Step 1: Submit a Show of Interest (SOI)New resources that want to participate in the Forward Capacity Market (FCM) must submit documentation demonstrating the resource’s ability to operate at a specific megawatt value for the relevant capacity commitment period (CCP). 黑料网 evaluates this information to confirm capacity.
The first step in qualifying a new resource is submitting a New Capacity Show of Interest (SOI) form with project information via the Forward Capacity Tracking System (FCTS). The following video will walk you through how to submit an SOI:
The following video will walk you through how to submit an SOI for incremental increases of existing demand capacity resources:
Regarding substitution auction participation: Beginning with the February 2019 Forward Capacity Auction (FCA), new renewable, clean, zero carbon, or alternative resources that receive revenue from a government-regulated rate, charge, or other regulated cost-recovery mechanism outside of ISO markets (sponsored policy resources) can elect to participate in a substitution auction. Be aware that some of the deadlines overlap with those for the primary auction. See the FCM Substitution Auction Overview and Timeline and Supply Participation in the FCM Substitution Auction for details.
Demand capacity resources that submitted an SOI in the last qualification cycle but withdrew, didn’t clear, or only partially cleared can reuse the information in that SOI. See the carryover instructions.
An SOI can be submitted for these resources:
There are three types of new demand capacity resources:
The SOI is due approximately nine months before the FCA. Check the dates for the SOI submission window in the appropriate FCA calendar. (Learn how to access the auction calendars.)
When the SOI window is open, project sponsors can enter an SOI application via the Forward Capacity Tracking System (FCTS). A digital certificate is required to access FCTS. Your security administrator for the ISO’s Customer and Assets Management System (CAMS) can provide this.
To submit the SOI:
The SOI for demand capacity resources requests information including, but not limited to, the following:
Note: A project sponsor may request that the ISO waive the submission of any information not required for evaluation of a project otherwise to be included in the SOI (see below).
In some cases, a new resource can reuse a previously submitted show of interest (SOI) using the carryover functionality in the Forward Capacity Tracking System (FCTS)
You can reuse an SOI using the carryover functionality in the FCTS for a project if the following are true:
The project name and ID from the previous CCP will be retained when using the carryover functionality in the FCTS. Updates to a carried-over SOI are permitted as long the SOI window is still open.
Please note that elections (e.g., renewable technology resource treatment) do not carry over and will need to be made again on the SOI that is carried over. Energy efficiency resources that are carrying over an SOI will not be allowed to change their requested megawatts between the time of the SOI and new capacity qualification package submission.
The following video will walk you through how to submit an SOI using the FCTS carryover functionality:
When using the FCTS carryover functionality to submit an SOI, carefully review the resulting SOI form to ensure it is up to date. Failure to meet any new submission requirements or properly update any previously submitted data may result in rejection of your proposal.
With each show of interest (SOI), the project sponsor must submit a refundable qualification process cost reimbursement deposit (QPCRD). The deposit is used for costs the ISO and its consultants incur, including affected transmission owners’ documented and reasonably incurred costs associated with the qualification process.
Use the appropriate form available on the Financial Assurance and Credit page to set up payment for the QPCRD.
For the amount required, see the table in Market Rule 1, Section III.13.1.9.3, Qualification Process Cost Reimbursement Deposit.
The QPCRD is billed as a line item on the Non-Hourly invoice issued by the ISO typically in May after the close of the SOI window. If payment is not received by the ISO by the invoice due date, the project will be withdrawn.
When a lead market participant only has one remaining project active in the FCA qualification process, the remaining balance of the QPCRD is returned under the following conditions:
All returns will be processed during the annual QPCRD true-up.
The new capacity qualification package (NCQP) is the next major submittal after the show of interest (SOI) application.
The NCQP is a set of data, forms, applicable supporting documents, and elections that collectively demonstrate the viability of a project.
For new demand capacity resources, the NCQP consists of the following major components:
The NCQP must be submitted in June four years before the beginning of the capacity commitment period. The submission window opens on the deadline for existing capacity qualification. For the specific window dates, learn how to access the auction calendars.
