Efficiency Bid®
MidAmerican Energy's EnergyAdvantage® Efficiency Bid program allows industrial customers to determine the rebate they need to implement an energy efficiency project by bidding for rebate funds. Bids can be submitted directly by you, or by qualified Program Partners, on behalf of a qualifying MidAmerican Energy customer.
Customers will compete for energy efficiency funds, which will be awarded based on MidAmerican Energy's evaluation of each bid.
Here's How the Program Works
Quarterly, MidAmerican Energy will issue a Request for Proposal from customers or vendors to provide energy efficiency projects. A copy of the RFP is available below.
This program is available to all industrial customers with 1MW or greater of electrical demand. In order to receive rebates for projects that save natural gas, qualifying customers must purchase natural gas from MidAmerican Energy on a retail tariff. Qualifying customers that transport gas through MidAmerican Energy's distribution system cannot receive rebates for projects that save natural gas.
Customers or vendors respond to the RFP by preparing a bid, which states how much energy savings the project will yield and how much rebate money is required for the project. An application form and program guidelines are available below.
Assistance with preparing bids will be available upon request.
Bidders will have 60 days to complete and deliver the bid to MidAmerican Energy. The proposals will be evaluated on a number of criteria. Winning bidders will be notified 60 days after the bid closing date.
Eligible Equipment
Qualifying measures include, but are not limited to, those measures described in our other commercial/industrial programs.
Brochure
Learn more about the Efficiency Bid program by viewing the
program brochure. You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader on your hard drive to view PDF files. Download a free copy by visiting the
Adobe Download Site.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What if our project completion date is beyond the required date published in the guidelines?
- If critical to a successful project, MidAmerican Energy is willing to negotiate a new completion date deadline with the customer.
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Do you ever reduce the amount we bid for?
- No, unless your project is the last project to be funded and there aren't enough funds in the rebate pool to cover your bid request. In that instance, you will be notified of the amount that MidAmerican Energy is able to offer you in that bid round. If you choose to wait to resubmit in the next bid cycle or utilize other MidAmerican Energy programs, rather than accepting the remaining rebate funds, the funds will carry over to the next bid cycle.
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How do we determine energy savings?
- The energy consumption of the existing equipment must be detailed, in addition to the expected energy consumption of the proposed equipment. The difference between the two is the energy savings. This link provides detailed general calculation guidelines for performing savings calculations. If you need help in performing these calculations, call the Efficiency Bid Program Administrator at 608-246-0535.
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What if we end up not doing a project?
- If for some reason your company cancels a project for which you were awarded an rebate, you are to notify MidAmerican Energy in writing. At that time, the rebate funds will be returned to the program rebate pool during the next bid cycle.
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Am I limited to the number of bids I can submit?
- No, some customers do projects in phases spread out over multiple bid cycles.
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Are projects bought down to a two-year payback?
- No, you determine the rebate level depending upon your need to improve the project's payback. The rebate may bring the payback down below two years.
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How long after the submittal deadline will we find out if we had a successful bid?
- MidAmerican Energy will release award notifications as soon as possible – not to exceed 60 days – after the submittal deadline.
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How much will bids be penalized for being speculative?
- Bids are initially screened in four categories, one of which is the degree to which measures have been finalized. Speculative bids, in which measures may not have been finalized, will score lower in this category.
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If our bid isn't selected, will we get feedback to improve it for the next round?
- Yes, the Efficiency Bid Program Administrator will, at your request, schedule a feedback session to explain areas where the bid scored well and areas where the bid scored lower.
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If we submit a bid and it isn't awarded a rebate, does our bid automatically get added to the next round?
- No, you must resubmit your bid during the next round.
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Do my projects have to have peak demand savings?
- Projects that contribute to the reduction in MidAmerican Energy's system peak will score higher in the cost-effectiveness test than those that do not affect system peak.
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What is the peak period?
- The peak period is 4 to 5 p.m. weekdays during the months of June, July, August and September excluding all holidays.
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Why should I participate in the Efficiency Bid program rather than other utility programs?
- Efficiency Bid gives you the opportunity for a greater rebate, but at a greater risk because of the competitive nature of the program. Other utility rebate programs are less risky, but the rebate may not be as high as you would receive under Efficiency Bid.
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What is the rebate payment schedule if we are awarded a rebate for an engineering study?
- Fifty percent of the rebate would be paid upon your submitting a purchase order or signing a contract with the study provider. The second 50 percent would be paid upon submission of a copy of the final report to MidAmerican Energy. MidAmerican Energy reserves the right to adjust this final payment downward if, in its sole opinion, the final report is not of a high professional standard.
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Can we include, as part of a project's installed cost, the cost of preliminary engineering studies currently underway?
- Yes, if the purpose of the study is to help determine the validity of a project that may be implemented in the future, depending, in part, upon the results of the study. Projects where implementation has started are not eligible for this program.
Questions?
Call our representatives at
877-463-2377 or
515-252-6762.
Download Efficiency Bid Slide Presentation
Download Paperwork Description
Download Current PIR
Download Current POR
Download Current RFP
Download Program Manual
Download Standard Program Agreement
Download Sample PIR
Download Sample POR
Download Sample RFP