2015 Spring and Fall Standard Products RFPs (Ameren and ComEd)

On September 29, 2014, the IPA submitted its Procurement Plan (“Plan”) to the Illinois Commerce Commission (“ICC”) in compliance with Public Act 095-0481 (the “Act”), which includes the Illinois Power Agency Act (“IPA Act”). The ICC issued its Order with regards to the Plan on December 17, 2014. The Plan approved by the ICC provides for (i) a Spring 2015 procurement of monthly on-peak and off-peak standard block forward products as well as combinations for ComEd and Ameren; (ii) a Fall 2015 procurement of monthly on-peak and off-peak standard block forward products as well as combinations for ComEd and Ameren; and (iii) a Fall 2015 procurement of capacity for Ameren for a period starting June 1, 2016. The supply period for the standard block forward products will be June 1, 2015 to May 31, 2018.

IPA Fall 2015 STP RFP Calendar (September 16, 2015)
IPA Spring 2015 STP RFP Calendar (February 25, 2015)
Announcements – Spring and Fall 2015 STP RFPs

2015 Procurement Plan

Standard Products RFP Results


Fall 2015 Standard Products RFP

Fall 2015 Bidder Information Webcast

Fall 2015 Standard Products RFP Documents (FINAL)

Fall 2015 STP RFP Targets

Fall 2015 Standard Products DRAFT RFP Documents

Fall 2015 (AIC) Capacity Agreement

Fall 2015 ComEd Energy Master Agreement

Fall 2015 (AIC) Confirmation Agreement

Fall 2015 Draft (AIC) Capacity Agreement


Spring 2015 Standard Products RFP

Updated Spring 2015 Block Targets

Spring 2015 Bidder Information Webcast

Spring 2015 Standard Products RFP Documents (FINAL)

Spring 2015 Standard Products DRAFT RFP Documents

Spring 2015 Standard Products Master Agreements Comment Process

Spring 2015 (AIC) Confirmation Agreement

Spring 2015 ComEd Energy Master Agreement


2015 Standard Products FAQs

Click on the question to see the answer:

What is the process if we won additional quantities for a utility and we have an existing guaranty?

Please address all questions regarding the contract execution process to the relevant utility.  Contact information will be provided to winning bidders upon request.

We saw the $138/MW-Day price for 2016 /17 as a result of the STP RFP. What was the price from the prior procurement for 2015/16?

The IPA did not solicit for capacity in the 2014 Standard Product procurement events and thus there is no June 2015-May 2016 product for comparison.

How are tied bids handled under the Standard Products RFP?

The process is explained in the RFP Rules (Please see Paragraph VI.2.10). If multiple Bidders submit Bids of the same amount ($/MW-Day) resulting in a tie for the highest accepted price the winning Bids will be selected at random. No selection preference will be given to identical Bids submitted at any particular time or in any particular way.

What should the guaranteed amount be increased to, in order to cover the results of the recent auction for both Ameren and ComEd?

For the energy contracts, ComEd and Ameren Illinois do not specify any amount since typically no credit exposure exists when the contracts are signed. If, after signing, credit exposure develops, the Company will send the Winning Bidder a margin call notice. Winning Bidders may, at their option, provide a nominal amount for a guaranty in case market movements result in credit exposure.

Where is the RFP for AIC capacity and where are the results posted? Can I be added to the distribution list for the future?

The Fall 2015 Standard Products RFP included a procurement of capacity for Ameren Illinois for the delivery period 2016/17.   Results of the RFP are posted to the Standard Products Section of the procurement website ipa-energyrfp.com .  We will add you the registration list.

1. Are the amounts of the performance assurance collateral due as part of the contract execution process for the STP RFP pre-specified by Ameren and ComEd?

For the energy contracts, ComEd and Ameren Illinois (each a “Company”) do not specify any amount since typically no credit exposure exists when the contracts are signed. If, after signing, credit exposure develops, the Company will send the Winning Bidder a call notice. Winning Bidders may, at their option, provide a nominal amount for a guaranty in case market movements result in credit exposure.

On the other hand, the capacity contract for Ameren Illinois has known collateral requirements at the time of signing. The contract requires the collateral to be at least 10% of the contract value rounded up to the nearest $10,000.  Bidders may calculate this value based on the Notifications Regarding their Bids (or, after acceptance of the results by the ICC, based on the Notice of the ICC Decision) provided by the Procurement Administrator. If you would like to verify the contract value with Ameren Illinois after the ICC decision, please request contact information from the Procurement Administrator.

If a winning Bidder for the procurement event of Capacity Products for Ameren Illinois is also a winning Bidder for the procurement event of Energy Products for Ameren Illinois, that Bidder may consider adding a nominal amount in increments of $100,000 to the collateral provided for the procurement event of Capacity Products for Ameren in order to cover any possible future call notices due to market changes on the energy contract.

For a Bidder that has in place a guaranty with a foreign guarantor, ComEd will accept the same dated documents to satisfy the requirements of the Part 2 Proposal as long as there has not been a change in the corporate structure of your guarantor that would impair the validity of those documents. For purposes of the Part 2 Proposal, you may either 1) upload those same dated documents to the online Part 2 Form (if there has not been a change in the corporate structure of your guarantor that would impair the validity of those documents); or 2) you may state, in the justification of omissions, that there has been no change in the corporate structure of your guarantor and thus you are not providing these documents as the documents currently held by ComEd remain valid.