The NCQP must be submitted through the Forward Capacity Tracking System (FCTS). The ISO will not accept any submittal via email.
Screenshots with detailed instructions can be found in the “New Capacity Qualification Package” training modules available on the Training Materials webpage. The following video will walk you through how to submit a NCQP:
The project sponsor must complete each component of the NCQP as applicable. Once the documentation is submitted, the ISO may consult with the project sponsor to seek clarification, to gather additional necessary information, or to address questions or concerns that arise from the material submitted.
The information requested in the NCQP depends on your resource type. This information may include, but is not limited to, the following:
The following plan forms can be found on the FCM webpage:
System Planning uses the M&V plan to evaluate whether claimed energy reductions from projects are additional and verifiable. M&V plans must be submitted for all new on-peak and seasonal-peak demand capacity resources, and participants have the option of updating their plans once resources reach commercial operation. M&V updates are required if a resource changes its demand capacity resource type or methodological approach to M&V.
The M&V plan documents the following project components:
The ISO will contact the project sponsors of resources that include either solar photvoltaic (PV) or energy storage technologies after the close of the NCQP window with an additional, optional data request. The Additional Data Request for PV and Storage Demand Capacity Resources form can be accessed here.聽The data provided in this form will support the ISO’s qualification efforts.
New demand capacity resources requesting to submit offers below the relevant聽offer review trigger price (ORTP) must also submit with their NCQP sufficient documentation and information to permit the Internal Market Monitor to perform its review (details below). Recommended documents include, but are not limited to, the following:
The Internal Market Monitor (IMM) is responsible for ensuring the competitiveness of the FCM and other 黑料网 markets through the following activities:
In the FCM, mitigation is performed by these actions:
ORTPs are the default values applied to capacity seeking to participate in the upcoming auction, which the IMM sets at the lower end of the competitive range for a particular technology type.
An ORTP is assigned to a new capacity resource during the show of interest process. During the FCA, the ISO removes the resource’s offered quantity of megawatts once the threshold price has been reached. However, a market participant has the option of requesting a lower offer floor price by submitting documentation indicating why the new capacity resource requires less compensation from the FCM than resources of a similar category. (Recommended documentation is noted above.)
The IMM will review market participant requests for an offer floor price below the ORTP and all associated documentation to determine if the requested value is a more accurate representation of the resource’s costs. The IMM may accept the requested lower value. However, if the IMM determines that the submission does not contain adequate information to support a price lower than the ORTP, the IMM will mitigate the offer up, capping the value at the ORTP. If the IMM determines that the requested value is not reflective of the resource’s true costs, the IMM will mitigate the offer to a price reflective of market conditions.
The qualification determination notification (QDN) provides the final offer floor price after IMM review and any mitigation, accessible in the FCTS along with an explanation for why the resource was mitigated, if applicable.
As part of the new resource qualification process, active demand capacity resources will be subjected to an overlapping interconnection impact analysis.
The overlapping impact analysis helps the ISO determine if a proposed active demand capacity resource provides incremental capacity to the system in a manner that meets the Capacity Capability Interconnection Standard (CCIS).
Section 5.8.1 of ISO Planning Procedure No. 10, Planning Procedure to Support the Forward Capacity Market (PP 10) describes the methodology:
See Section 5.8.4 of PP 10 for more information.
Any violations identified through these assessments that result in denying qualification for the FCA will be listed in the qualification determination notification (QDN) of the resource, accessible in the Forward Capacity Tracking System (FCTS).
To find out whether your resource is accepted for participation in the Forward Capacity Auction (FCA), check your qualification-determination notification. Project sponsors can access these notifications through the Forward Capacity Tracking System (FCTS) no later than 127 days before the FCA.
If your resource was not accepted, the notification will explain why.
If your resource was accepted, the notification will include the following information:
Project sponsors for on-peak demand resources may elect to have the qualified capacity of their resource participate in primary auctions as a renewable technology resource (RTR). A designated amount of megawatts from RTRs are exempt from the minimum offer floor price requirement in each capacity commitment period (CCP). RTR treatment is only applicable for Forward Capacity Auctions 17 and 18 for the 2026–2027 CCP and 2027–2028 CCP, respectively.
