Why this procurement matters now

• Tell me briefly what triggered your current requirement to procure new clean generation capacity
• How many megawatts does your mandate require and by what firm delivery date
• Which procurement path are you pursuing right now Options: Competitive solicitation or RFP, Direct PPA negotiation, Reverse auction, Request for information leading to RFP, Other
• When was the mandate approved and what compliance window does it create
• Which internal approvals are required before you can execute a PPA Options: Board approval, CFO or finance committee, Regulatory filing or approval, Procurement committee, City council or municipal vote, Other
• How firm is the budget you must remain inside for this procurement Options: Firm cap, no exceptions, Target range with limited flexibility, Indicative range only, Budget not disclosed yet

If one megawatt slips, what breaks

• What single delivery miss would force you to extend the solicitation or seek regulatory waivers
• Which compliance penalties or interim shortfall mechanisms would apply if contracted capacity is late Options: Regulatory fines, Purchases at market rates to replace shortfall, Loss or adjustment of renewable credits, Increased reporting and regulatory scrutiny, Other
• Tell me about a past procurement where a developer missed the commercial operation date, and what operational or political consequences you faced
• If interconnection delays occur, what is the maximum delay in months you would still accept without re-soliciting Options: 0-3 months, 4-6 months, 7-12 months, More than 12 months, Unsure
• Who in your organization owns contingency sourcing if awarded capacity is delayed Options: Procurement, Operations or dispatch, Risk or trading desk, External consultant or advisor, Other

Which developer facts actually sway the decision

• When you evaluate developers, which missing proof is an automatic disqualifier
• Which developer credentials do you weigh most heavily when ranking proposals Options: Number of projects commercially operational, Megawatts delivered in the last four years, Named tax equity or financing partners, Demonstrated EPC contracts and schedules, Local permit progress or entitlements, Publicly visible owner/operators
• How many projects delivered to commercial operation in the last four years would make you comfortable awarding to a developer Options: 0, 1-2, 3-5, 6-10, More than 10
• Walk me through the last time a developer's financing claim did not hold up, which red flags would have alerted you earlier
• If a developer cannot show a committed tax equity partner or a lender letter of interest, does that remove them from award consideration Options: Yes, No, Maybe with compensating security or higher performance guarantees

Site and interconnection realities that stop construction before it starts

• Which site or interconnection condition would prevent you from awarding the project
• Which interconnection queue stage do you typically require before awarding capacity Options: Feasibility or preliminary study only, System impact study completed, Facilities study completed, Fully executed interconnection agreement, Depends on project specifics
• Which party do you expect to carry the responsibility for transmission upgrade costs Options: Seller pays upgrades, Buyer pays upgrades, Shared or negotiated at award, Decided case-by-case
• Do you require named land rights at time of award or are option agreements acceptable Options: Named ownership or lease required, Long-term lease acceptable, Option agreement acceptable with milestones, Depends on site and schedule
• What is the maximum transmission or upgrade cost per MW that would make the project's economics unacceptable
• Which performance guarantee or degradation assumption do you expect in the PPA Options: Annual MWh minimum guarantee, Availability metric with monthly credits, Nameplate curve with standard degradation, No explicit guarantee required

Price, budget, and who absorbs surprises

• What unexpected cost or price movement would make this PPA unaffordable for your organization
• Which pricing structures are you open to considering Options: Fixed $ per MWh, Market indexed with fixed adder, Contract for differences, Tolling or capacity plus energy, Block energy with shaping, Other
• What is your target levelized price range per MWh for winning offers
• Describe the buyer credit support or performance security you can offer at award and any internal limits
• Would you accept a price within your target that relies on the seller to carry construction risk, or do you require the seller to explicitly bear construction cost overruns Options: Seller must bear overruns, Shared mechanism acceptable, Buyer will assume overruns, Depends on capped exposure
• Which matters more for you, price certainty or earlier commercial operation when choosing between proposals Options: Price certainty, Earlier commercial operation, Both equally important, Depends on relative difference

Who moves the needle inside your organization

• Who in your organization can halt the award at the last minute
• Which stakeholders should receive regular status updates during evaluation and post-award Options: Procurement director or team, CFO or finance team, General counsel or legal, Operations or dispatch, Regulatory affairs, Board or city council, Community relations
• How long does your internal legal review of a PPA typically take once commercial terms are agreed Options: Under 2 weeks, 2-4 weeks, 1-2 months, Longer than 2 months
• If securing signatures within 6 weeks is needed, which internal approval is most likely to prevent that timeline Options: Board or council approval, Finance or treasury sign-off, Legal negotiation unresolved, Regulatory filing or review, Other
• Walk me through how public comment periods or council votes factor into your award schedule