Can you please explain how the Letter of Credit amount should be calculated for combination blocks?

For each block on which a Bidder intends to Bid, the Letter of Credit must be in an amount to cover $5,000 times the number of months in the block. For example, the Letter of Credit would need to include $5,000 to cover a bid on a single month block, but it would need to include $10,000 ($5,000*2) to cover a bid on the Jan-Feb 2016 block which is an obligation for two months of delivery. In the same way, the Letter of Credit would need to include $60,000 ($5,000*12) to cover a bid on all twelve months in the Jun 2017-May 2018 block.

We remind you that the minimum amount for the Pre-Bid Letter of Credit for Energy Products is $250,000 for each Company. The Pre-Bid Letter of Credit for Ameren need not exceed an amount of $1.43M (in which case a Bidder would be able to bid on all Products and Combinations). The Pre-Bid Letter of Credit for ComEd need not exceed an amount of $5.61M.

Is it acceptable to enter bids as formulas in the bid form?

Formulas can be included in the Bid Form as long as the Bid is displayed as a price in $/MWh and would appear as such if the Bid Form were printed.  Please note, however, that a Bidder may not submit any additional instructions, contingencies, or conditions on their Bids.

Can we propose modifications to the Post-Bid Letters of Credit?

No. The acceptable modifications to the Post-Bid Letter of Credit for ComEd are included as “options” in the (ComEd) Master Agreement. Please use Schedule 1A to the Collateral Annex and Exhibit A to that Schedule 1A, both posted under the Fall 2015 ComEd Energy Master Agreement heading on the Standard Products page of the procurement website. Acceptable modifications to the Post-Bid letter of Credit for Ameren are included in the Confirmation Agreement main document, in a Schedule to the Form of the Letter of Credit, at the end of the Confirmation agreement document. These documents are posted under the Fall 2015 (AIC) Confirmation Agreement heading on the Standard Products page of the procurement website. A list of additional acceptable modifications from this procurement event is in a separate document posted immediately below the Confirmation Agreement

Is there a maximum number of blocks a bidder with an affiliate bidding in the STP RFP can win?

There is no maximum amount that any one bidder can bid and win in the procurement events under the STP RFP. This applies to any bidder under any circumstances.

Can the Letters of Credit be issued in advance of the September 9 due date?

Each Pre-Bid Letter of Credit must be received by the Company on or before the September 9, 2015 noon CPT deadline. It can be issued in advance of the September 9 date.

Can you please provide contact information for the beneficiaries of each Company’s Pre-Bid Letter of Credit?

For Ameren Illinois:

The beneficiary of the Pre-Bid Letter of Credit is Ameren Illinois Company.

Delivery Address:
Tim Moloney
Manager, Credit & Business Risk Management
Ameren Services
1901 Chouteau Avenue, MC 960
St. Louis, MO 63103
(telephone: 314.613.9139)

For ComEd:

The beneficiary of the Pre-Bid Letter of Credit is Commonwealth Edison Company.

Delivery Address:
Scott Vogt
Vice President, Energy Acquisition
Commonwealth Edison Company
1919 Swift Drive
Oakbrook, IL 60523-1580
(telephone: 630.684.3558)

With reference to requirement 6 of ComEd’s Schedule 2B to Collateral, can you please elaborate on the “expenses” which might be incurred by ComEd and provide an estimate for these costs?

The expenses to which you refer are for the additional time and effort required by ComEd to evaluate the sufficiency of the additional documents that a foreign Guarantor is required to provide under Schedule 2B. It is not possible to provide an estimate of these costs as they depend on factors and characteristics unique to each entity; however, we can say that in many instances, there are no cost for review of these documents through the RFP process.

How can we submit changes to the Pre-Bid Letters of Credit for the Fall 2015 STP RFP?

There is no opportunity to comments on the Pre-Bid Letters of Credit in the Fall 2015 STP RFP. A list of acceptable modifications is posted under each Company’s Pre-Bid Letter of Credit beneath the Fall 2015 Standard Products RFP Documents (FINAL) heading on the Standard Products Section of the website. A Bidder must use the standard form of the Pre-Bid Letter of Credit for a Company or use only those modifications posted to the procurement website.

Would it be possible for winners in the Fall 2015 Ameren Procurement event of Capacity Products to combine the contract with an existing (AIC) Confirmation Agreement from the Spring 2015 Standard Products RFP?

The (AIC) Capacity Agreement for Bidders that win Zonal Resource Credits (ZRCs) in the capacity procurement is completely separate from the (AIC) Confirmation Agreement for Bidders that win standard block products with Ameren. These documents cannot be combined.

Where can I find acceptable modifications to the Post-Bid Letters of Credit?

The acceptable modifications to the Post-Bid Letter of Credit for ComEd are included as “options” in the (ComEd) Master Agreement. Please see Schedule 1A to the Collateral Annex and Exhibit A to that Schedule 1A, both posted under the Fall 2015 ComEd Energy Master Agreement heading on the Standard Products page of the procurement website.

