Commercial Energy RFP Process Guide for Ohio Businesses

Purpose of an energy RFP

A request for proposal (RFP) forces multiple retail electric suppliers to price the same load package under the same rules. Without that discipline, you collect anecdotes—not a market test.

This guide is for Ohio commercial and industrial buyers shopping supply while remaining on utility delivery. Rules context: PUCO. Wholesale backdrop: PJM.

Step 1 — Build the data package

Minimum contents:

• Legal entity name and tax ID as suppliers require
• Utility account numbers and service addresses
• 12–24 months kWh (monthly) and peak kW
• Interval data if available (especially larger peak classes)
• Current contract end date and termination provisions
• Credit contact for supplier underwriting
• Known operational changes (expansion, shift add, site closure)

Bill literacy: How to read a commercial energy bill.

Load package quality checklist

Item	Good	Weak
History	12–24 complete months	Spotty PDFs, missing peaks
Peaks	kW on every bill or interval	kWh only
Sites	Full meter list by utility	"About 12 locations"
Timing	Clear start date window	ASAP with no context

Step 2 — Define product and risk instructions

Tell suppliers exactly what to price:

Product	Best when
Fixed full-requirements	Budget certainty is primary
Index / block-and-index	You can tolerate volatility for potential upside
Hybrid	Mixed objectives by volume block

Also specify:

• Term length (e.g., 12 / 24 / 36 months)
• Bandwidth / swing tolerance
• Whether renewable adders are optional
• Pass-through list you will accept
• Bid due date (date, time, timezone)

Decision aid: Fixed vs variable rates.

Step 3 — Choose the supplier set

Invite multiple certified suppliers with appetite for your size and utility territory. Too few bidders softens competition; an unfocused blast to everyone creates noise without better prices.

Segment packages when accounts span multiple utilities (example: Duke Energy Ohio + AEP Ohio). Territory guides: Utility regions.

Step 4 — Run the process (sealed RFP vs reverse auction)

Both can work:

• Sealed RFP — strong documentation, complex loads, multi-product options
• Reverse auction — fast price discovery when the product is simple and data is clean

Pick based on load complexity—not vendor theater. The operational goal is identical: comparable offers under one rule set.

Step 5 — Normalize bids into one grid

Convert every offer into columns you can defend to leadership:

1. Term (months) and start date
2. Price (¢/kWh)
3. Broker fee included? Amount in ¢/kWh or $
4. Product type (fixed / index / hybrid)
5. Bandwidth / swing
6. Pass-through list
7. Early termination formula
8. Credit contingencies
9. Estimated term cost under base / high / low volume cases

Fee transparency: Understanding broker fees.

Worked comparison sketch (illustrative)

Assume 1,000,000 kWh/year, 24-month fixed:

Bid	Headline ¢/kWh	Broker adder noted	Est. annual generation
A	6.70	0.10¢ embedded	$67,000
B	6.65	0.25¢ embedded	$66,500 on paper—but naked may differ
C	6.55 naked + $4,000/yr fee	Fee outside kWh	$65,500 + $4,000 = $69,500

The lesson: headline ¢/kWh without fee and risk columns is not a decision tool.

Step 6 — Award and contract review

Select on risk-adjusted fit, not the single lowest teaser rate. Read exhibits for:

• Bandwidth penalties
• Material change / facility closure language
• Change-in-law pass-throughs
• Automatic renewal clauses
• Payment terms and credit support

Step 7 — Enrollment and post-award

• Track utility confirmation of supplier switch
• Validate first bill under new supplier (supply vs delivery)
• Calendar the next RFP window 6–9 months early on larger loads
• Document lessons for multi-site rollouts

Common failure modes

1. Pricing delivery + supply against supply-only offers
2. Ignoring demand peaks and load factor
3. Signing before credit approval
4. Incomplete multi-site meter lists
5. Letting a contract auto-renew without a market check
6. Single-supplier "exclusive" deals with no competition

Industry-specific notes

• Manufacturing — interval data and demand
• Cold storage — high load factor refrigeration
• Property management — master vs unit meters
• Restaurants — thin margins, weather peaks

Next step

Upload bills so the load package is accurate before suppliers price, or contact us.

Meter spreadsheet columns that matter — energy rfp process guide

For energy rfp process guide, apply these research-backed operating practices:

After enrollment, audit the first bill for supply versus delivery accuracy and archive the utility confirmation.

Set renewal reminders 6 to 9 months early for large loads to avoid forced last-minute acceptances.

Illustrative volume anchor used on this page only: about 1,000,000 kWh/year context. If trailing peak exceeds average by roughly 45%, demand literacy is not optional.

Interview operations before finance freezes a target rate; peaks are created on the floor, not in the accounting system.

