ATTACHMENT B KY EV Charging Program RFP #3 - QA 10.9.24.pdf

KY EV CHARGING PROGRAM RFP #3

ADDENDUM NO. 1

RESPONSES TO PROPOSER QUESTIONS

October 9, 2024

This Addendum No. 1 consists of responses to questions received pursuant to the Request for Proposal (RFP) #3 for Kentucky’s Electric Vehicle Charging Program dated as of September 17, 2024. The text of the RFP has been amended, as referenced in responses to individual questions set forth below, in this Addendum #1.

1. Section 5.3 states: "Note: the signature on this Attachment 8 does not indicate an executed Site Host Agreement. The requirements for the submission, and KYTC’s approval, of a Site Host Agreement are set forth in more detail in the Scope of Work (Exhibit B to Attachment 4)." Does "the submission" refer to the initial application submission? Is the Scope of Work a required application document or is it included for informational purposes to be utilized after Notice of Award?

“The submission” in Section 5.3 refers to the Site Host Agreement and its submission requirements, as outlined in Task 0 and Task 1 of the Scope of Work (Exhibit B to Attachment 4). The Scope of Work is not a required Proposal document. It is included in the RFP for informational purposes and will be used after Notice of Award. However, Proposers are encouraged to thoroughly review the Scope of Work before submitting a Proposal, as all Developers must complete the Scope of Work.

2. Section 5.1 states: "If proposing for more than one Candidate Site, Proposers should submit both a Technical Proposal, Cost Proposal, and Project Implementation Schedule for each Candidate Site."

Does this language also encapsulate the Cost Proposal Narrative to be submitted for each site?

Yes. Since the cost may vary from one site to another, Proposers must submit both a Cost Narrative (PDF) and Cost Proposal (Attachment 10 Excel) for each Candidate Site. This has been addressed in this RFP Addendum #1.

3. If non-compliant NEVI EVSE stations are installed at the same time as NEVI compliant EVSE, is it possible to include the construction and utility upgrade costs that would likely be shared across all EVSE on the site?

Section 4.3.1 of the RFP states “if more than four ports are proposed, the full cost of utility interconnection can be included in the Cost Proposal”. While this section doesn’t make the distinction between NEVI and Non-NEVI, the full cost of utility interconnection are eligible and can be included in the Cost Proposal (as Project cost), even if they are for more than just the 4 NEVI ports.

Proposers may propose installing more than the NEVI minimum required 4 charge ports at charging stations, but the equipment purchase and installation costs for only 4 ports are eligible to be included in the Proposer’s Cost Proposal (Subsidy Requested).

4. Will a proposer’s bid meet NEVI requirements if the design includes 6 charging ports total: 4 CCS charging ports and 2 NACS charging ports across 3 chargers? Meaning at one time, 4 CCS vehicles and 2 NACS vehicles can be charging simultaneously all receiving 150kW of power. Total station power exceeding 600kW.

To qualify as a NEVI port for this RFP, each port must be able to charge both CCS-equipped and NACS-equipped vehicles. 4 NACS vehicles, or 4 CCS vehicles, or a combination need to be able to charge at 150kW simultaneously to meet the NEVI requirements outlined in this RFP. In the example, the design would not meet NEVI requirements as 4 NACS vehicles could not charge simultaneously at a minimum of 150kW of power.

Proposers may install non-NEVI ports that are not subject to CCS and NACS combability requirements, but those ports would not count toward meeting the 4 port with 8 connectors (4 CSS and 4 NACS) NEVI minimum requirement and thus be ineligible for reimbursement through this program. Please refer to Section 3.6.2 for more information.

5. If Developer is using a subcontractor to deliver work performed by laborers and mechanics, is it acceptable for the Developer’s subcontractor to be required to maintain the payroll and basic records, so as it is not the Developer directly maintaining the personal information? Developer would work with the subcontractor to supply the necessary certified payroll information as needed to KYTC.

