Sec. 20.52.04.01. Procurement by Investor-Owned Utilities

A. Except for HPS or under Regulation .02D and E of this chapter, a utility shall procure the electricity needed to provide service under this subtitle during the service periods stated in COMAR 20.52.02 only through a competitive wholesale bidding process approved by the Commission.

B. Model Request for Proposals and Utility Bid Plan.

(1) A utility shall base the competitive bidding process required by this regulation on the model request for proposals and a utility bid plan approved by the Commission.

(2) The model request for proposals shall include a provision designed to eliminate a bid proposal for residential standard offer service that contains a price anomaly.

(3) The model request for proposals may be altered by a utility bid plan only if it is necessary to conform to utility specific conditions.

(4) Utility Bid Plan.

(a) A utility bid plan shall include:

(i) A bidding schedule;

(ii) A description of the power supply blocks on which potential suppliers shall bid;

(iii) Bid price formats;

(iv) The time period during which the power will need to be supplied for each power supply block;

(v) Bid submission instructions and format; and

(vi) Bid evaluation criteria.

(b) A utility may include in its bid plan reasonable credit requirements, cash collateral, or other assurance of the bidder's ability to perform, as approved by the Commission.