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In an environment of volatile fossil fuel and electricity prices, renewable and other advanced technologies, such as utility scale wind power, are providing competitive advantages to electricity customers, power plant developers, energy marketers, and electric utilities while mitigating carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to climate change. Deregulation of a large part of the United States' electric power industry has stimulated demand for technologically advanced, environmentally friendly energy solutions but at the same time made those solutions more difficult to implement. Approximately half of the states, including those with retail electric competition as well as those that have at least partially retained the vertically integrated utility model, have instituted renewable portfolio standards. Many of these states, as well as other states, have also instituted competitive bidding processes for renewable energy resources as well as for power supplies of all types under long-term power purchase agreements. NEO assists purchasers, state energy offices and state regulatory commissions in the procurement of electricity products under formal and informal competitive bidding processes. NEO has performed the following roles in competitive procurements:
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