Xcel Energy Inc. intends to acquire 2,200 megawatts of electric generation supply for its Colorado customers between now and 2015, through an all-source request for proposal (RFP) issued by the company.

As part of the total, Xcel said it hopes to procure 600 megawatts of solar-thermal generation that includes energy storage capability or a backup natural gas-fired generation component.

The RFP is part of the most recent 2007 Colorado Resource Plan (CRP) approved by state regulators in December. Xcel Energy expects to complete the resource evaluation process by the fall of 2009. Xcel will sponsor a pre-bid conference on January 28 in Denver, with parties interested in offering power supply proposals to the company through this RFP. Proposals are due on April 10. Xcel Energy expects to offer "self-build" proposals to compete in the overall process. An independent evaluator selected by the CPUC will perform a parallel evaluation of proposals.

Under Colorado Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) rules, all forms of electric generation greater than 30 megawatts – both fossil fuels and renewables – can be bid, although this RFP restricts coal-fired bids to those from facilities that capture and sequester at least 50 percent of their carbon dioxide emissions.