MidAmerican Energy Company

MidAmerican’s EnergyAdvantage Efficiency Bid program allows industrial customers to determine the incentive they need to implement an energy efficiency project by bidding for incentive funds. Bids can be submitted directly by you, or by qualified Program Partners, on behalf of a qualifying MidAmerican customer.

Customers will compete for energy efficiency funds, which will be awarded based on MidAmerican's evaluation of each bid.

Here's How the Program Works
Twice each year, MidAmerican 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 3MW or greater of electrical demand. In order to receive incentives for projects that save natural gas, qualifying customers must purchase gas from MidAmerican on a retail tariff. Qualifying customers that transport gas through MidAmerican's distribution system cannot receive incentives 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 incentive 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. 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if our project completion date is beyond the required date published in the guidelines?
If critical to a successful project, MidAmerican is willing to negotiate a new completion date deadline with the customer.
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 incentive pool to cover your bid request. In that instance, you will be notified of the amount that MidAmerican 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 programs, rather than accepting the remaining incentive funds, the funds will carry over to the next bid cycle.
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.
What if we end up not doing a project?
If for some reason your company cancels a project for which you were awarded an incentive, you are to notify MidAmerican in writing. At that time, the incentive funds will be returned to the program incentive pool during the next bid cycle.
Am I limited to the number of bids I can submit?
No, but each customer can receive incentives totaling no more than 25 percent of the incentive pool per bidding round, so this may limit the number of bids that are awarded incentives.
Are projects bought down to a two-year payback?
No, you determine the incentive level depending upon your need to improve the project's payback. The incentive may bring the payback down below two years.
How long after the submittal deadline will we find out if we had a successful bid?
MidAmerican will release award notifications as soon as possible–not to exceed 60 days–after the submittal deadline.
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.
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.
If we submit a bid and it isn't awarded an incentive, does our bid automatically get added to the next round?
No, you must resubmit your bid during the next round.
Can we have financing as part of what we ask for in terms of an incentive?
Yes, MidAmerican can work out a financing deal to provide low-interest financing. However, your bid should be submitted asking for a cash incentive. Then all or a portion of that incentive can be applied to an interest-rate buy down or to offset other costs of financing.
Do my projects have to have peak demand savings?
Projects that contribute to the reduction in MidAmerican's system peak will score higher in the cost-effectiveness test than those that do not affect system peak.
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.
Why should I participate in the Efficiency Bid program rather than other utility programs?
Efficiency Bid gives you the opportunity for a greater incentive, but at a greater risk because of the competitive nature of the program. Other utility incentive programs are less risky, but the incentive may not be as high as you would receive under Efficiency Bid.
What is the incentive payment schedule if we are awarded an incentive for an engineering study?
Fifty percent of the incentive 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. MidAmerican reserves the right to adjust this final payment downward if, in its sole opinion, the final report is not of a high professional standard.
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.

Any Questions?
Just call our representative at 877-463-2377 or 515-252-6762 outside Iowa.

Download Efficiency Bid Slide Presentation
Download Paperwork Description
Download Current PIR
Download Current POR
Download Current RFP
Download Program Manual
Download Sample PIR
Download Sample POR
Download Sample RFP