Operational readiness, the practical gates we must clear

• Which internal resource gap would stop implementation even if the PPA is signed
• Do you have dedicated staff to manage buyer obligations after award such as interconnection coordination and compliance reporting Options: Yes, a dedicated team, Shared resources across teams, Outsourced to a third party, No dedicated resources yet
• Which systems hold the data we will need to validate generation and reporting Options: Energy management system, Utility billing or settlement platform, Meter data management system, Internal compliance database, Third-party aggregator
• Are APIs or automated export processes available for meter and performance data Options: APIs available, SFTP or scheduled file export, Manual export only, Not available, Unsure
• Do you have a pre-approved credit rating or collateral standard the seller must meet before award Options: Yes, defined rating and security requirements, No, negotiable by negotiation, We require third-party credit support or bank guarantees, Unsure
• What regulatory filings or permits on the buyer side must be completed that could gate the timeline

What keeps you up at night about this procurement

• Which single technical or political risk has derailed awards in your past work
• Which of these risks are you most concerned about for this procurement Options: Interconnection queue delays or unexpected upgrades, Permitting opposition or local political risk, Counterparty credit or insolvency, Construction supply chain delays and cost escalation, Generation underperformance versus projections, Regulatory policy changes
• Tell me about a time when a relied-on project missed targets and how you responded operationally and politically
• If our proposal transfers a particular risk to the seller, which remaining risk would still be unacceptable to you
• Which method do you use to quantify the cost of potential under-delivery when comparing proposals Options: Market replacement cost, Penalty schedule applied to price comparisons, Insurance and contingency allowances, Qualitative assessment only, Other

Who else is on your short list and what keeps them competitive

• Which alternatives are you seriously considering right now besides third-party developed PPAs Options: Existing utility-owned assets, Internal utility build or ownership, Incumbent developer proposals, REC purchases only or short-term contracts, Battery plus renewables hybrid offers, Other
• What would have to be true about your current approach for you to stay with it instead of selecting an outside developer
• Has anyone on your team proposed meeting the mandate without an outside partner Options: Yes, full internal build proposed, Yes, partial internal effort proposed, No, not proposed, Under discussion
• If an incumbent offers a lower price but with later commercial operation date, would you prefer lower price or higher certainty Options: Lower price, Higher certainty, Depends on the financial penalty or shortfall remedy, Undecided
• Which types of developer proposals are you receiving and which signals from them are you watching most closely Options: Late-stage shovel-ready projects with permits, Early-stage pipeline projects with strong resource, Greenfield sites with site control but early queue position, Projects that price contingent upgrades separately

What would make you sign this week

• If we delivered a complete proposal next week, what one thing must be in it for you to sign within 30 days
• List the top three documents or assurances you require at award to proceed to notice to proceed
• What is your ideal timeline from notice to proceed to commercial operation Options: 12-18 months, 18-24 months, 24-36 months, More than 36 months
• If we can meet your target commercial operation date but need a price premium for speed, what maximum premium per MWh would you accept
• Which next-step structure do you prefer, accelerated technical due diligence, governance review first, or parallel commercial negotiation Options: Accelerated technical due diligence first, Governance and legal review first, Parallel tracks for technical and commercial, Other
• Who should we schedule the first technical detailed review with and what timing works for them

• Solution Experience — PV Delivery, Price, and Risk

• Confirm the current state and its cost to your team
• You confirm that the demonstrated project schedule and named mitigations provide reasonable assurance of delivery by your compliance date.
• Deliver a site-specific interconnection timing map and worst-case upgrade cost estimate for the target sites.
• You confirm that the presented PPA economics align with your price threshold or identify the gaps that must be closed with quantified sensitivities.
• Map a delivered project timeline to your compliance date
• Deliver a PPA price model using the buyer's procurement assumptions and show sensitivity to interconnection and escalation variables.
• Show price alignment and downside economics
• You agree on a short list of remaining evidence and dates that will be required to proceed toward award.
• Provide schedule trace summaries and financing stack briefs from comparable projects that reached commercial operation on time.
• Demonstrate risk allocation and financing proof
• Populate and share your procurement timeline, required megawatts, and any CFO price thresholds or evaluation criteria in the shared template.
• Evidence from comparable delivered projects
• Confirm the internal stakeholders and decision owners who must validate delivery, price, and credit before award.
• Validate this maps to what you described
• Agree next-evidence list and decision milestones

