Northeast Texas Electric Cooperative Inc. launched a reverse request for proposals, or RFP, to sell its 5.86% undivided ownership interest in the Dolet Hills power plant, in DeSoto Parish, La.

The offered electric capacity totals to 37.6 MW in the lignite-fired electric generating unit, according to the RFP, issued Feb. 20.

Interested bidders may submit a standard response forms by March 16. Parties who submitted a standard response form will be contacted by GDS Associates Inc. to initiate the joint review and acceptance of the non-disclosure agreement which will be signed by March 23.

The 641-MW Dolet Hills plant is operated by Cleco Power LLC, which also owns a 50% interest. American Electric Power Co. Inc. subsidiary Southwestern Electric Power Co. owns about a 40% interest in the power plant and also owns the nearby lignite mine that supplies fuel to the plant. The final owner, with a 3.91% interest, is the Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority.

North Texas is an electric generation and transmission cooperative headquartered in Longview, Texas, and is made up of distribution cooperatives Bowie-Cass Electric Cooperative Inc., Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative Inc., Jasper-Newton Electric Cooperative Inc., Panola-Harrison Electric Cooperative Inc., Sam Houston Electric Cooperative Inc. and Upshur Rural Electric Cooperative Corp.

The co-op said it is selling the Dolet Hills interest because its resources, which include ownership interests in other lignite and gas-fired plants and power purchase agreements for wind and hydroelectric resources, exceed its total load requirements. The plant is located in the Midcontinent ISO market and can also sell into the Southwest Power Pool market.

The RFP engineering consultant is Christopher Dawson at GDS Associates, who can be reached by email at chris.dawson@gdsassociates.com.