(1) At a minimum, a utility's RFP ranking criteria must recognize resource cost, market-volatility risks, demand-side resource uncertainties and benefits, resource dispatchability, resource effect on system operation, credit and financial risks to the utility, the risks imposed on ratepayers, public policies regarding resource preference, and Washington state or federal government requirements. The ranking criteria must recognize differences in relative amounts of risk and benefit inherent among different technologies, fuel sources, financing arrangements, and contract provisions, including risks and benefits to vulnerable populations and highly impacted communities. The ranking criteria must also be consistent with the avoided cost methodology developed in the IRP the utility uses to support its determination of its resource need. The utility must consider the value of any additional net benefits that are not directly related to the specific need requested.

(2) In choosing to remove a bid during any stage of its evaluation process, the utility may not base its decision solely on the project's ability to only meet a portion of the resource need.

(3) The utility may not discriminate based on a bidder's ownership structure in the ranking process.

(4) The utility and any independent evaluator selected by the utility will each score and rank the qualifying bids using the RFP's ranking criteria and methodology. If bids include unexpected content, the utility may modify the ranking criteria but must notify all bidders of the change, describe the change, and provide an opportunity for bidders to modify their bids.

(5) Within thirty days after the close of the bidding period, the utility must post on its public website a summary of each bid the utility has received. Where use of confidential data prohibits the utility from identifying specifics of a bid, a generic but complete description is sufficient.

(6) The utility may reject any bids that do not comply with the minimum requirements of the RFP or identify the costs of complying with environmental, public health, or other laws, rules, and regulations in effect at the time of the bid.

(7) Within thirty days after executing an agreement for acquisition of a resource, the utility must file the executed agreement and supporting documents with the commission.

(8) The commission may review any acquisitions resulting from the RFP process in the utility's general rate case or other cost recovery proceeding.

(9) The commission will review, as appropriate, a utility's finding that no proposal adequately serves ratepayers' interests, together with evidence filed in support of any acquisition made outside of the RFP process, in the utility's general rate case or other cost recovery proceeding.