00_RFQ-24-702_Solicitation_Manual_ada.docx

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

Delegate Chief Building Official Services for the Siting, Transmission and Environmental Protection (STEP) Division and the WILLOW ROCK ENERGY CENTER (21-AFC-02)

Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Unit

RFQ-24-702

www.energy.ca.gov/contracts/ State of California California Energy Commission June 2025

Table of Contents

Attachments

1. Contractor Status Form

2. Darfur Contracting

3. DVBE Std. 843 Form

4. Bidder Declaration Form GSPD05-105

5. Contractor Certification Clauses

6. Certification Regarding Conflicts of Interest Form

7. Project Team Minimum Requirements Form

8. Client References Form

9. DCBO Best Management Practices Guide

10. Project List with Project Owner and Power Plant Operator

11. Standard Agreement Example (informational, no form required in Statement of Qualifications)

12. GenAI Disclosure & Factsheet Form

Background Summary The Warren-Alquist Act (Public Resources Code sections 25000 et. seq.) grants the California Energy Commission (CEC) exclusive jurisdiction to regulate the construction, operation, modification and closure of thermal power plants 50 megawatts or greater. To begin the construction or modification process the project owner submits to the CEC either an application for certification (AFC) or a petition to amend (PTA). The CEC’s approval process culminates with the issuance of a final decision (Decision). The Decision utilizes new or amended conditions of certification (COCs) to ensure that the power plant will be constructed, operated, modified, or closed in accordance with all CEC requirements and all applicable laws, ordinances, regulations and standards (LORS). To aid with the construction or amendment process, the CEC’s Siting, Transmission, and Environmental Protection (STEP) Division assigns a Commission Agreement Manager (CAM) to assist CEC staff with monitoring all COC and LORS compliance, including the California Building Standards Code (CBSC).

Many code sections applicable to power plant construction or modification comprise the CBSC, including the California Building Code (CBC). The CBC authorizes and directs a chief building official (CBO) to enforce all CBSC provisions (CBC § 104.1). The CEC functions as the CBO for all jurisdictional power plants, and per the code the CBO can designate a delegate CBO (DCBO) to aid with CBO responsibilities. The DCBOs carry out the design review and construction inspections on behalf of the CEC. The DCBO performs this responsibility through engineering plan and technical specification review, analysis and calculation, on-site inspections for code and LORS compliance, and if applicable, providing a COC-required independent Safety Monitor. The DCBO also works with CEC staff to enforce local building codes, the facility design, geology and transmission system engineering COCs, the storm water pollution prevention plan (SWPPP), and the drainage, erosion, and sediment control plan (DESCP), as well as other applicable project LORS to ensure public health and life/safety.

The COCs are the compliance road map followed by a power plant project team; they define how a project is to proceed to completion and subsequently to begin or resume operation. Additionally, the power plant’s COCs define the various design and construction compliance tasks imposed on a project owner by the CEC. These tasks may involve the performance of work not typically required by other jurisdictional agencies for other construction projects. COCs vary from project to project; the DCBO must understand this and become familiar with the site specific COCs applicable to each project. Although the DCBO’s oversight is instrumental for COC and LORS compliance, the CEC always retains final authority to ensure the project is built accordingly, and the DCBO has no authority to alter or substitute any COCs.

It is the DCBO’s responsibility to ensure design document compliance is achieved by a thorough review of: engineered plans; project specifications; and the design document calculations provided by California-licensed plan review engineers. The DCBO’s lead plan reviewers must have verifiable knowledge and experience reviewing high voltage power generating facility construction documents in California.

Lastly, the owner’s resident engineer (RE) shall monitor the development, progress and quality of submittal for documentation produced by the engineers of record, to include those from engineering companies, suppliers/fabricators and construction companies. The RE shall communicate closely with the DCBO when setting priorities for DCBO document review service and DCBO acceptance of test procedures/protocols for construction purposes. The DCBO shall coordinate with the RE to help minimize project delays.

The DCBOs are also delegated the authority to conduct project site field inspections. In this capacity, the DCBOs will inspect, write corrections if applicable, and eventually approve and document all CBSC-required inspections. This is achieved by providing high quality, and certified lead building inspectors that have verifiable experience performing high voltage power generating facility inspections in California.

