08. Colorado Camper Justification Posted.docx

Single Source Justification Western Area Power Administration FAR 6.302-2, Simplified Acquisitions

PR 20WA135380

1. Identification of the agency and the contracting office.

Western Area Power Administration, Rocky Mountain Region (RMR), Procurement, 5555 E. Crossroads Blvd, Loveland, CO, 80539-8986

2. Description of supply or service required to meet the agency’s needs.

Rental of ten travel trailers for use by RMR Essential Operations personnel. This is an unusual and compelling acquisition under FAR 6.302-2. This will result in a firm fixed-price contract

3. The rationale or circumstances for limiting competition.

WAPA serves a 15-state region of the central and western U.S., who rely on our reliable and affordable hydropower and high-voltage power lines to serve their communities. The power lines WAPA owns, operates and maintains connects to your local grid and is crucial for uninterrupted electricity supply to communities.

By design, and in adherence to federally mandated reliability and cybersecurity regulations, control rooms are closed quarters, with several people working in tight proximity for 12 hours a shift. Maintenance crews work together for 10 hours a day in the field. These functions cannot be performed remotely. If one or more employees working a shift becomes infected, current guidance requires a 14-day quarantine of the entire shift, removing these employees from the workforce for at least two full weeks. Due to these requirements we were required to move swiftly and provide a solution to house employees to ensure continuity of the grid. The compressed timeline and all the unknowns related to COVID-19 forced us to limit competition and make a rapid award to ensure continuation of our mission. Leasing RVs not only ensures grid reliability but also the protection and safety of our employees by limiting their exposure.

Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) has an unusual and compelling need for sleeping stations to be utilized by essential Operations staff during the covid-19 quarantine. These personnel can only perform their duties at their workstations and not from home. Working long shifts for a week at a time they are in need of a place to sleep during their week on duty. These employees monitor the western electrical grid and are essential to keeping power on for the western states. The Government and the western states would be seriously harmed if the surveillance of the grid were impaired by operator’s lack of adequate sleep or rest.