A list of acceptable modifications to the Post-Bid Letter of Credit for Ameren are included in the Confirmation Agreement main document, in a Schedule to the Form of the Letter of Credit, at the end of the Confirmation agreement document. These are posted under the Fall 2015 (AIC) Confirmation Agreement heading on the Standard Products page of the procurement website.

Where do bidders indicate which modifications to the Form of Guaranty they would like to accept?

Bidders can elect whether to adopt each acceptable change to the Guaranty in the ComEd Contract Insert (#P1-5), which is located in the P1 Form: Inserts for Bidders on ComEd (August 19, 2015) zip file under the Fall 2015 Standard Products RFP Documents (FINAL) on the Standard Products Section of the procurement website.

Can you please confirm that bidders who paid the Bid Participation Fee in conjunction with the Spring 2015 procurement events are exempt from paying the Bid Participation Fee for the Fall 2015 procurement events?

Yes, a Bid Participation Fee is only required to be paid once for participation in any 2015 procurement event.

Suppose a winning bidder in the Fall 2015 Standard Products RFP seeks to assign the ComEd Energy Master Agreement (“Master Agreement”) under the following circumstances: 1) the winning bidder is not granted any unsecured credit under the terms of the Master Agreement; 2) the entity to which the contract is assigned is an affiliate of the bidder; and 3) the entity to which the contract is assigned would not be granted any unsecured credit under the terms of the Master Agreement either. The assignment provision in the Master Agreement reads as follows: “10.5 Assignment. Neither Party shall assign this Agreement or its rights hereunder without the prior written consent of the other Party, which consent may be withheld in the exercise of its sole discretion; provided, however, either Party may, without the consent of the other Party (and without relieving itself from liability hereunder), (i) transfer, sell, pledge, encumber or assign this Agreement or the accounts, revenues or proceeds hereof in connection with any financing or other financial arrangements, (ii) transfer or assign this Agreement to an affiliate of such Party which affiliate’s creditworthiness is equal to or higher than that of such Party, or (iii) transfer or assign this Agreement to any person or entity succeeding to all or substantially all of the assets whose creditworthiness is equal to or higher than that of such Party; provided, however, that in each such case, any such assignee shall agree in writing to be bound by the terms and conditions hereof and so long as the transferring Party delivers such tax and enforceability assurance as the non-transferring Party may reasonably request”. It seems that the assignment provision would not require consent from ComEd prior to assigning the Master Agreement based on the above language. Please confirm that our understanding is correct.

ComEd confirms that your understanding is correct. Item (ii) of the assignment provision, as provided in your question, allows a winning bidder to assign the Master Agreement to an affiliate whose creditworthiness is equal to or higher than the creditworthiness of the winning bidder. In the case that you provide, both the winning bidder and the assignee have the same creditworthiness as neither company would be granted unsecured credit under the terms of the Master Agreement.

Please note that any bidder not granted unsecured credit under the terms of the Master Agreement must provide either a Letter of Credit or Cash Collateral as performance assurance.

Can two affiliated companies both submit a Part 1 Proposal to the STP RFP if they are aware of each other’s participation? Only one of the two companies would eventually submit bids.

No. The RFP Rules do not allow a situation where one bidder has information about the Proposal submitted by another bidder or where two potential bidders are coordinating to decide on whether each of them will participate in the RFP. If both companies did submit a Part 1 Proposal, there are a number of certifications that such companies could not make in good faith and thus they may be unsuccessful in the presentation of their Proposals and unable to submit bids. In particular, each Bidder must certify that (i) the Bidder is part of a bidding agreement, a joint venture for purposes of participating in the RFP, a bidding consortium, or any other type of agreement related to bidding in this RFP; and (ii) the Bidder is bidding independently and that it has no knowledge of any Proposal being submitted for this procurement event by another Bidder in response to this RFP. Please note that a Bidder found to be acting in concert with another Bidder will be disqualified by the Procurement Administrator .

Would it be possible to have separate Bid Forms for Ameren and for ComEd?

No. While each Bid Form has a tab for a given Company and Segment (on-peak and off-peak) and while we will provide a Bid Form for the 2015-2016 delivery year separately from the Bid Form with the later two delivery years because they can be submitted in different time windows, we will not provide separate Bid Forms for ComEd and Ameren. Illustrative Bid Forms are posted under the Fall 2015 Standard Products RFP Documents (FINAL) heading on the Standard Products Section of the procurement website.

Can you confirm that ZRCs from Zone 4 are not subject to a payment adjustment under the AIC Capacity Agreement?

That’s correct, the payment adjustment does not apply to Zone 4 ZRCs.

Where can I find acceptable modifications to the Pre-Bid Letter of Credit and to the Post-Bid Letter of Credit?

A list of acceptable modifications is posted under each Company’s Pre-Bid Letter of Credit beneath the Fall 2015 Standard Products RFP Documents (FINAL) heading on the Standard Products Section of the procurement website. For the Post-Bid Letter of Credit, the supplier contract for each Company provides the modifications that the Company finds acceptable.

Can the Spring 2015 STP Inserts be used for the Fall 2015 STP RFP?

No, Bidders must complete and submit the Fall 2015 STP RFP Inserts to qualify for this procurement event. However, previously qualified bidders will be provided inserts populated with some information from their Spring 2015 Proposal. Slides #44-#48 of the Fall 2015 Bidder Information Webcast list inserts and information that previously qualified bidders are only required to update as needed.