A project’s COCs will also require that qualified special inspectors be assigned to oversee work for which applicable LORS require special inspections. The DCBO reviews and approves the project’s special inspection program. This review will ensure that the CBSC’s special inspection requirements are met. The DCBO will review and approve any potential special inspector proposed and will oversee the special inspection program for the life of the resulting contract to ensure all requirements are met.

In addition to plan review and inspection services, the services of a safety monitor may be needed. The safety monitor will be selected by, and report directly to, the DCBO and will be responsible for verifying that the project’s safety supervisor, as required by other COCs, is implementing all Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), better known as Cal/OSHA, and CEC safety requirements. If the project requires a safety monitor, the DCBO shall provide a safety monitor that is certified from a recognized state, national or international organization as a Safety Professional. The safety monitor will be in addition to normal on-site inspection personnel.

CEC staff recognize that power plant construction or modification can be complex, due in part to the fast-track, design-build nature of such projects, and the potential for worksite hazards. This complexity also requires the DCBOs to use their independent judgment to ensure compliance with a vast array of COCs and LORS. Thus, qualified DCBO Firms require a team of uniquely experienced, licensed and certified, professionals with highly technical qualifications specific to high voltage electricity infrastructure. The terms “Firm”, “Contractor” or “DCBO” used in this Request for Qualification (RFQ) all refer to the company or entity submitting a Statement of Qualifications (SOQ).

The WILLOW ROCK ENERGY STORAGE CENTER is located at 8684 Sweetser Road in Rosamond, Kern County. In March 2024, the Applicant filed a Supplemental AFC for the project, changing the location to 88.6 acres of private land immediately north of Dawn Road and between State Route (SR) 14 and Sierra Highway within unincorporated Kern County, California, approximately 4 miles north of Rosamond, California. The new project site is on undeveloped land in an area zoned Limited Agriculture (A-1) District. The area surrounding the project boundary is largely undeveloped with very sparse residential development; the nearest residence is approximately 0.8 mile northwest of the northwest corner of the WRESC site.

WRESC would be a nominal 520-megawatt (MW) gross (500 MW net) and 4,160 megawatt-hour (MWh) gross (4,000 MWh net) facility using Hydrostor, Inc.’s proprietary, advanced compressed air energy storage (A-CAES) technology. The overall facility would consist of four nominal 130 MW (gross) power turbine trains, outputting a total of 500 MW net at the point of interconnection. Each train would contain an electric motor-driven air compressor drivetrain, heat exchangers, an air turbine generator, air exhaust stacks, and ancillary equipment. Each train would share a common set of thermal storage tanks (hot and cold water), as well as the air storage cavern. The WRESC would interconnect to Southern California Edison’s Whirlwind Substation located southwest of the WRESC at the intersection of 170th Street W and Rosamond Boulevard, via a new approximately 19-mile 230-kilovolt (kV) generation-tie (gen-tie) line.

Additional information regarding the specific power generation equipment and linear facilities required for the WILLOW ROCK ENERGY STORAGE CENTER can be found at the WILLOW ROCK ENERGY STORAGE CENTER website at https://www.energy.ca.gov/powerplant/energy-storage-system/willow-rock-energy-storage-center

Purpose of this RFQ The purpose of this RFQ is to initiate a competitive bid process to select a highly qualified DCBO for Willow Rock Energy Center. With the DCBO’s assistance, the Compliance Office can ensure that these projects are completed in accordance with all COCs.

The CEC is seeking one team of technical specialists led by a contractor. A single Firm, and not a group of representatives from different companies, must submit an SOQ as the prime Contractor. The prime contractor will be responsible for all contract administrative duties, analysis, project management, report preparation, quality assurance, graphics support services, direction of team members in all contract provisions, and participation in technical work assignments. The contractor and the team can be from the same pre-existing organization, such as a full-service consultant firm, or they can be from separate organizations (or self-employed) and form a partnership that can successfully work together for purposes of this RFQ.

Key Activities and Dates Key activities including dates and times for this RFQ are presented below. An addendum will be released if the dates change for the asterisked (*) activities.

Available Funding The contract amount between the CEC and the selected DCBO Firm will be zero dollars. The DCBO Firm will be reimbursed through a separate agreement with the Project Owner. The CEC will be an expressly named third-party beneficiary to the agreement between the DCBO Firm and the Project Owner.

