 20 year, 1 MW project can total up to $125,000 in collateral.

Learn more about application