The following information must be newly submitted by both new and returning bidders:

  • Nominee Insert (#P1-2)
  • Financial Information of the Entity
  • Ameren Energy Certifications Insert (#P1-4)
  • ComEd Energy Certifications Insert (#P1-6)

Would it be permissible for an individual other than the Officer of the Bidder designated in the Part 1 Application to sign the supplier contract?

According to paragraph VI.2.16. of the Fall 2015 RFP Rules posted to the Standard Products Section of the website, it is expected that the Officer of the Bidder will sign a copy of the partially executed applicable supplier contract and related documents. If the Officer of the Bidder is not available to sign the applicable supplier contract and related documents, the Bidder will advise the Company of this fact, will name another individual to sign the applicable supplier contract and related documents, and will confirm that this individual is an officer, a director, or an individual otherwise authorized to undertake contracts (including the applicable supplier contract documents) and bind the Bidder.

Is it necessary for returning bidders to provide a new Nominee Insert if the nominee has not changed since the Spring 2015 RFP?

Yes, the Nominee Insert is required of all Bidders wishing to designate a Nominee.

I am a returning STP Bidder applying under an Agency Agreement. What is the process by which I can add an additional Principal to the Agreement?

You may continue to use your Agency Agreement from the previous solicitation as long as you update the Agreement to reflect the additional Principal.

Where can we find Contract Delay Inserts?

Contract Delay Inserts are distributed on a case-by-case basis to bidders who do not provide the Contract Insert with their Part 1 Proposal.

When is the deadline for submitting comments to the contracts for the Fall 2015 STP RFP?

The comment process for changes to the (ComEd) Master Agreement or the (AIC) Confirmation Agreement was held prior to the Spring 2015 procurement events. For the Fall 2015 procurement events, the (AIC) Capacity Agreement is the only contract form that is subject to a comment process.

Can you please explain the difference between the two ComEd tables in the “Spring 2015 Standard Products RFP Results (April 1, 2015)” document?

The first table in the results file for the ComEd Procurement Event, “Average Prices ($/MWh) and Quantities (MW) of Products and Combinations provides the average clearing price and the quantity procured for each product and for each Combination. A Combination is a grouping of two or more Products.

The second table, “Average Prices of Contracts”, provides the average price for each month of a given year and segment. The average price in the second table is the weighted average of (i) the average clearing price for the product corresponding to the month, segment and year in question and (ii) the average clearing price for each Combination procured that includes that product.

For example, the first table in the ComEd Procurement Event section provides a quantity of 450 MW and an average price of $48.40/MWh for July 2015 on-peak.   However, energy for the on-peak segment of July 2015 was also procured through the Jul-Aug2015 on-peak Combination (800 MW and an average price of $44.05) and through the Jun2015-May2016 on-peak Combination (550 MW and a price of $38.58). Thus the second table provides a quantity of 1800 MW and an average price of $43.47.

Can you please provide information regarding targets for the Fall 2015 STP RFP?

On August 13, the targets for both Energy Products and the Capacity Product were posted to the Standard Products Section of the procurement website. The RFP Rules posted on August 19 will have the final targets for each procurement event.

How will bidding work for the Ameren Capacity Product in the Standard Products RFP?

Bidders will be able to specify a Bid price as well as a quantity of ZRCs that they are willing to offer at that price. There is no standard tranche or block size (that is, a Bidder has the flexibility to provide a different Bid price for each ZRC if they wish).

In what ways do the Fall 2015 STP RFP energy contracts differ from those used in the Spring 2015 STP RFP?

The Fall 2015 (AIC) Confirmation Agreement (for Ameren Illinois’ Energy Products) and the Fall 2015 ComEd Energy Master Agreement (for ComEd’s Energy Products) will be the same in form and content as those used in the Spring 2015 STP RFP except for changes to the AIC letter of credit. Bidders will have an opportunity to comment on the changes to the AIC letter of credit during the Part 1 Proposal process.

Please note that there is also a procurement event for capacity for Ameren Illinois as part of the Fall 2015 Standard Products RFP. The (AIC) Capacity Agreement is expected to be posted to the Standard Products Section of the procurement website on August 18, 2015.

What will be covered in the August 19 webcast?

The bidder information webcast on Wednesday, August 19 will provide an overview of the Process and Rules for the Standard Products RFP to solicit bids for: (i) energy supply to meet the supply needs of eligible retail customers of Ameren Illinois Company (“Ameren Illinois”) and of Commonwealth Edison Company (“ComEd”); and (ii) capacity for Ameren Illinois (50% of the 2016-2017 planning year forecast requirement and 25% of the 2017-2018 planning year forecast requirement).

Can you please explain the difference between the two Ameren tables in the “Spring 2015 Standard Products RFP Results (April 1, 2015)” document?

The first table in the results file for the Ameren procurement event provides the average price and the quantity procured for each product and for each Combination. A Combination is a grouping of two or more Products. The second table provides the average price for each month of a given year and segment. The average price in the second table is the weighted average of (i) the average price for the product corresponding to the month, segment and year in question and (ii) the average price for each Combination procured that includes that product.