Eligible Firms This is an open solicitation for public and private entities. Each agreement resulting from this solicitation includes Terms and Conditions that set forth the Contractor’s rights and responsibilities. The University of California, California State University, or United States Department of Energy (DOE) National Laboratories must use either the standard or the pre-negotiated Terms and Conditions on the Department of General Services Office of Legal Services website at http://www.dgs.ca.gov/OLS/Resources. All other entities must agree to use the attached standard Terms and Conditions. The CEC will not award agreements to non-complying entities. The CEC reserves the right to modify the Terms and Conditions prior to executing agreements.

All corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), limited partnerships (LPs), and limited liability partnerships (LLPs) that conduct intrastate business in California are required to be registered and in good standing with the California Secretary of State prior to its project being recommended for approval at a CEC business meeting. If not currently registered with the California Secretary of State, applicants are encouraged to contact the Secretary of State’s Office as soon as possible to avoid potential delays in beginning the proposed project(s) (should the application be successful).

For more information, contact the California Secretary of State’s Office at http://www.sos.ca.gov/. Sole proprietors using a fictitious business name must be registered with the appropriate county and provide evidence of registration to the CEC prior to their project being recommended for approval at a CEC business meeting.

Retainer Contract Any contract awarded as a result of this RFQ will be a no-fee "retainer" contract. The selected contractor will be assigned in any given year.

Questions During the RFQ process, questions of clarification about this RFQ must be directed to the Commission Agreement Officer (CAO) listed in the following Contact Information section. Potential Firms shall carefully examine the qualifications and specifications of this RFQ. You may ask questions at the Pre-Bid Conference, and you may submit written questions via electronic mail. All questions must be received by 5:00 p.m. on the date indicated in the Key Activities and Dates section.

The questions and answers will be posted on the CEC's website at https://www.energy.ca.gov/funding-opportunities/solicitations.

Any verbal communication with a CEC employee concerning this RFQ is not binding on the State and shall in no way alter a specification, term, or condition of the RFQ. Therefore, all communication should be directed in writing to the CAO listed below.

Contact Information Eilene Cary, Commission Agreement Officer California Energy Commission 715 P Street, MS-18 Sacramento, California 95814 Email: Eilene.Cary@energy.ca.gov

Responses to This RFQ Responses to this solicitation shall be in the form of a Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) according to the format described in this RFQ. The SOQ shall detail the Firm’s qualifications to perform the tasks outlined in the Scope of Work.

Reference Documents Firms responding to this RFQ may want to familiarize themselves with the following documents:

Firms responding to this RFQ must familiarize themselves with the DCBO Best Management Practices Guide (“Guide”), which is included as Attachment 9 of this RFQ package. The Guide provides the CEC’s expectations in the performance of the resulting contract and will become part of the final contract. The Guide is solely applicable to the contract between the CEC and the selected Firm.

Upon receiving a work authorization, the DCBO should familiarize themselves with the final decision and amendments for their project specific assignments. These documents are available electronically in the docket log for each individual project listed here.

Additionally, the DCBO Firm may want to familiarize themselves with the following publications available on-line and in the CEC Library:

CEC Power Plant Siting Rules of Practice and Procedure

Synopsis of the Power Plant Siting Process

II. SCOPE OF WORK

About This Section In this section, the Energy Commission describes the tasks the Firm (referred to as “Contractor” in the Scope of Work) will be asked to perform under the direction of the Energy Commission’s Commission Agreement Manager (CAM). This section also describes the work assignment process, deliverables, and due dates.

No Work Guarantee The Energy Commission does not guarantee any minimum or maximum amount of work to the prime Contractor or any Subcontractor under the Agreement.

Workshops & Hearings All workshops and hearings are sponsored, organized, and facilitated by the Energy Commission. The Energy Commission is responsible for any costs associated with a workshop or hearing. Contractor will provide labor only.

DCBO WORK REQUIREMENTS

The CEC utilizes the California Code of Regulations, Title 24, Parts 1 through 12, herein referred to as the California Building Standards Code (CBSC) for jurisdictional power plants. The design and construction of all civil, structural, mechanical (except process piping), electrical, and fire prevention facilities must comply with the CBSC, so these codes apply to power plant construction, modification or closure. CEC DCBOs are required to have total familiarity with the codes. The CBSC includes the following code parts relevant to power generation facilities and their commonly referenced names:

· Part 1 - California Administrative Code

· Part 2 - California Building Code (Volumes 1 and 2)

· Part 3 - California Electrical Code

· Part 4 - California Mechanical Code

· Part 5 - California Plumbing Code

· Part 6 - California Energy Code

· Part 7 - Vacant (no longer in use)

