By Bryan Manabat
[email protected]
Variety News Staff
THE Commonwealth Utilities Corporation is targeting completion of a major solar energy project on Saipan, Tinian and Rota by Dec. 2027 as contract negotiations continue with the selected bidder.
CUC Executive Director Kevin Watson said last week that the utility has issued notices of intent to award and is now working to finalize a contract with the selected company. The contractor’s identity will remain confidential until the agreement is fully executed and approved.
“We sent all the prospective bidders an intent to award,” Watson said, adding that three finalists emerged from the bidding process and that negotiations are underway with the selected bidder.
The project calls for the construction of 53 megawatts of solar generation on Saipan, 11 megawatts on Tinian and 3 megawatts on Rota, along with battery energy storage systems capable of supplying up to four hours of backup power. CUC officials have described the initiative as a key step toward reducing dependence on imported fuel and helping stabilize long-term electricity costs.
Watson said the next step is completing contract negotiations before submitting the agreement to the Commonwealth Public Utilities Commission for review and approval.
“For the next step, we have to complete the contract,” Watson said. “We work with the bidder or the contractor, and then we have to take it to the Public Utilities Commission, and they have to review and approve it to go forward to fully execute the contract.”
Once the contract is fully executed, Watson said, CUC will be able to publicly identify the contractor and provide additional details on the implementation schedule.
The utility previously announced that a notice of intent to award had been issued for the project, which represents the largest renewable energy effort undertaken by CUC to date. Officials have said the solar facilities are expected to offset a significant portion of daytime electricity demand while reducing exposure to volatile fuel costs.
Earlier this year, Watson said the project remained a priority despite financial pressures caused by rising fuel costs. At the time, he noted that CUC was paying about 60 cents per kilowatt-hour for fuel while recovering costs based on a lower rate, putting continued strain on the utility’s finances.
Watson said last week that CUC now expects the project to be completed by December 2027. Earlier discussions had focused primarily on permitting and construction following contract approval.
“No, to be completed by Dec. 2027,” Watson said when asked whether construction would begin in 2027.
If approved, the project would mark a major milestone in the CNMI’s transition to renewable energy, reducing reliance on aging diesel generators and expanding the use of solar power across Saipan, Tinian and Rota. Those objectives were outlined when CUC sought proposals from independent power producers to design, finance, construct, own, operate and maintain utility-scale solar and battery storage systems for the CNMI.
Bryan Manabat was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College where he also studied criminal justice. He is the recipient of the NMI Humanities Award as an Outstanding Teacher (Non-Classroom) in 2013, and has worked for the CNMI Motheread/Fatheread Literacy Program as lead facilitator.