For example, the first table provides a quantity of 75 MW and an average price of $35.21/MWh for April 2016 on-peak.   However, energy for the on-peak segment of April 2016 was also procured through the Mar-Apr2016 on-peak Combination (75 MW and an average price of $36.10) and through the Jun2015-May2016 on-peak Combination (125 MW and a price of $37.41). Thus the second table provides a quantity of 275 MW and an average price of $36.45.

When will the 2015 electricity rates for Ameren customers be announced?

Please direct your question to the Rates page of the Ameren Illinois web site: https://www.ameren.com/illinois/rates.

Who can I speak to regarding the Guaranty and signature pages for the Bids I won in the 2015 Standard Products RFP?

Winners in the 2015 RFP will be contacted by the Company with which they won Bids regarding the handling and execution of all Post-Auction documents and tasks.

Our Representative will not be available to submit the bid forms on the Bid Date. Please advise whether we will need to nominate another contact as a replacement.

It is not required for the Officer, the Representative, or a Nominee to submit the Bid Form. The Bid Form may be submitted by another individual who is authorized to submit the Bids on behalf of the bidder.

Please note that the contact name provided in the “Bidder Information” section of the “General Information” tab of the Bid Form must be the contact information of the individual submitting the Bid Form. This is the individual that the Procurement Administrator will phone to confirm receipt of the Bid Form and to whom will be provided the assessment of whether the Bid Form is complete and consistent with the rules.

Can you please provide the final Supplier Fee amounts?

The Supplier Fees for the Spring 2015 Standard Products RFP Procurement Events are:

$ 127 per off-peak block

$ 190 per on-peak block

These Supplier Fees were announced to bidders on March 25, 2015.

When will a Bidder who wins bids on Ameren products be informed of the security requirements under the contract?

Please refer to the Collateral Annex as well as Paragraph 10 of the Collateral Annex (as amended in the (AIC) Confirmation Agreement) for information regarding the credit and security requirements. The applicable supplier contract is posted to the “Standard Products” page of the IPA web site (https://ipa-energyrfp.com).

Any security due under the agreement may be met using a Letter of Credit (in the form of Exhibit B to the AIC Confirmation Agreement), using cash, or using a Guaranty if the Bidder is relying on the financial standing of a creditworthy Guarantor. AIC will communicate security requirements, if needed, as soon as practicable after the Confirmation Agreement has been fully executed. If the provisions of the agreement indicate that AIC may require the posting of Performance Assurance, then AIC will provide notice in accordance with the applicable contract provisions.

Can you please provide instuctions for submitting the Ameren Pre-Bid Letter of Credit?

Instructions for submitting the Ameren Pre-Bid Letter of Credit were sent to previously Qualified Bidders and anyone who submitted a request for Qualification materials to the Procurement Administrator on Wednesday, March 18.

What is the timeframe during which Bidders may present comments on the changes to the Pre-Bid Letter of Credit for ComEd?

Bidders may comment on changes to the Pre-Bid Letter of Credit during the Part 1 Window. The deadline for such comments is the Part 1 Date. Any modifications presented during that time is evaluated. If a modification proposed by a Bidder is found to be acceptable, it is made available to all Bidders on an optional basis.

We have a Guaranty in place from the 2014 Procurement Events. Will it be acceptable to rely on the current Guaranty should we win during the Spring 2015 Procurement Events?

A Bidder relying on the financial standing of a Guarantor will be expected to provide a new Guaranty for the Spring 2015 Standard Products RFP if the Bidder has bids accepted by the Commission. More information on the process will be available from the Company (ComEd or Ameren) once the Commission has rendered a decision on the results of the RFP.

In the IPA Spring 2015 Bid Form, I see a page number watermarked across each page. Can you please advise how to get rid of this?

To remove the page number in Microsoft Excel, first select the “View” tab on the top navigation bar of Microsoft Excel, then select “Normal” in the “Workbook Views” section of the toolbar.

We have a guaranty with a foreign guarantor in place with ComEd from the September 2014 Procurement Events. Do we need to resubmit new documents to meet the requirements of Section 5, Foreign Entity as RFP Guarantor, of the Part 2 Form for this RFP?

For a Bidder that has in place a guaranty with a foreign guarantor, ComEd will accept the same dated documents to satisfy the requirements of the Part 2 Proposal as long as there has not been a change in the corporate structure of your guarantor that would impair the validity of those documents. For purposes of the Part 2 Proposal, you may either 1) upload those same dated documents to the online Part 2 Form (if there has not been a change in the corporate structure of your guarantor that would impair the validity of those documents); or 2) you may state, in the justification of omissions, that there has been no change in the corporate structure of your guarantor and thus you are not providing these documents as the documents currently held by ComEd remain valid.

What is the maximum amount of the Pre-Bid Letter of Credit for each of the Companies?

A Bidder may bid up to 609 blocks for Ameren based on the final Targets.  The maximum of the Pre-Bid Letter of Credit for Ameren is thus 609 x $5,000 = $3,045,000.  Similarly, a Bidder may bid up to 1108 blocks for ComEd based on the final Targets.  The maximum of the Pre-Bid Letter of Credit for ComEd is thus 1,108 x $5,000 = $5,540,000.

Is it still possible to propose modifications to the contracts?

The period for comments on the changes to the contracts for Ameren and ComEd closed on March 2, 2015.