· Part 8 - California Historical Building Code

· Part 9 - California Fire Code

· Part 10 - California Existing Building Code (formally - California Code for Building Conservation)

· Part 11 - California Green Building Standards Code

· Part 12 - California Referenced Standards Code

Additional applicable engineering-related LORS include, but may not be limited to, the following:

· American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

· American Petroleum Institute (API)

· American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)

· American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)

· American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)

· Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

· National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

· Underwriters Laboratories (UL)

· American Welding Society (AWS)

· National Electrical Safety Code

· California Professional Engineers Act (Business and Professions Code sections 6700-6799), California Professional Land Surveyors’ Act (Business and Professions Code sections 8700-8805) and California Contractors License Laws

· American Concrete Institute (ACI) Codes

· American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) Codes

· American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)

· ASME/ANSI B31.1 Power Piping Code

· Cooling Tower Institute (CTI)

· Heat Exchange Institute (HEI)

· Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

A properly designed, constructed or modified power plant will meet or exceed all applicable LORS. CEC DCBOs must have complete familiarity with all applicable LORS.

DCBO TASKS AND WORK PERFORMANCE

This section contains a generalized version of the roles, responsibilities, and varied tasks expected of a DCBO Firm. Please note that although the DCBO functions as the CEC's delegate, the CEC has the final authority and responsibility to ensure that each power generating facility certified is built or modified in accordance with the CEC’s Decision and the applicable LORS.

As a CEC delegate, the DCBO must abide by any interpretation of the CBSC, and other applicable LORS, made by the CEC. In addition, all DCBO team members must be approved by CEC staff, including additional or replacement team members.

The DCBO will perform contract administration functions, complete a series of specific plan review, site-inspection, and construction-monitoring and reporting tasks, and provide technical/interpretive support services when necessary.

TASK 1 – PROJECT MANAGEMENT (DCBO INFRASTRUCTURE)

The DCBO shall:

· Attend and participate in CEC team meetings as requested by the CAM.

· Work with the CAM to ensure all pre-construction submittals are complete before issuance of a Notice to Proceed;

· Develop and maintain a password-protected, project-specific website for the posting of the weekly reports and other project documents. The documents on the website will be posted in an MS Word- or Excel-compatible format, and applicable submittals will be converted to .pdf files for the periodic compliance reports (PCRs).

· Provide document security and backup methods to the CAM for review and approval to ensure that the electronic submittal process is secure and data can be re-established if it is lost or damaged.

· Develop and provide an initial hard copy, and an easily referenced and updateable on-line copy, of the “Project-Specific DCBO Project Guide”. The DCBO must update the Guide to include new or updated information that assists with the CEC’s compliance requirements. The project-specific DCBO Project Guide will include a:

· Table of Contents, pagination, an acronym list, and a list of references;

· Organizational Chart with photo identification and contact information for all staff and contractors responsible for code and regulatory compliance, including specializations and current trainings/certifications and project-specific team assignments;

· DCBO workflow chart (including a timeline provided by the Project Owner);

· A color-coded CBO/DCBO COCs verification spreadsheet (provided by owner) with submittal deadlines for preconstruction, construction, and commissioning stages;

· Detailed list of CBO/DCBO pre-construction documentation submittal requirements (provided by owner) including schedules, master lists, site plans, general submittals, and transmission system engineering conditions;

· Detailed list of DCBO quality control program elements to work in conjunction with the Project Owner’s quality controls for design and plan review;

· Summary overview of the CBSC Structural Engineering, Piping, Fabrication Inspection, and Special Inspection guidelines applicable to the project;

· Summary overview of the DCBO’s on-line document repository, including a file-naming protocol consistent with the CEC’s COC; and

· Summary overview of the DCBO’s Document Submittal and Tracking System (DSTS) used to track document submittals, revisions, and inspections; and to ensure design and plan consistency between field crews and engineering and project management staff (see Task 2 below).

· Maintain a site presence and an on-site field office (provided by the Project Owner) during all construction activities or as directed by the CAM;

· Issue as necessary correction notices and non-conformance reports to ensure COC and LORS compliance.

