The company's Carolinas service area is growing by 25,000 to 30,000 new households and businesses every year.

Investing in renewable energy technologies is a critical part of the company's balanced solution for the future. The strategy also includes increased energy efficiency (with numerous programs and initiatives already under way) and state-of-the-art power plants.

"We are continuously looking for newer, cleaner ways to produce electricity, and renewable energy will play an increasingly important role in meeting our customers' future needs," said Lloyd Yates, president and CEO- Progress Energy Carolinas.

"We will meet that responsibility while continuing to ensure that the system our customers depend on remains reliable, affordable and environmentally sound."

Progress Energy worked with policy makers, environmental organizations, and industry and consumer groups to develop a comprehensive energy policy for North Carolina. The legislation, adopted this year, requires Progress Energy Carolinas and other investor-owned utilities in the state to provide 12.5 percent of energy sales in the state through renewable energy sources and energy efficiency by 2021. Progress Energy Carolinas is developing and implementing a number of energy-efficiency programs and initiatives as part of the company's goal of doubling systemwide energy efficiency to 2,000 megawatts in the next 10 years. (For more information on the company's energy-efficiency programs go to savethewatts.com .)

About the request for proposals

Progress Energy Carolinas is seeking proposals for energy and capacity from renewable resources placed in service Jan. 1, 2007, or later (to ensure compliance with state law). The company expects to purchase up to 1 million megawatt-hours of renewable energy when the initial phase of the state renewable standard takes effect in 2012.

Specifically, the company is requesting bids for capacity and energy from solar photovoltaic (PV) or solar thermal projects of greater than 50 kilowatts and from non-solar generators of more than 5 megawatts. The latter category includes such technologies as wind, hydropower, geothermal, ocean current/wave energy, biomass (agricultural waste, spent pulping liquors, energy crops, etc.), landfill methane or hydrogen derived from a renewable resource.

Reflecting specific provisions of the state's energy law, priority will be given to proposals involving solar resources that will be in service by Jan. 1, 2010, and to projects fueled by swine or poultry litter.

The request for proposals, including information on the process for submission, can be viewed in its entirety here.

The request for renewable proposals is open-ended, but the company will announce certain deadlines to meet resource planning needs in the future.

The first deadline for renewable proposals to be considered in the next round of resource planning is Jan. 1, 2008. Bidders responding by that date will be notified by April 30, 2008, of Progress Energy Carolinas' intent to enter further discussions.

Progress Energy Carolinas will evaluate proposals and information to identify viable opportunities. Priority will be given to the projects meeting the criteria listed above, but other renewable suppliers are encouraged to review the request for proposals as well. In the near future, Progress Energy will announce a process for evaluating smaller proposals (ones that do not meet the initial criteria). The request for renewable proposals announced today provides an opportunity for prospective producers to get on a mailing list to ensure they receive information about subsequent opportunities.

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