Will it be necessary to provide both a Guaranty and the Letter of Credit?

Typically there is no need for both a Guaranty and a Letter of Credit. If a Bidder relies on the financial standing of a Guarantor to which a sufficient credit limit applies, a letter of credit is not necessary. If a Bidder relies on its own financial standing and the Bidder has insufficient unsecured credit, the Bidder may submit cash of a letter for security under the applicable supplier contract, in which case a Guaranty is not necessary.

Is it possible to include changes to the Standard Pre-Bid Letters of Credit that are not included in the acceptable modifications documents posted to the procurement website?

The Pre-Bid Letter of Credit must be in the form of the Standard Pre-Bid Letter of Credit or incorporate only modifications approved by the Company as posted to the procurement website. No other modifications may be presented modifications.

Which Inserts will need to be re-submitted in the event that the Officer of the Bidder named in the Part 1 Form will not be available on April 6 to execute the contracts?

If the Officer of the Bidder is available to complete the certifications in the Part 2 Proposal, nothing needs to be resubmitted. If the Officer of the Bidder will not be available only when needed to sign the applicable supplier contract and related documents, the Bidder will advise the Company of this fact, will name another individual to sign the applicable supplier contract and related documents, and will confirm that this individual is an officer, a director, or an individual otherwise authorized to undertake contracts (including the applicable supplier contract documents) and bind the Bidder. Please see Paragraph VI.2.15 of the RFP Rules.

This response assumes that the Officer of the Bidder is available to sign the certifications of the Part 2 Proposal. If this assumption is incorrect please submit a follow-up question.

Can you please provide instructions for completing the Pre-Bid Letters of Credit?

Instructions for completing the Pre-Bid Letters of Credit were sent to Applicants who completed the Part 1 Proposal on Wednesday, March 18.

When will Bidders be notified whether any of their Bids are identified as winning Bids?

The Procurement Administrator expects to notify a Bidder that has Bids that were evaluated whether any of the Bidder’s Bids are identified as winning Bids by the Procurement Administrator by 6 PM on the Bid Date, March 30. Such notification is made earlier to the extent practicable or may be made on the next business day as circumstances warrant. Please see Section VI.2., “Bid and Post-Bid Process”, posted to the “Standard Products Section” of the IPA RFP web site (https://ipa-energyrfp.com) for more information regarding the Post Auction timeline.

Would it be possible for you to advise whether certain changes to the Ameren Standard Pre-Bid Letter of Credit are considered acceptable?

A Bidder may, in its Part 1 Proposal, provide comments or propose modifications only to the CHANGES that have been made to the Standard Pre-Bid Letters of Credit for ComEd and for Ameren relative to the previously used Pre-Bid Letters of Credit for each Company. Ameren has not made any changes to the Letters of Credit; no modifications may be proposed to the Ameren Letter of Credit.

However, please note that Ameren accepts a number of modifications on an optional basis. Such modifications are provided in the document entitled “Acceptable Modifications to the Standard Pre-Bid Letter of Credit for Ameren”, which is posted immediately underneath the Standard Pre-Bid Letter of Credit for Ameren (Appendix 7 to the RFP Rules on the Standard Products page). Please consult this document to determine whether any changes that are proposed by your financial institution are acceptable to Ameren.

Is it possible to make elections to the Letters of Credit under the (AIC) Confirmation Agreement? What is the process?

Exhibit B to the (AIC) Confirmation Agreement is the Form of Letter of Credit. Schedule 1 to the Form of Letter of Credit provides all modifications that are acceptable for Ameren and that can be adopted by a Supplier on an optional basis. If a Bidder who has Bids identified to the Commission as winning Bids uses a letter of credit to post security during the term of the contract, the Bidder can instruct its financial institution to adopt any of the modifications that are acceptable to Ameren. Please note that Exhibit B and Schedule 1 are in regards to the “Post-Bid” Letter of Credit to be used during the term of the (AIC) Confirmation Agreement for purposes of posting security under the contract. For the “Pre-Bid” Letter of Credit to be provided with the Part 2 Proposal, please see Appendix 7 to the RFP Rules as well as the list of modifications to the Pre-Bid Letter of Credit that are acceptable to Ameren on an optional basis (posted under the heading “Spring 2015 Standard Products RFP Documents (FINAL)”.

Is it possible to make elections to the Form of Guaranty under the (AIC) Confirmation Agreement?

If a Bidder has Bids identified to the Commission as winning Bids and if the Bidder relies on the standing of a Guarantor, the Bidder is responsible for preparing the Guaranty (while Ameren is responsible for preparing the (AIC) Confirmation Agreement for signature). The Bidder can at that point elect to use any of the modifications to the Form of Guaranty that Ameren finds acceptable.

With regard to the (AIC) Confirmation Agreement, can you please explain the purpose of and the difference between “Schedule 1 to the Form of Guaranty” and “Schedule 2 to the Form of Guaranty”?

The Form of Guaranty (the standard form of guaranty under the (AIC) Confirmation Agreement is Exhibit A to the (AIC) Confirmation Agreement. Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 to the Form of Guaranty provide all modifications that are acceptable for Ameren and that can be adopted by a Supplier on an optional basis. Specifically Schedule 2 contains those modifications to the Guaranty to be used in the event that a party chooses to execute a single guaranty for Ameren Illinois Company with respect to all outstanding Fixed Price Customer Supply Contract obligations.