· Select a DCBO Lead Engineer, from one of the approved Lead Plan Review Engineers, as directed by the CAM, to oversee engineering construction compliance, as delineated by the Facility Design, Geology, and Transmission System Engineering COCs, as well as the SWPPP and the DESCP;

· Include all the components listed below in a weekly PCR with an easily-navigable format. Provide the PCRs to the CAM via email or web posting, and include:

· List of DCBO staff onsite and their duties;

· Executive summary of current construction activities, broken down by facility design engineering elements:

· General (GEN);

· Civil (CIVIL);

· Structural (STRUC);

· Mechanical (MECH);

· Electrical (ELEC);

· Safety; and

· Environmental (as applicable)

· Project completion percentage, based on the amount of work completed to date for all systems before plant operation;

· Compliance issues with applicable LORS and all COCs;

· List of issued or potential non-conformance reports;

· List and status of submitted plans;

· Status of interconnections;

· Natural Gas, if any

· Backfeed, if any

· Potable Water

· Waste Water

· Fire Water

· A 3 week look ahead schedule or scheduling forecast for construction progress;

· A site map (including a scale bar and directional key) and a minimum of 10 date-stamped project photographs identifying construction activities with a brief description broken down by facility design engineering elements;

· Estimate of construction staff/contractors onsite;

· List of field inspections performed this week (Inspection reports shall be posted for CAM review no longer than 3 days after inspection was done); and

· List of any job-related accidents whether recordable or not.

· Provide initial and periodic refresher training support to the project-specific team and the CAM on the DCBO’s Document Submittal and Tracking System (DSTS); and

· Maintain, via a document control manager (DCM), a log of all email correspondence pertinent to all document submittal, and inspection activity issues.

In addition to contract administration duties (Task 1), the DCBO will assist with code interpretation and enforcement, plan review, engineering and construction monitoring support, and potential plan amendment analyses to facilitate the successful and timely completion of the following tasks (Tasks 2‑7).

TASK 2 – PROJECT COORDINATION AND COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS

Power plant development projects typically involve concurrent design and construction efforts. This “fast-track” approach requires well-organized processes in place to name and track all submittals in their various stages of development and review. Conversely, especially during the design phase, significant time may pass between subsequent submittals of the same package. To keep all parties on track, it is important that all DCBO comments are well documented, and that a standardized electronic file-naming protocol is used.

The DCBO shall:

· Develop a web-based electronic DSTS designed to minimize hard-copy transmittals, that includes but is not limited to the following:

· Username and password protection to restrict access to submittals

· Submittal associative links to review comments, document approvals, inspection requests, and construction approvals

· File names that include:

· The COC section abbreviation and number (i.e. “STRUC-1”);

· A short but recognizable description of the submittal type and document contents; and

· The version or revision number, including the date received and the date returned or approved.

· A multi-level file structure that can organize the submittals by various document characteristics and allow the user to easily identify the status of the submittal through the approval process. For example, using a query function, the user should be able to identify and/or review:

· The COC section requiring the submittal;

· Chronological order and date of the submittal;

· Approval status of the submittal, including partial approvals;

· Time anticipated (due date) for completion of the DCBO’s review;

· Document review comments;

· Subsequent re-submittal of the corrected documents;

· Approval signature by the DCBO Firm;

· A separate file for the latest approved revision and another file for all the previous revisions (i.e. if the latest approved revision is number 5, then that revision should have its own file. Revisions 1-4 should be together in another file to be used if needed);

· Construction inspection requests;

· Notices of non-conformance;

· Inspection comments, rejections, and approvals;

· Special inspections; and

· Safety Inspections.

· A query function to locate and determine the status of every submittal, drawing, inspection, report, or other document. The query function must have the capability to link with the submittal and to gather data relating to the various sections within the COC. For example, an authorized individual should be able to query a list of all STRUC-1 compliance submittals.

· Maintain a DSTS log that follows the file structure logic to track submittals from original receipt through final inspection. The submittal log should provide a means to identify:

· Which documents are contained within a submittal;

· Which documents have been approved;

· Which documents have been revised; and

· The current document revision number.

· Maintain an accessible historical DSTS document archive of all documents submitted to the DCBO for authorized individuals. Simply having the most current version of a document in the document tracking system does not provide an adequate record of the submittal history.

· Maintain the minimum types of project documents including: construction drawings; supporting calculations; construction specifications; inspections; special inspections; worker safety records; and when applicable, environmental monitoring records.

· Required documents submitted to the DCBO to be in an Adobe Acrobat® .pdf, secure, electronic file format, and if an Engineer of Record (EOR) is associated with the submittal, it must include a digital signature.

