On June 28, 2021, Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO), a subsidiary of American Electric Power (AEP), announced three Requests for Proposals (RFP) for renewable and short-term generating capacity to supply the needs of its customers.[1] The RFPs seek bids for the purchase of up to 3,000 MW of wind resources, up to 300 MW of solar resources, and up to 250 MW of short-term accredited deliverable capacity. Wind resources must be at least 100 MW, interconnect to the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), and be located in Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, or Missouri. Solar resources must be at least 50 MW, be located with SWEPCO’s service territory, and interconnect to SWEPCO’s transmission system within SPP. Proposals for short-term capacity must be at least 50 MW from SPP resources. The wind and solar projects must be operational by December 15, 2024, or December 15, 2025, which would allow the projects to take advantage of the federal production and investment tax credits before they expire. Proposals are due by August 12, 2021, and will be subject to regulatory approval from regulators in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

[1] https://www.aep.com/news/releases/read/6155/SWEPCO-Issues-Requests-for-Proposals-for-Purchase-of-Wind-Solar-and-Shortterm-Generation