Navigating Utility-Scale Energy Procurement Just Got Easier

A New NREL Tool Can Help Public and Private Energy Buyers Make Informed, Cost-Effective Decisions

June 24, 2025 | By Emily Mercer | Contact media relations

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For commercial, industrial, academic, and public-sector organizations, navigating large-scale electricity procurement has never been more complex—or more critical.

Developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the Procurement Analysis Tool (PAT) can help energy buyers cut through the complexity with data-driven insights tailored to their needs.

PAT is a web-based platform that supports early-stage planning and screening for off-site electricity procurement. The free tool empowers users to explore and compare utility-scale energy options across the United States. With its guided interface, users don't need to be energy experts to get started.

With NREL's new Procurement Analysis Tool, energy buyers can explore customized, utility-scale electricity options. Graphic by NREL

"Our goal with PAT is to make it easy for organizations to understand their options—whether they're new to the process or have years of experience," said NREL analyst Jeff Cook, who co-led the development of the tool. "Its easy-to-use interface walks users through a series of questions and identifies actionable, cost-informed energy procurement strategies that reflect their operational needs and priorities."

PAT's key features include:

• Scenario planning: Run simulations across multiple sites to compare energy solutions.
• Procurement options: Explore procurement options based on preferred load-serving entities.
• Technology insights: Access data on energy technologies and resource regions. PAT currently includes renewable energy technologies but has the ability to accommodate any energy technology in the future.
• Personalized results: Fine-tune your energy procurement options with filter questions to match your specific goals.
• Downloadable resources: Export resources with technology details for your next steps.

A Planning Edge for Energy Buyers Across the Market

Large-scale electricity procurement can be daunting. For many organizations—especially local governments, public institutions, and commercial buyers—without in-house expertise or technical support, it can be difficult to understand which options are available regionally, what technologies make sense locally, and how different procurement strategies compare.

"While a variety of mature tools are available for analyzing on-site energy options, there are very few tools available to evaluate off-site procurement options," said NREL analyst Sushmita Jena, who co-led the development of the tool. "We built PAT not only to fill this gap but also to be as user-friendly as possible—ensuring it's easy to understand and navigate."

Through a secure, self-service interface, users enter basic information about their facilities and energy use, along with a few key preferences. In return, the tool delivers customized recommendations based on real-world market data and user-specific priorities.

Following its beta release in 2022, the NREL team improved PAT's features based on broad stakeholder input, and the tool is already used by 180+ early adopters across counties, cities, and corporations. Its flexible design supports a wide range of potential users, including:

• Commercial and industrial buyers
• Federal, state, and local governments
• Colleges, universities, and campuses 
• Electric service providers
• Regulators and public utility commissions.

Technical Foundation, Practical Results

PAT integrates several of NREL's best-in-class datasets and modeling platforms, including the Annual Technology Baseline, Renewable Energy Supply Curves, Cambium, and the System Advisor Model. These tools provide the backbone for PAT's regional cost estimates, resource assessments, and performance modeling.

With this technical foundation, PAT enables users to explore practical questions such as:

• What energy procurement options are available in my region?

  PAT shows options like power purchase agreements (PPAs) or utility programs available in a user's location based on utility service areas and market structure.

• How do energy procurement options align with my objectives?

  The tool matches energy options to user priorities such as cost, targets, and technology preferences.

• How do different procurement strategies compare in cost and impact?

  The tool compares costs across technologies and procurement models to support informed decisions.

Try PAT Today—and Attend an Upcoming Webinar To Learn More

PAT is ready to help organizations take their first step toward informed electricity procurement. Visit the PAT website and create a free account to get started.

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