If approved by the CAM, minor variations to the document tracking structure described herein, and alternative methods of saving documents within a traditional, multi-level file structure may be acceptable, provided they function in a similar manner. Database and/or document tracking systems are acceptable, provided they are organized with a search engine that locates submittals and documents in the same logical fashion as would be done within a traditional data file-server structure.

As directed by the CAM, the DCBO shall attend project-specific coordination meetings and be prepared to provide information regarding the timing, schedule, and critical path issues for COC compliance and monitoring.

TASK 3 – PROJECT SPECIFIC DCBO PRE-CONSTRUCTION COMPLIANCE ASSISTANCE

There is often an extensive list of pre-construction submittals that must be approved before the CEC can issue a Notice to Proceed for the project. The Notice to Proceed allows site mobilization for construction to commence. Although the CEC retains the final authority over all matters relating to COC interpretation, the DCBO does provide certain preliminary document review and pre-construction COC compliance assistance.

The DCBO shall assist, as directed by the CAM, with preliminary document review and pre-construction COC compliance. The amount of time required for this type of work varies from project to project, however the DCBO should communicate this to the Project Owner during their contract negotiations.

TASK 4 – PROJECT SPECIFIC DCBO CONSTRUCTION PLAN REVIEW

The bulk of the work performed by the DCBO involves the review of construction drawings, calculations, and other documents supporting the project’s engineering activities. The DCBO should also anticipate document submittals concurrent with on-going construction.

Project Owners often submit multiple documents/drawings within a single submittal. The DCBO will review the submittal and approve individual documents within a submittal, if possible, to expedite the document review process. The documents/ drawings that require re-work will be allowed to be resubmitted alone as a revision to the original submittal.

The DCBO shall:

· Review, and when found to be in compliance with all applicable LORS, approve the selection of dynamic analysis and/or alternative methods of analysis for the design of those major structures designated in the project’s Facility Design COCs;

· Ensure that the results of all plan checks and construction inspections are available to the CAM via the DCBO website;

· Retain all approved plans, specifications, calculations, and marked-up “as-builts” for 90 days after the project’s construction completion date, after which the DCBO will deliver them to the Project Owner for long-term retention at the project site or other accessible location; and

· Provide electronic copies of the approved plans, specifications, calculations, marked-up “as-builts,” and other relevant submittals to the CAM, in the form of Adobe Acrobat® .pdf, secure, electronic files, within 90 days of the project’s construction completion date (see Task 7).

TASK 5 – DCBO CONSTRUCTION COMPLIANCE AND FIELD INSPECTIONS

The DCBO’s responsibilities may also include conducting field inspections and providing COC compliance oversight. In this role, the DCBO is responsible for the inspection of constructed facilities to ensure compliance with the approved construction drawings. The CBSC requires that all plans be reviewed and approved before construction. There are tasks not typically performed by building department inspectors that are a part of the CEC’s DCBO responsibilities. These include but are not limited to compliance items identified below and within the project specific COCs.

The DCBO shall:

· Review and approve any of a project’s proposed special inspection programs, approve the qualifications and experience of the proposed special inspectors; monitor the DCBO approved special inspectors work as needed in the field; and review the special inspectors’ daily reports to ensure all CBC requirements are met.

· Select a Certified Safety Monitor, financed by the Project Owner who reports directly to the DCBO and the CAM; the Certified Safety Monitor’s role will include, but not be limited to conducting on-site (including linear facilities) safety inspections to verify that the Construction Safety Supervisor implements all appropriate Cal/OSHA and CEC safety requirements.

· The Safety Monitor will conduct on-site safety inspections during construction at intervals necessary to fulfill those responsibilities.

· The Safety monitor will have the authority to issue a stop work order for unsafe conditions found on the work site. The stop work order will be in writing and given to the Construction Safety Supervisor with the necessary conditions to remedy the unsafe condition(s) before work can resume.

· The Safety Monitor will ensure that the corrective actions have been properly taken by the Construction Safety Supervisor before work can resume.

· Provide an inspection notification process that includes independent feedback to the project team and CAM when multiple or repeated inspection failures have occurred.

