BIPCo to interview two bidders for Integrated Resource Plan By Abby Fox The Block Island Power Company planning committee will discuss the two bids it has received to create an Integrated Resource Plan at its February meeting.

Both bidders will be interviewed on Feb. 14 at the Public Utilities Commission in Warwick, but it's not clear yet whether the meeting will be open to the public.

An Integrated Resource Plan is a long-term planning effort to assess the community's energy needs and find the most cost-effective and environmentally sensitive approaches to meet those needs.

The committee, made up of BIPCo president Al Casazza, Steve Scialabba of the R.I. Division of Public Utilities and Carriers, and Everett Shorey, representing the town, received two proposals: one from La Capra Associates in Boston, Mass., in conjunction with GDS Associates; and one from Synapse Energy Economics in Cambridge, Mass., in conjunction with Lanzalotta & Associates, LLC.

"Both teams are well qualified and have done thoughtful jobs in considering and responding to our request," Shorey wrote Town Manager Nancy Dodge and the Town Council. But, "How those teams present themselves [at the February meeting] could swing the balance between the groups." At this point, he concluded, "Neither team has a clear advantage from the proposal itself. We will be heavily influenced by meeting the actual staff."

The two bids are available at Town Hall for the public to read.

Synapse's proposal is more expensive than La Capra's, although Shorey wouldn't disclose by how much. Both are "within the budget available," he said.

The committee has "two fine proposals," to consider, Shorey said. "We would be well-served by either of them."

One difference

The two bids take different roads in their methods for long-term forecasting of energy demands.

Shorey wrote in his memo to town officials, "The biggest conceptual difference between the two proposals is in their approach to demand forecasting. Synapse will develop its forecast by looking at specific building blocks of electricity use… They will then forecast how much the consumption will change over time in each building block… and then forecast the growth of each building block… La Capra intends to relate past use of electricity to other factors (economics, weather, etc.) and then use this to forecast future consumption. This approach may also require more data from BIPCo than is readily available."

In Shorey's opinion, "The Synapse approach is better conceptually and should be easier to review and evaluate. However, it is more time consuming and accounts for some of the added cost in the Synapse budget."

A major undertaking

Preparing an Integrated Resource Plan requires a lot of hired hands. In their application, La Capra and GDS introduced 10 employees who would work on the plan. Synapse offered nine people who would help with the effort.

La Capra would work on the plan with GDS Associates, a management consulting and engineering firm headquartered in Atlanta, Ga. Synapse would like to work along with Lanzalotta & Associates, which has a corporate address in Hilton Head, S.C.

Both applicants appear to have top-notch résumés. Douglas Smith, the proposed project director for La Capra, worked with Nantucket Electric on an economic analysis of cable and diesel-based power-supply alternatives, according to the application. He also has advised Vermont Electric Cooperative, Amtrak, and the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority.

Tim Woolf, the proposed project director for Synapse, is currently working on a project close to home — he's representing the staff of the R.I. Division of Public Utilities and Carriers, overseeing energy-efficiency programs with Narragansett Electric Company; and has advised several other energy-efficiency programs. Woolf has worked also for the Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Energy, and the Massachusetts Division of Energy Resources.

La Capra boasts experience with islands. The company "conducted resource planning studies, including long-term and short-term hourly forecasts, and assisted with" the demand-side management program on Nantucket. La Capra also conducted an economic evaluation of an electric cable to Nantucket, and helped with its implementation.

Both bidders have employees with Block Island experience.

La Capra testified for the Town of New Shoreham in the Block Island Power Company's rate case last year. As for Synapse, one of its company's "project team members" performed "a week-long series of energy audits on Block Island 15 years ago," and "helped coordinate implementation of simple efficiency measures… at many of the commercial and larger hotel facilities on the island."

Alternative energy interests

La Capra says it's interested in reviewing wind turbines, both land-based and offshore, solar energy, biomass, and wave technologies. The company proposes a two-step screening process. "We would first screen these technologies… to determine whether the technology has been adequately tested to be commercially feasible in the near future," the application says. "The next screen would review whether the potential size, siting, and reliability characteristics make the technology feasible for the island."

La Capra stated, "On one hand, BIPCo's island system and associated high fuel costs have the potential to make some renewable energy options (particularly small-scale wind) uniquely cost-effective as complementary components of a diesel-based system. This is because some renewable sources may offer a lower cost of power… On the other hand, we know that the practical scale of many renewable options is likely to be limited by the available land and resources on the island."

Synapse also takes an interest in installing wind turbines. The company stated, "Wind resources on Block Island are considerable." Furthermore, "solar photovoltaic (PV) resources for some applications may be economic. We will include an assessment of solar PV options."

Synapse isn't interested in some alternatives, however. "Unless otherwise directed by the IRP Committee, we will not examine the potential for off-shore wind installations because of the significant commercial risk entailed and the Committee's desire to pursue proven, commercially available technologies," Synapse wrote. Also, "We will not include direct evaluation of tidal resources as a supply option for similar reasons as noted for off-shore wind," Synapse wrote. "It is not considered a commercially mature technology option in the United States at this time."

The two bidders also said that, as requested, they would look into the costs of continuing to rely on diesel generation, a submarine cable to the mainland, and increasing customer-owned diesel generation.