Canonical process pages (linked, not copied): RFP process, bill reading, broker fees, fixed vs variable.

Post-enrollment validation steps — energy rfp process guide

For energy rfp process guide, apply these research-backed operating practices:

Read bandwidth, early termination, change-in-law, and auto-renewal language before signature—not after a dispute.

Send credit contacts early on industrial and multi-site packages; underwriting delays kill otherwise good market timing.

Illustrative volume anchor used on this page only: about 1,300,000 kWh/year context. If trailing peak exceeds average by roughly 38%, demand literacy is not optional.

Present offers with equalized fees, bandwidth, and pass-through assumptions; headline cents alone mislead executives.

Canonical process pages (linked, not copied): RFP process, bill reading, broker fees, fixed vs variable.

Renewal calendar discipline — energy rfp process guide

For energy rfp process guide, apply these research-backed operating practices:

Send credit contacts early on industrial and multi-site packages; underwriting delays kill otherwise good market timing.

Interview operations before finance freezes a target rate; peaks are created on the floor, not in the accounting system.

Illustrative volume anchor used on this page only: about 750,000 kWh/year context. If trailing peak exceeds average by roughly 38%, demand literacy is not optional.

Never average unlike utilities into one statewide cents-per-kWh goal; split packages by delivery utility.

Canonical process pages (linked, not copied): RFP process, bill reading, broker fees, fixed vs variable.

Capacity and high-BRA market conditions

After elevated PJM BRA outcomes (industry-reported clearing near $269.92/MW-day for June 1, 2025 – May 31, 2026, versus prior ~$28.92/MW-day), treat capacity language as a first-class bid column.

Column	Why
Capacity treatment by delivery year	Fixed into ¢/kWh vs pass-through
Change-in-law / regulatory	Who holds future rule shifts
Credit / collateral	Thin books withdraw when markets tighten
Multi-utility split	Do not blend utilities silently

If a supplier will not complete the capacity column, do not award on a verbal energy rate alone.

Multi-site authority and enrollment

Include entity docs suppliers require, meter lists reconciled to bills, and named signers. PUCO certifies power brokers who arrange retail generation without necessarily taking title to power. See PUCO CRES resources.

Scoring rubric (example weights)

Adjust to your governance:

• Price after disclosed fees — 40%
• Contract risk (bandwidth, drop, pass-throughs) — 25%
• Credit and service — 20%
• Product fit to operations — 15%

Document the winner against the rubric so the next renewal is not tribal knowledge.

Capacity and high-BRA market conditions

After elevated PJM BRA outcomes (industry-reported clearing near $269.92/MW-day for June 1, 2025 – May 31, 2026, versus prior ~$28.92/MW-day), treat capacity language as a first-class bid column.

Column	Why
Capacity treatment by delivery year	Fixed into ¢/kWh vs pass-through
Change-in-law / regulatory	Who holds future rule shifts
Credit / collateral	Thin books withdraw when markets tighten
Multi-utility split	Do not blend utilities silently

If a supplier will not complete the capacity column, do not award on a verbal energy rate alone.

Multi-site authority and enrollment

Include entity docs suppliers require, meter lists reconciled to bills, and named signers. PUCO certifies power brokers who arrange retail generation without necessarily taking title to power. See PUCO CRES resources.

Scoring rubric (example weights)

Adjust to your governance:

• Price after disclosed fees — 40%
• Contract risk (bandwidth, drop, pass-throughs) — 25%
• Credit and service — 20%
• Product fit to operations — 15%

Document the winner against the rubric so the next renewal is not tribal knowledge.

Capacity and high-BRA market conditions

After elevated PJM BRA outcomes (industry-reported clearing near $269.92/MW-day for June 1, 2025 – May 31, 2026, versus prior ~$28.92/MW-day), treat capacity language as a first-class bid column.

Column	Why
Capacity treatment by delivery year	Fixed into ¢/kWh vs pass-through
Change-in-law / regulatory	Who holds future rule shifts
Credit / collateral	Thin books withdraw when markets tighten
Multi-utility split	Do not blend utilities silently

If a supplier will not complete the capacity column, do not award on a verbal energy rate alone.

Multi-site authority and enrollment

Include entity docs suppliers require, meter lists reconciled to bills, and named signers. PUCO certifies power brokers who arrange retail generation without necessarily taking title to power. See PUCO CRES resources.

Scoring rubric (example weights)

Adjust to your governance:

• Price after disclosed fees — 40%
• Contract risk (bandwidth, drop, pass-throughs) — 25%
• Credit and service — 20%
• Product fit to operations — 15%

Document the winner against the rubric so the next renewal is not tribal knowledge.