TASK 6 – NON-COMPLIANCE AND INCIDENT REPORTING AND RESOLUTION

The primary responsibility of the DCBO is to ensure compliance with local building codes; the CBSC; the Facility Design, Geology and Transmission System Engineering COCs; Workers Safety; Fire Protection; the SWPPP, the DESCP, and other applicable LORS. As per Task 1 above, if a non-conformance report is issued, it must be reported to the CAM (on a per incident basis or in the next PCR). The non-conformance report should only be issued after all other measures are exhausted (i.e. correction notices, discussion with CAM, etc.) to seek compliance.

The DCBO shall:

· Communicate any concerns regarding a Project Owner’s design and quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) process and documentation to the CAM for issue resolution.

· Take any action allowed by the California Code of Regulations, CBSC, and LORS to ensure that the CEC’s interests are properly addressed and protected.

· Seek the cooperation and assistance of the CAM prior to initiating a stop-work order. For emergency situations, the DCBO may initiate a stop-work prior to notifying the CAM or the Safety and Reliability Branch Manager if the CAM is not available. For any action taken under emergency conditions, the CAM must be notified within 4 hours of the action.

TASK 7 –DCBO “AS-BUILT” DOCUMENT PACKAGE AND ARCHIVING

The DCBO is responsible for the oversight/development of the as-built document package within 90 days of project/amendment construction completion. The as-built drawings originate from redlined construction drawings and these drawings are maintained by the project development team at the power plant site. The DCBO construction inspectors will ensure that the project development team captures field changes. The DCBO will receive the revised construction drawings from the project development team’s Engineer of Record and combine them with the project supporting documents to create the as-built document package. The submittal of the as-built document package to the CEC is for document archival purposes as required by the COCs.

The DCBO shall:

· Ensure that the project development team captures field changes for the as-built document package.

· Receive the project development team’s revised construction drawings from the EOR and combine them with the project supporting documents to create the as-built document package.

· Develop and submit as-built electronic file package consisting of construction drawings and supporting documents including, but not limited to, the following:

· Construction drawings;

· Supporting calculations;

· Construction specifications;

· Inspection records;

· Special inspection records; and

· Worker safety records, etc.

· Submit one copy to the CEC and one copy to the Project Owner of all volumes of the as built document package via email or USB memory stick, saved in Adobe Acrobat® .pdf file format, and organized by COC section:

· General - GEN;

· Civil – CIVIL;

· Structural – STRUC;

· Mechanical – MECH;

· Electrical – ELEC;

· Transmission Systems Engineering– TSE The DCBO is responsible for verifying the completeness of this package, which should include any additional related facilities[footnoteRef:2] within the CEC’s jurisdiction that are not included in the six facility design elements above. [2: Cal. Code Regs. tit. 20, §1201(q)]

DCBO WORK PERFORMED PRIOR TO ISSUANCE OF FINAL DECISION

The CEC must ensure that the projects related to the RFQ are designed, constructed, and operated in conformity with their Final Decisions; the CBSC; the local building codes and all other applicable LORS. If the Project Owner anticipates site mobilization immediately following issuance of the Final Decision, the Project Owner may be permitted to file compliance submittals prior to the issuance of the Final Decision. Compliance verifications may be submitted in advance of the Final Decision, but the Project Owner submits the compliance verifications at its own risk. Additionally, any work undertaken by DCBO prior to the issuance of the Final Decision shall be performed at the sole risk of DCBO. Any compliance approvals by CEC staff prior to the issuance of the Final Decision are subject to change, and staff compliance approvals provided before the issuance of the Final Decision does not imply that the CEC will approve the project for actual construction and operation.

III. SOQ Format, Required Documents and Delivery About This Section This section contains the format requirements and instructions on how to submit an SOQ in response to this RFQ. The format is prescribed to assist the Firm in meeting State requirements and to enable the Energy Commission to evaluate each SOQ uniformly and fairly. Firms must follow all SOQ format instructions, answer all questions, and supply all requested data.

Pricing/Rates Information Do not submit any price quotes or bids in your SOQ since this will be negotiated with the top- rated Firm.

Required Format for an SOQ All SOQs submitted under this RFQ must be typed using a standard 11‑point font, singled-spaced and a blank line between paragraphs. Pages must be numbered and sections titled.

Preferred Method for Delivery Firms must submit the SOQ (Sections 1 and 2).

The method of delivery for this solicitation is the CEC Grant Solicitation System, located at https://gss.energy.ca.gov/. This online tool allows applicants to submit their electronic documents to the CEC prior to the date and time specified in this solicitation. Electronic files must be in MS Word and Excel Office Suite formats unless originally provided in the solicitation in another format. Attachments requiring signatures (see Note about Signatures, Section I) may be scanned and submitted in PDF format. The system will not allow electronic documents to be submitted after the SOQ due date and time. To avoid file size limitations, please submit each document as a separate file and do not combine multiple documents.

