Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. (AECI) is a generation and transmission cooperative headquartered in Springfield, Missouri. AECI owns, operates, and maintains electric generation and transmission facilities, and generates, purchases, transmits, and sells wholesale electricity to its six-transmission cooperative member-owners. AECI’s mission is to provide economical, reliable wholesale power supply and support services to its member-owners, which in turn, supply 51-member distribution cooperatives in Missouri, southeast Iowa, and northeast Oklahoma, powering more than 935,000 member-consumer homes, farms, schools, and businesses.

A map illustrating the members’ service territory is provided below:



Through this RFP, AECI is requesting Proposals for 100 MW to 500 MW of firm electric generation capacity and associated energy from dispatchable generation resources with firm physical delivery to the AECI transmission system. AECI plans to develop a portfolio of generation resources with reliability characteristics and capabilities to meet its member-owners’ power supply needs, which includes managing long-duration peak excursions during extreme weather conditions. These requirements will ensure that AECI’s member-owners will receive the full benefits of the proposed resources. AECI is also considering self-build alternatives for new and firm dispatchable capacity resources.

In connection with this RFP, AECI has retained the services of an independent third-party consultant 1898 & Co. (“1898 and Co.”), a part of Burns & McDonnell Engineering Co. Inc., as RFP Manager to support many aspects of the RFP process. However, AECI will evaluate all proposals and make the final decisions at its sole discretion with regards to this RFP. 

AECI will accept proposals for the following technologies: 

  • Combined Cycle 
  • Combustion Turbine 
  • Banks of Aeroderivative Turbines  
  • Banks of Internal Combustion Engines 
  • Long-Duration Battery Energy Storage (stand alone or combined with solar and/or wind) with rated capacity output for a duration of at least 10 hours  
  • Existing Nuclear
  • Other commercially viable resources:
    • Pumped hydro
    • Biomass/Biogas, Landfill Gas etc.
    • Other long duration, commercially viable storage technologies

At this time, AECI is interested in dispatchable capacity and energy resources with a contract term, or expected useful life, of no less than 5 years beginning in December 2028.

Proposals will be accepted for Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) sourced from physical generating resources, Existing Asset Purchase Agreements (EAPA) for existing assets and Build Transfer Agreements (BTA) for new constructed projects that can physically deliver the energy to the AECI transmission system. Proposals for virtual PPAs and/or financial offers for capacity and energy not backed by physical generation resources with real energy deliverability will not be accepted. 

The generation resource being offered by prospective respondents should preferably be located within AECI’s control area with the availability of Network Integration Transmission Service to deliver to AECI load. Proposals for resources located outside AECI’s system must also include firm transmission to the AECI system, to be coupled with AECI Network Integration Transmission Service to AECI load. Respondents will be responsible for procuring the necessary transmission rights to deliver the power to AECI’s transmission system.

If new generation resources are being offered by prospective respondents in any proposal, then those proposals that must provide evidence of a mature request for generator interconnection and the requisite requests for firm transmission to AECI’s systems to be in service by end of 2028.

To access the full information regarding this RFP on this website, interested parties must first register by providing the requested information and an e-mail address. This e-mail address will be the registered e-mail address of the interested party and will be used by AECI to communicate information regarding this RFP with them. Once the e-mail address is verified, interested parties will have access to the “Download CNDA” tab at the top corner of this website.

Interested parties must sign the CNDA that is available to download from the RFP Website. If interested parties plan to include any partners (Partners) in their Proposals, then it is their responsibility to include any relevant Partners as part of this CNDA. Upon signing the CNDA, interested parties must upload the signed CNDA in the “Signed CNDA” folder under the “Submit CNDA” tab of the RFP Website utilizing the Add Document functionality. Upon receipt, AECI will execute and upload a copy of the fully executed CNDA in the “Executed CNDA” folder. Respondents can then download the executed CNDA from the RFP Website at their convenience for their records.

Prospective respondents are required to execute the CNDA (Confidential Non-Disclosure Agreement) by May 24, 2024 at 5:00 PM available on the RFP Website prior to receiving access to the RFP documents. AECI encourages prospective respondents to sign the CNDA as is it exists, however, should respondents request minor redlines to the CNDA, AECI will review the proposed changes and respond accordingly.  

Once the interested parties have submitted the executed Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreement (CNDA), they will then have access to navigate to the other tabs of this website. It is recommended that they first navigate to the ‘Download RFP’ tab to collect all available documents pertaining to this RFP.

Prospective respondents can submit any questions related to the RFP here on this website within the “Submit Questions” tab. AECI plans to respond to all questions received from registered respondents who have submitted an executed CNDA via e-mail to their registered e-mail address. Answers will also be available on the “FAQ” tab of the website.