Can you please post the March 10 Bidder Information Webcast?

The Procurement Administrator posted the presentation materials and the audio recording from the bidder information webcast held on March 10, 2015 to the “Standard Products Section” of the procurement website (ipa-energyrfp.com).

Why does the ComEd Contract Insert (#P1-5) provide the opportunity for Bidders to make elections while the Ameren Contract Insert (#P1-3) does not?

ComEd provides the opportunity for the Bidder to make elections in the Contract Insert (#P1-5). These elections are mainly modifications to the Guaranty, provided as Schedule 2 to the Collateral Annex, that ComEd finds acceptable. These elections are provided because, should a Bidder (with Bids identified to the Commission as winning Bids) rely on the standing of a Guarantor, the Guaranty will be prepared by ComEd using the elections provided in the ComEd Contract Insert. Ameren does not prepare the Guaranty in these circumstances and it is the responsibility of a Bidder, that has Bids identified to the Commission as winning Bids and that is relying on the standing of a Guarantor, to prepare the Guaranty. The modifications to the Form of Guaranty that Ameren finds acceptable and that the Bidder could include in preparing the Guaranty are provided in Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 to the Form of Guaranty, which is Exhibit A to the (AIC) Confirmation Agreement. Specifically Schedule 2 contains those modifications to the Guaranty to be used in the event that a party chooses to execute a single guaranty for Ameren Illinois Company with respect to all outstanding Fixed Price Customer Supply Contract obligations.

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. The link has been updated.

What is the process to propose modifications to the Standard Letters of Credit for ComEd and for Ameren?

A Bidder may, in its Part 1 Proposal, provide comments or propose modifications only to the CHANGES that have been made to the Standard Letters of Credit for ComEd and for Ameren relative to the previously used Letters of Credit for each Company. Ameren has not made any changes to the Letters of Credit. Bidders may comment on the changes ComEd has made to its Letters of Credit using the ComEd Comment Insert (#P1-7) prepared for the this purpose.

Is cash an acceptable form of Pre-Bid Security?

No. A Bidder that is submitting Bids for a Company must, in its Part 2 Proposal, submit a Pre-Bid Letter of Credit for that Company in an amount of $5,000 per block of a Bidder’s Indicative Quantity for that Company or $250,000, whichever is greater. The Indicative Quantity for a Company is the total number of blocks that the Bidder intends to bid across all Segments and months available for that Company as submitted in the Part 2 Proposal. The Pre-Bid Letter of Credit must be in the form of the Standard Pre-Bid Letter of Credit or incorporate only modifications approved by the Company as posted to the procurement website. (Cash may be posted as security under the (ComEd) Master Agreements or the (AIC) Confirmation Agreement).

When will final RFP documents, including target quantities to be procured, be available?

Final Spring 2015 Standard Products RFP Documents were posted to the “Standard Products Section” of the IPA RFP web site (ipa-energyrfp.com) on March 9. Please note that the Targets in the RFP Rules are those of the IPA Procurement Plan and are provisional only. Final Targets, based on the March 2015 forecasts, will be provided to Bidders with their Part 1 Notifications.

Can you please post a redline comparison between the final supplier contracts for the Spring 2015 Procurement Events and the final supplier contracts for the September 2014 Procurement Events?

Redlines highlighting changes between the final supplier contracts for the September 2014 Procurement Events and the final supplier contracts for the Spring 2015 Procurement Events have been posted to the “Standard Products Section” of the IPA web site.

I have a question regarding my bill with ComEd. Can you help?

Please note that the website to which you have directed your question is not a general web site for ComEd; rather, it is a website established on behalf of the Illinois Power Agency by its Procurement Administrator in connection with procurements of energy and renewable energy products for the ComEd portfolio and the Ameren portfolio.

Please follow this link (https://www.comed.com/customer-service/billing-payment/pay-bill/Pages/default.aspx) to the ComEd web site for information regarding billing & payment, or contact ComEd directly regarding your inquiry:

Residential Customers: 1-800-Edison-1 (1-800-334-7661)

Business Customers: 1-877-4-ComEd-1 (1-877-426-6331)

What is the due date for the Spring 2015 Standard Products Pre-Bid Letter of Credit?

The Pre-Bid Letter of Credit will be due on the Part 2 Date, Wednesday, March 25.

Can you please provide instructions regarding payment of the Bid Participation Fee?

Bidders can pay the Bid Participation Fee: (i) by e-check through https://www.illinoisepay.com; or (ii) by check payable to “Illinois Power Agency”. Detailed instructions were sent to you March 9, 2015 at 6:15 PM Eastern.

Where can the RFP Rules be found on the procurement web site?

The Standard Products RFP Documents, including the RFP Rules, can be found on the “Standard Products Section” of the procurement website, (ipa-energyrfp.com), under the heading “Spring 2015 Standard Products RFP Documents (FINAL)”

Is it possible to petition to change the delivery point under the ComEd Master Agreement?

The period for comments on the changes to the ComEd Master Agreement closed on March 2, 2015. The RFP documents and final contracts were issued on March 9, 2015.

Is it possible for a winning Supplier in the Standard Products RFP to fulfil its contract obligations through the provision of a Product other than the Product as defined in the applicable Company’s supplier contract?