The deadline to submit SOQs through the CEC’s GSS is 11:59 p.m. The GSS system automatically closes at 11:59 p.m. If the full submittal process has not been completed before 11:59 p.m., your SOQ will not be considered. NO EXCEPTIONS will be entertained.

The CEC strongly encourages Applicants to upload and submit all SOQs by 5:00 p.m. because CEC staff will not be available after 5:00 p.m. or on weekends to assist with the upload process. And please note that while we endeavor to assist all would-be Applicants, we can’t guarantee staff will be available for in-person consultation on the due date, so please plan accordingly.

Please give yourself ample time to complete all steps of the submission process: do not wait until right before the deadline to begin the process. Due to factors outside the CEC’s control and unrelated to the GSS system, upload times may be much longer than expected. For example, some past Applicants experienced unexpected issues on their end, causing long delays that prevented timely submission. They spent significant time and resources on applications the CEC will not consider. Please plan accordingly. For instructions on how to apply using the GSS system, please see the How to Apply document available on the CEC website at: https://www.energy.ca.gov/media/1654.

First time users must register as a new user to access the system. Applicants will receive a confirmation email after all required documents have been successfully uploaded. A tutorial of the system is available on the CEC website under General Funding Resources located at https://www.energy.ca.gov/funding-opportunities/funding-resources. You may contact the CAO identified in the Contact Information section of this solicitation for more assistance.

Due to COVID-19, hard copies, or submissions via email will not be accepted for this solicitation.

Organize Your SOQ as Follows:

SECTION 1, Administrative Response Cover Letter

Table of Contents

SECTION 2, Minimum Qualifications

SECTION 3, Technical Responses / Background Project Team Management and Quality Control Experience

Project Team Organizational Structure & Cost Minimization

Project Team Relevant Experience and Qualifications

Approach to Tasks in Scope of Work

Analytical Tools

A. Minimum Qualifications In order for a Firm’s SOQ to be accepted and scored on the technical substance, the Firm must meet the Project Team Minimum Requirements. The CEC will determine if the Firm meets the minimum requirements. If not, the Firm shall be eliminated, and the SOQ will not be evaluated and scored. The minimum qualifications include:

1. Conflict of Interest (Attachment 6) The Firm must meet the conflict-of-interest minimum requirement described in this section. The Firm must certify in Attachment 6 that it has not worked on a power plant application (including amendments) for any project listed on the Project List with Project Owner and Power Plant Operator (Attachment 10) and that the Firm has not received income from a project owner listed on Attachment 10 in the past twelve months, except for income received from a project owner pursuant to a memorandum of understanding or a contract between the CEC and the Firm for work as the CEC’s DCBO.

“Application” means an application for certification for an energy facility or an application for a small power plant exemption. Application also means a petition to amend an existing license already issued by the CEC.

“Project owner” means the entity submitting an application for certification for an energy facility. Project owner also means the project developer or operator filing a petition to amend an existing license. Project owner includes the business entity responsible for filing the application for certification or petition to amend, all of its parent companies and subsidiaries, and investors of the business entity with fifty percent or more ownership interest.

List the projects from Attachment 10 for which the Firm has worked on the power plant Application.

List the project owners from Attachment 10 from which the Firm has received income in the past twelve months, except for income received from a project owner pursuant to a MOU or a contract between the CEC and the Firm for work as the CEC’s DCBO.

2. Project Team Minimum Requirements Form (Attachment 7) For each expertise/position listed in Table 1, the Firm must submit the name of the team member, a short description of the person’s qualifications, experience, and education/license/certification, and a copy of those licenses and certifications.

The Firm must have at least one team member for each of the delegated positions with at least the minimum qualifications, experience, and education as identified in Table 1. The firm must identify at least one name for each position in Attachment 7. If the Firm fails to satisfy all of the project team minimum requirements at the time of SOQ submission the Firm shall be eliminated and the SOQ will not be evaluated and scored. The successful Firm must continue to satisfy all of the project team minimum requirements throughout the term of the contract resulting from this RFQ. One person may fulfill multiple positions as long as that person meets the minimum requirements for each position.

Table 1: Project Team Minimum Requirements