• Solution Experience — PV Delivery, Price, and Risk
• Solution Experience Deck
• Solution Brief

• meeting
• slides
• document

• Execute land leases and acquire site rights
• Submit and manage interconnection application and queue
• Secure permits and local agency approvals
• Structure and close project financing and tax equity
• Procure major equipment and supply contracts
• Negotiate and execute power purchase agreement
• Manage EPC contracting and construction oversight
• Build grid interconnection upgrades and tie-in
• Commission plant and deliver commercial operation (COD)
• Provide long-term operations and maintenance services
• Run community engagement and stakeholder mitigation
• Manage decommissioning and site restoration

Execute land leases and acquire site rights

• Do you have an existing signed lease, option, or memorandum of lease for the proposed site? Options: Yes, No, Option only, Memorandum only
• Provide the current title report owner name and any title exceptions that could affect the array footprint.
• Name the land survey artifacts you can provide (ALTA/ACSM survey, boundary survey, easement plats, topographic survey). Options: ALTA/ACSM survey, Boundary survey, Topographic survey, Easement plats, None available
• Identify the contracted gross and net capacity you expect to site on this parcel (megawatts alternating current).
• Provide the evidence that will validate you hold exclusive site rights sufficient for permitting and financing (for example, executed lease, title endorsement, survey, or signed option).

Submit and manage interconnection application and queue

• Have you submitted a formal interconnection application to the local transmission or distribution operator? Options: Yes, No, Draft submitted
• What is the point of interconnection (POI) name and the utility queue number associated with this project?
• Specify the active interconnection study stage for your queue position (for example, feasibility study, system impact study, facilities study). Options: Feasibility study, System impact study, Facilities study, Completed studies, Not started
• Estimate the current months to anticipated service from your queue position based on the latest queue report. Options: <6 months, 6-12 months, 12-18 months, 18-24 months, 24+ months, Unknown
• Provide the acceptance criteria that will confirm interconnection readiness (for example, fully executed interconnection service agreement, paid upgrade cost schedule, assigned POI and facilities study sign-off).

Secure permits and local agency approvals

• List the local, county, and state permits required for this site (for example zoning change, conditional use permit, grading permit, building permit, stormwater permit). Options: Zoning/land use change, Conditional use permit, Grading permit, Building permit, Stormwater permit, Other
• Who is listed as the applicant on planned permit filings and who will sign permit applications? Options: Project developer, Site owner, Joint applicant, Other
• Provide the latest status of environmental reviews required for permitting (for example cultural resources survey, wetlands delineation, biological assessment).
• Is an aviation evaluation or Federal Aviation Administration glare and obstruction review required for the proposed layout relative to nearby airports? Options: Yes, No, Under review
• Provide the evidence that will validate final permit acceptance for construction and operations (for example stamped approved permits, final site plan approval, building sign-off from the authority having jurisdiction).

Structure and close project financing and tax equity

• What is the proposed capital stack and target funding sources (for example senior debt, tax equity, mezzanine, sponsor equity)? Options: Senior debt, Tax equity, Mezzanine, Sponsor equity, Other
• Who is the financial closing lead and what is the target financial close date relative to the interconnection milestone?
• Which lender or investor deliverables will be required for close (for example completion guarantee, intercreditor agreement, insurer certificates, title endorsements)? Options: Completion guarantee, Intercreditor agreement, Insurance certificates, Title endorsements, Other
• Estimate the target debt service coverage ratio and minimum equity return that your financing partners will require.
• Indicate the form of credit support you will accept for the PPA (for example letters of credit, parent company guarantee, cash collateral). Options: Letter of credit, Parent guarantee, Cash collateral, Other, None required

Procure major equipment and supply contracts

• Which major equipment procurement packages are in scope (for example PV modules, inverters, step-up transformers, switchgear, racking)? Options: Modules, Inverters, Transformers, Switchgear, Racking, Other
• Do you have equipment purchase orders or long-lead commitments in place for critical items? Options: Purchase orders issued, Conditional purchase orders, No commitments
• What lead times do you expect for module and inverter deliveries measured in months? Options: <3 months, 3-6 months, 6-9 months, 9-12 months, 12+ months, Unknown
• Who will retain inventory and warranty risk during transit and commissioning? Options: We retain risk, You retain risk, Shared, Supplier retains until COD
• How will you document equipment acceptance at site (for example factory acceptance test reports, delivery inspection records, serial number reconciliation)?

