2026 RFP: Frequently Asked Questions


2026-Stakeholder Meetings

2026-STM 00002
Published On: 03/25/2026

Question: Is there consideration for projects with existing IAs to bid into the 2026 RFP?

Answer: No. Projects with existing IAs are not eligible for bid into the 2026 RFP. The 2025 RFP allowed projects with existing IAs to bid into a limited, one-time early selection round and was meant to be a final attempt to allow projects that were eligible for tax credits to be selected in the RFP.  

2026-STM 00001
Published On: 03/16/2026

Question: Does Duke anticipate that the 2026 RFP and subsequent procurement cycles will follow the timeline outlined in the 2026 RFP Stakeholder presentation (with July proposal due dates), rather than the September due dates observed in prior RFP cycles?

Answer: Yes, we anticipate the 2026 RFP to follow the timeline outlined in the 2026 RFP Stakeholder presentation in order to keep the RSC in between annual cluster cycles. We do not yet have the timeline developed for subsequent procurement cycles.

2026-General

2026-GEN 00005
Published On: 05/15/2026

Question: A question for the 2026 Solar RFP and 2026 SC BESS RFP: If our project is contracted with Duke as a PV-only PPA but we have supplemental BESS being brought into the IC queue, can Duke contract with that BESS as a separate PPA?

Answer: No, in the upcoming 2026 SC Battery RFP the Companies are seeking South Carolina sited standalone storage bids that do not share an interconnection agreement with an existing generator and therefore are grid charged.  To come through the solar and SPWS RFP, a project would be bid as SPWS from the start so that there is one contract governing the solar and paired storage collectively.

2026-GEN 00004
Published On: 05/12/2026

Question: Can you confirm there are no PSCAD / PSSE models due at time of IX application or RFP submittal for the 2026 Solar RFP and the 2026 SC BESS RFP?

Answer: PSSE models are required at the time of the interconnection application. Sections 7h, 7i and 8h of the Inverter Based Resource Data Request form located on the OASIS site (Duke_Energy_Inverter_Based_Resource_Data_Request_Form_(DEC,DEF,DEP).pdf (oati.com)) provides guidance for inverter and reactive power PSSE modeling.

2026-GEN 00003
Published On: 04/23/2026

Question: The RFP is ambiguous in projects that are qualified to bid based on Section III (g) of the RFP document. Can a project with a terminated PPA and a terminated IA bid for the RFP even if the PPA was executed in a prior RFP year between 2022 and 2025?

Answer: Market participants that have been selected in a prior RFP that have elected to terminate their Power Purchase Agreement and Interconnection Agreement (and pay any associated penalties) are eligible to submit a new Interconnection Request into the Resource Solicitation Cluster for 2026 and bid into the RFP. The project will be subject to all aspects of the 2026 RSC including the costs for the Interconnection Facilities and Network Upgrades identified in the 2026 RSC.

2026-GEN 00002
Published On: 04/16/2026

Question: For the 2026 RFP, will there be a new PV Curtailment portfolio view shared with market participants ahead of bids being submitted?

Answer: Please see the Excel file “Estimated PV Curtailment – 2025 CPIRP” showing the estimated curtailment in future years available in the 2026 Solar RFP:Q&A Documents page of this website. It includes two potential scenarios based on the results of the 2025 CPIRP modeling: the Recommended (NTAP) Portfolio and the High Load Sensitivity Analysis Portfolio. This information is subject to change due to several factors including shifts in projected loads, the pending merger of DEP and DEC, and future policy changes.

2026-GEN 00001
Published On: 04/09/2026

Question: The 2026 RFP does not include standalone storage. Are there any plans to include standalone storage in the 2027 RSC, or any other solicitations?

Answer: The Companies are currently planning on holding a 2026 Solar and Solar Paired with Storage RFP and also a 2026 SC Battery RFP.  The latter will only seek standalone storage sited in SC, as required in the SC Energy Security Act (aka “Act 41”). This RFP website will include more information on the 2026 SC Battery RFP in the coming weeks, as the 2026 SC Battery RFP is still in development and the docket is still open in SC (Docket 2025-217-E). 

2026-Documents

2026-DOC 00003
Published On: 05/11/2026

Question: Can you clarify / help us reconcile, 1. this statement from Appendix O: “ii. A Facility that bids both solar-only and SPWS resource types must have the same maximum export at the Point of Interconnection for both resource types.”, with, 2. this statement in Section C.(b); “storage resources must be… sized 35-40% of the maximum export MWac of the Facility’s POI”. Can you provide examples of what solar + storage configurations would work within this framework?

Answer: For the 2026 Solar and Solar Paired with Storage RFP:

  1. The Interconnection Rating for solar-only and SPWS offers for the same facility must be identical.
  2. The capacity of the battery storage component of the SPWS offer must be sized to 35-40% of the Interconnection Rating.

2026-DOC 00002
Published On: 05/04/2026

Question: Will there be a general interconnection guidance document released just like in 2025? Trying to ascertain the amount for the IC Study Fee and IC Study Deposit.

Answer: Yes, it will be posted by May 15, 2026. 

2026-DOC 00001
Published On: 03/24/2026

Question: Where is the heatmap located?

Answer: The heatmap will be available in mid-April 2026. It will be shared on OATI OASIS (www.oasis.oati.com) for Duke Energy Progress and Duke Energy Carolinas.

2026-Interconnection

2026-INT 00002
Published On: 05/15/2026

Question: If a project submits into the 2026 RFP and is shortlisted, but then declines the invitation to move forward into phase 1 of RSC study. Do withdrawal penalties apply at that point?

Answer:

  1. The $10,000 or $15,000 Proposal Fee per project is non-refundable.
  2. The study deposit is paid at the time the interconnection request enters the Resource Solicitation Cluster (RSC) and any applicable Commercial Readiness Deposits. The initial deposit is used to cover the Interconnection Customer’s allocated cost of the RSC Cluster study. If the interconnection request is withdrawn, any refunds of unspent deposit will be processed in accordance with the following section references Section 3.7 of Attachment K to the LGIP, Sections 6.3 of the NCIP and Section 4.7 in SCGIP Appendix CS. 

2026-INT 00001
Published On: 04/23/2026

Question: There is a standard advisory on Duke pre-apps that states: This project may be contingent on significant network upgrades exceeding one hundred million dollars that are currently assigned but will be necessary to allow new generation to connect in this region of the DEP system. These upgrades could take up to 5 years from start date to be completed. The project proposed in this pre-application cannot connect to the transmission system until required network upgrades are completed. How should we interpret this in submitting our bid pricing and online timeline?

Answer: Contingent network upgrades do potentially have an impact on the timing of the project reaching full network interconnection service, but the costs of those upgrades may be assigned to prior queued generators. Bidders with questions about a pre-application and its results should reach out to their account manager on the Renewable Integration Team.