To participate as an RTR, the resource must elect RTR treatment and qualify as a sponsored policy resource. A sponsored policy resource is a new capacity resource that meets the following criteria:
The FCA qualified capacity of a resource associated with an RTR election is subject to proration when the FCA qualified capacity of all resources associated with an RTR election exceeds the available capacity for RTR treatment assigned to the relevant CCP. In such cases, only the RTR prorated FCA qualified capacity participates in the primary auction. For example, if
RTR proration does not apply to the qualified capacity of supply offers participating in the Substitution Auction.
The RTR election must be made through the under the New Qualification Elections tab. There, the project sponsor shall submit the RTR election form and supporting documentation demonstrating that the resource meets each of the eligibility criteria noted above. Required information specified in the RTR election form includes:
The election form can be found in FCM Materials under FCM Forms and Guides.
A composite offer allows capacity resources that have each received a qualified capacity value to participate together to maximize their combined offer in a Forward Capacity Auction (FCA).
Composite offers can be submitted during the composite offer window for the desired FCA. (Learn how to access the auction calendars.) Composite offers can be modified or withdrawn in the Forward Capacity Tracking System (FCTS) until the composite-offer deadline.
Throughout the composite offer submittal process, the FCTS will enforce various validation rules on partner eligibility:
Composite offers are submitted into the FCTS by selecting a specific new or existing resource. For new resources, select the New Qualification tab, then the Composite Offer tab:
For existing resources, select the Existing Qualification tab, then the Composite Offer tab:
The project sponsors for the summer and winter resources must then cooperate to complete the following steps by the deadline. Composite offers submitted after the deadline will not be considered in the FCA. Please note:
FCTS Actions Required by Each Partner |
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Summer resource |
Winter resource |
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Initiate the composite offer in the FCTS. The Composite Offer Status will display as “Pending.” Ask your winter partner to act. |
1 |
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2 |
Designate the winter resource to the composite offer. Status remains “Pending.” Ask your summer partner to act. |
Submit the composite offer. Status displays “Confirmed.” Ask your winter partner to act. |
3 |
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Verify submission: Composite Offer Status should display “Confirmed” and both participating resources should appear under Winter Resource Information (MW). If they don’t, contact Participant Support. |
4 |
Verify submission: Composite Offer Status should display “Confirmed” under the Composite Offer Winter Resource Details window. If it doesn’t, Step 3 has not been completed. Ask your summer partner to act. |
Only the summer resource partner in a composite offer should bid in an FCA. Both resources do not need to bid individually.
Forward Capacity Auction Qualified Capacity (FCA QC) is the amount of megawatts, as determined in the qualification process, that a resource is capable of providing in the summer and winter during a specific capacity commitment period. Resources must pay financial assurance based on their FCA QC.
Your FCA QC is available in the Forward Capacity Tracking System (FCTS).
Learn about qualified capacity for reconfiguration auctions and capacity supply obligation bilateral periods.
New capacity resources are responsible for posting financial assurance on their Forward Capacity Auction qualified capacity.
Use the appropriate form available on the Financial Assurance and Credit page to set up financial assurance payments.
Check the due date in the auction calendars. (Learn how to access the auction calendars.)
A new capacity resource that has been qualified to participate in a Forward Capacity Auction (FCA) for a given capacity commitment period (CCP) may elect critical path schedule (CPS) monitoring. CPS monitoring ensures the following for the resource:
This CPS monitoring election is an annual election made by new capacity resources before the FCA. Check the due date in the auction calendars. (Learn how to access the auction calendars.)
Once made, this election is irrevocable. A change in the CPS milestones may result in a change in eligibility to participate in earlier CCPs’ reconfiguration auctions.
The election must be made through the Forward Capacity Tracking System (FCTS) under the New Qualification Elections tab during the CPS monitoring election window. As you make the election, you will be required to provide an update to the CPS submitted as part of the new capacity qualification package.
Forward Capacity Market participants should become familiar with the ISO’s market settlement and billing processes. See the FCM Settlements and Billing page for helpful resources.