Any Bidder in the Standard Products RFP must agree to the terms of the applicable supplier contract and offer the specific product as specified by that applicable supplier contract.

If we already have an executed contract with a Company from a prior procurement event and we win blocks in the upcoming Standard Products RFP, will we need to execute a new contract?

Yes. A winning Bidder in the Spring 2015 Standard Products RFP will be required to execute a new agreement with the applicable Company (the (AIC) Confirmation Agreement or the (ComEd) Energy Master Agreement).

What are the collateral requirements for participation in the Standard Products RFP?

A Bidder that is submitting Bids for a Company must, in its Part 2 Proposal, submit a Pre-Bid Letter of Credit for that Company in an amount of $5,000 per block of a Bidder’s Indicative Quantity for that Company or $250,000, whichever is greater. The Indicative Quantity for a Company is the total number of blocks that the Bidder intends to bid across all Segments and months available for that Company. The Pre-Bid Letter of Credit must be in the form of the Standard Pre-Bid Letter of Credit or incorporate only modifications approved by the Company as posted to the procurement website.

What are the delivery points under the Energy Master Agreements?

The delivery point under the (AIC) Confirmation Agreement is the Ameren Illinois Company Load Zone (currently MISO CP Node AMIL.BGS6), or any successor thereto. The delivery point under the (ComEd) Master Agreement is the ComEd Residual Aggregate, Pnode ID 116472935 (COMED_RESID_AGG).

Where can I find FAQs on the IPA RFP web site?

The FAQ page can be found by selecting “FAQs” on the left navigation bar of the procurement website (https://ipa-energyrfp.com/). Please let us know if you have any problems accessing this page.

I registered to use the Qualification Form on the IPA RFP web site. What happens next?

Thank you for registering to use the Qualification Form. We have acknowledged receipt. You should have received login credentials and instructions on March 09, 2015. If you have not received this information, please contact us via email.

What are the requirements of the Part 1 Proposal?

A: Please review “Appendix 3: Illustrative Part 1 Form” posted on March 9, 2015 under “Spring 2015 Standard Products RFP Documents”. This document is a mock-up of the online Part 1 Form that you will use to submit your Part 1 Proposal. As such, it details the requirements of the Part 1 Proposal.

Where can I find the Targets to be procured in Spring and Fall of 2015 under the newly approved procurement plan?

Please review the “Spring 2015 Block Targets” posted on March 3, 2015 under “Spring 2015 Standard Products DRAFT RFP Documents”. These targets are those in the IPA’s 2015 Procurement Plan (http://www.illinois.gov/ipa/Pages/Current_Approved_Plan.aspx). Please note that these targets are provisional only and will be revised.

Do you anticipate the Pre-Bid Letter of Credit to remain the same as it was in the last Standard Products RFP?

The Pre-Bid Letters of Credit posted with the issuance of the RFP documents on March 9 as identical to the Draft Pre-Bid Letters of Credit posted on March 3, 2015 under “Spring 2015 Standard Products DRAFT RFP Documents”. These Standard Pre-Bid Letters of Credit have been updated from the 2014 procurement events for changes in dates, expiration date, and docket number. In addition, ComEd made changes to Paragraph 14 for clarification purposes. Bidders have an opportunity in their Part 1 Proposal to comment on the changes to the Pre-bid Letter of Credit proposed by ComEd.

Can you please provide Word documents to be able to comment on the 2015 contracts?

Interested parties that wish to comment on changes to the contract can use the forms provided for this purpose, which are in Word format. Furthermore, contracts from previous RFPs can be found on the procurement website through the “Previous RFPs” link.

If we already have an executed contract with a Company from a prior procurement event, will any changes made to the contract for this procurement event be applied retroactively?

Any changes to a Company’s contract form will apply to winning suppliers in the 2015 procurement events and will not be applied retroactively to contracts between a supplier and the Company that remain in force from a prior procurement event.

Can you please provide the dates and supply periods for any upcoming events pursuant to the IPA 2015 procurement plan?

The procurement events for standard products are as follows: (i) a Spring 2015 procurement of monthly on-peak and off-peak standard block forward products as well as combinations for ComEd and Ameren; (ii) a Fall 2015 procurement of monthly on-peak and off-peak standard block forward products as well as combinations for ComEd and Ameren; and (iii) a Fall 2015 procurement of capacity for Ameren for a period starting June 1, 2016. The supply period for the standard block forward products will be June 1, 2015 to May 31, 2018.
The schedule for the Spring 2015 procurement events for block energy (the “STP RFP”) is available here:
https://ipa-energyrfp.com/calendar/
Information regarding the procurement events for renewable energy resources under the IPA’s 2015 Procurement Plan will be posted here:
https://ipa-energyrfp.com/renewable-energy-resources-section/
Information regarding procurement of renewable energy credits from photovoltaics under the IPA’s Supplemental Plan will be posted here:
https://ipa-energyrfp.com/supplemental-pv-procurement-section/

How do I submit a question to the Procurement Administrator?

To submit a question to the Procurement Administrator, please use the Ask a Question page. The Procurement Administrator responds to a question by email directly to the questioner. If the question provides new information for potential suppliers, the question and answer are posted to the web site as an FAQ.