Negotiate and execute power purchase agreement

• Provide the target PPA (power purchase agreement) commercial operation date and the PPA start date you require.
• Select the pricing structure you prefer for the PPA. Options: Fixed $/MWh, Indexed to market price, Time-of-delivery shaped, Capacity plus energy, Other
• Indicate credit support or counterparty rating thresholds you require for counterparty acceptance. Options: Investment grade required, Letter of credit, Parent guarantee, No minimum, Other
• Choose the contract term length you prefer for the PPA. Options: 5-10 years, 11-15 years, 16-20 years, 21-25 years, Custom
• List the commercial conditions that must be satisfied before you will execute an award (for example price threshold, firm COD, credit support in place).

Manage EPC contracting and construction oversight

• Select the preferred EPC (engineering procurement and construction) commercial form for the project. Options: Fixed-price EPC, Target-price EPC with shared savings, Time and materials, Design-build
• Define the construction milestone payment triggers you require for progress payments (for example groundbreaking, 50% energized, mechanical completion, COD). Options: Groundbreaking, 50% energized, Mechanical completion, COD, Other
• Specify safety and quality standards the EPC must meet (for example Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements, local safety program, ISO 9001 quality). Options: OSHA standards, Local safety program, ISO 9001, Other
• Describe how as-built documentation and constructability records will be delivered (for example as-built single-line diagram, test reports, commissioning logs).
• Name the party that will retain warranty claim responsibility after commissioning and during the warranty period. Options: Developer/owner, EPC contractor, Third-party O&M provider, Shared responsibility

Build grid interconnection upgrades and tie-in

• Describe the expected scope of grid upgrades at the point of interconnection (for example transformer, new breaker bays, protection relay updates, transmission line work).
• Explain the expected funding approach and cost allocation for those upgrades. Options: Developer funded, Utility funded, Cost shared, Unknown
• Select the preferred test regime for utility tie-in activities. Options: Relay testing and protection coordination, Short circuit testing, Synchronization tests, Commissioning protocol defined by utility
• State the target window for energization relative to the COD milestone. Options: Before COD, At COD, After COD, Phased energization
• Identify the typical utility artifacts you expect to receive once upgrades are complete (for example commissioning certificate, as-built single-line diagram, relay test reports). Options: Commissioning certificate, As-built SLD, Relay test reports, None expected

Commission plant and deliver commercial operation (COD)

• List the commissioning tests you plan to perform prior to COD (for example performance acceptance test, availability test, SCADA integration tests). Options: Performance acceptance test, Availability test, SCADA integration, Safety verification, Other
• Name the signatory for the COD certificate and list the documents that will accompany COD sign-off (for example capacity test report, final safety inspection).
• Specify the baseline performance guarantee you will use for initial acceptance (for example AC nameplate, initial expected capacity factor, first-year degradation threshold).
• Explain how revenue metering and meter calibration will be documented for settlement (for example utility revenue meter, independent calibration laboratory certificate). Options: Utility revenue meter, Independent calibration, Third-party verification, Other
• List the spare parts and initial operations inventory that must be delivered at COD.

Provide long-term operations and maintenance services

• Choose the O&M scope you require after COD. Options: Preventive maintenance, Corrective maintenance, Performance monitoring, Spare parts management, Full-service O&M
• Set the required response time service level agreements for reactive work or site outages. Options: 4 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours, Custom SLA
• Specify the telemetry and SCADA integration requirements for performance monitoring and alarm forwarding. Options: Existing SCADA endpoint, API integration, Standard telemetry gateway, No telemetry integration
• Define the preferred O&M contract term length after COD. Options: 1-3 years, 4-7 years, 8-15 years, 15+ years
• Indicate whether you require availability guarantees or performance-based compensation in the O&M agreement. Options: Yes, No, Discuss

Run community engagement and stakeholder mitigation

• Name the stakeholder groups that must be notified and consulted (for example adjacent landowners, county planning commission, local tribe, airport authority). Options: Adjacent landowners, County commission, Tribal authorities, Airport authority, Other
• Appoint who will lead public outreach and act as the community liaison for meetings and written communications. Options: Developer community lead, Third-party outreach consultant, Joint team, TBD
• List the mitigation deliverables that local stakeholders typically expect (for example visual screening plan, noise mitigation, community benefit agreement). Options: Visual screening plan, Noise mitigation, Community benefits, Local hiring targets, Other
• Set the timing for the first public outreach meeting relative to permit application submission. Options: Before permit application, At time of application, After initial agency review
• Describe how stakeholder approvals and unresolved objections will be documented for permit record and decision making.

Manage decommissioning and site restoration

• Choose the preferred form of decommissioning financial assurance. Options: Decommissioning bond, Cash escrow, Parent guarantee, Letter of credit, Other
• Set the restoration standard that will apply at end of life (for example return to agricultural use, native habitat restoration, removal of all above-ground equipment). Options: Return to agricultural use, Native habitat restoration, Remove all equipment, Other
• Name the party responsible for preparing the decommissioning plan and cost estimate. Options: Developer, Site owner, Third-party consultant, TBD
• Define the trigger for decommissioning obligations (for example contract end, prolonged abandonment, breach of obligations). Options: Contract end, Abandonment > X years, Owner decision, Breach
• Indicate the typical documentary artifacts local authorities require to release decommissioning financial assurance (for example final site inspection report, vegetation establishment report, bond release letter). Options: Final site inspection, Vegetation report, Bond release letter, Other

• Power Purchase Agreement (PPA)
• PPA Pricing & Billing Exhibit
• Credit & Collateral Agreement
• Performance Security Instrument
• Key Dates & Milestone Schedule
• Interconnection & Network Upgrades Agreement
• Site Lease & Land Rights Agreement
• EPC Construction Agreement
• Assignment, Financing & Lender Consent Agreement
• Operations & Maintenance (O&M) Agreement
• Permitting & Community Commitments Schedule

• Post-Commercial Operation Health Check
• First Performance Measurement
• Quarterly Performance Review
• Annual Compliance and Performance Audit

• Create a prioritized preventive maintenance and monitoring schedule for the next 12 months and distribute to stakeholders.
• Open diagnostic O&M work orders for identified equipment or configuration issues and set expected completion dates.
• Publish adjusted monitoring thresholds and notification rules in the shared channel.
• Trend analysis and variance drivers
• Confirm YTD generation trajectory versus the contracted MWh in Mutual Commit and identify any required corrective trajectory measures.
• Close or set firm remediation dates for the top three operational issues affecting performance or compliance.
• Validate the settlement ledger for the quarter and agree timing for any disputed adjustments.
• Deliver the quarter reconciled settlement ledger with variance explanations and supporting meter evidence.
• Update the regulatory compliance package and list outstanding data needs with target delivery dates.
• Prioritize the shared-channel enhancement requests and publish the agreed roadmap and resolution targets.
• Year-end generation and settlement audit
• Finalize the year-end compliance packet ready for filing and confirm any outstanding data deliverables with deadlines.
• Determine whether contractual performance remedies apply and document the agreed financial reconciliation path.
• Agree the next-year O&M and monitoring plan that addresses observed degradation and recurring failure modes.
• Publish the finalized compliance filing packet and supporting evidence for the buyer's review prior to submission.
• Produce a year-end performance summary including any proposed invoice adjustments or credits under the PPA.
• Reconfirm contractual delivery commitments
• Metering and telemetry validated as producing reliable generation and uptime data, or a remediation plan with dates is agreed.
• All high-severity open defects are documented with assigned owners and target closure dates.
• Operational contact list, escalation path, and immediate O&M actions are confirmed for the next 30 days.
• Distribute meter and telemetry validation report including any anomalies and recommended fixes.
• Open remediation tickets for each high-severity defect and publish owners and target dates in the shared channel.
• Schedule meter calibration or replacement if validation shows measurement drift.
• Present period generation and availability data
• Determine whether first-period generation meets the trajectory toward the contracted MWh recorded in Mutual Commit or requires remediation.
• Identify root cause(s) for any performance gap and agree a remediation plan with specific tasks and resolution dates.
• Validate that metering and settlement data are reconciled or that reconciliation items are logged with owners and timelines.
• Produce a reconciled generation report with meter, SCADA, and settlement extracts and circulate within three business days.
• PPA settlement reconciliation
• Regulatory compliance package review
• Telemetry and meter validation
• Metering and settlement validation
• Regulatory compliance reporting status
• Initial operations readiness
• Performance warranty and remedy assessment
• Diagnose root causes for any shortfalls
• O&M and degradation review
• Open issues and enhancement requests
• Open defects and safety items
• Agree corrective actions and timelines
• Confirm monitoring thresholds and alerts
• Agree next-quarter operational focus
• Document outstanding remediation and next-year monitoring plan
• Agree immediate remediation actions