In accordance with the Project Agreement, the Developer is responsible for submitting the requisite payroll information and other records. The Developer may make arrangements with the subcontractor as to how the subcontractor maintains its records; however, only the Developer may submit the required documentation to KYTC on behalf of itself and its subcontractors.

6. Can KYTC clarify the naming convention for the Administrative Proposal given only one Administrative Proposal is required per Proposer regardless of the number of proposed Candidate Sites?

Yes, only one Administrative Proposal is required per Proposer regardless of the number of proposed Candidate Sites. Please submit the Administrative Proposal in the following format and naming convention:

• RFP 2500000072 [Proposer Name] Admin Proposal.pdf

This has been addressed in this RFP Addendum #1.

7. On page 11 of the RFP, it states that there is a list of items that need to be provided withing 80 days of Notice of Award. Can the DOT confirm if this is calendar days or business days?

Calendar days, with the understanding that for Task 0 the documents enumerated here are required only in “draft” (i.e. submitted in final form, but not fully signed or dated until resubmission for Task 1).

Developers are encouraged to review the Scope of Work attached to Attachment 4 (the Project Agreement) as Exhibit B, as all Developers must complete the Scope of Work.

8. On the Utility Interconnection Request form (page 2-3) it states that the form is required to be submitted as part of the Technical or Cost Proposal. In the RFP (page 7) it states it should be submitted as part of the Admin Proposal. Can the DOT confirm where the form should be placed for submission?

The Utility Interconnection Request form must be submitted as part of the Technical Proposal, one for each Candidate Site. The form need not be submitted as part of the Cost or Admin Proposal. This has been addressed in this RFP Addendum #1.

9. Can KYTC confirm if the additional technical criteria points on pages 47-48 are "up to" scoring allocations or absolute point allocations?

Of the additional points criteria, only the “additional charging capacity” criterion is subject to “up-to” scoring allocations. Per Table 11 in Section 8, “Proposals will be given 15 points for each NEVI port that provides an available charging rate of or greater than 300 kW, for up to 60 points in the technical evaluation.”

All other criteria in Table 11 (i.e. Justice40, pull through charging, additional battery capacity, additional transformer capacity, canopy structure, and special Designated Zone points) are absolute point allocations. Please refer to the Evaluation Guideline descriptions in Table 11 for more information on how these criteria will be evaluated.

10. We have a hotel at exit #31 on I-24 which also carries I-69 traffic from Eddyville until it reaches Calvert City. It appears that this exit is in the priority corridor list but just outside the RFP Designated Zone at the far western end of Kentucky’s interstate system. Is there any way that the RFP Designated Zone for the Calvert City to Paducah area could be stretched just a little to include Exit 31?

The Designated Zones and interchanges in the RFP cannot be changed as they have been designed specifically to meet the NEVI build-out requirements.

11. If we are only interested in being a Site-Host, would the developer (assuming we are simply providing the site) be the one completing and submitting the Request for Proposal?

Any entity that is part of a team, including a Site-Host, can submit the Proposal so long as the team is collectively able to meet all requirements of the RFP and Project Agreements, including the full Scope of Work.

12. Where can resources for the various organizations and people participating in the program be found on your website such as utility company contacts and developers?

A table with the contact information for utilities that service the Designated Zones can be found in Attachment 2 of the RFP as Table 2-2: Utility Contact Table. KYTC facilitated a networking event on October 4 pursuant to RFP Section 2.4 focused on networking and opportunities for potential teaming partnerships. Participation in this event is not a requirement for this RFP. Potential Proposers are encouraged to reach out to any industry participants they have identified as potential partners for this program.

13. While NEVI clearly require all EVSE charging equipment to be Buy America FHWA compliant, other parts of the project may be subject to interpretation. Each state is responsible for confirming that their FHWA funds are being used in a manner that meets FHWA rules or applying for a waiver. Based on the slides, does KYTC interpret that transformers, switchgear, and other ancillary equipment must be Buy America compliant for projects requesting over $500,000? If the answer is yes, will projects submitting a Manufactured Product waiver be subject to review by FHWA for approval or only KYTC for approval?

Per Section 3.3 of the RFP, the small grants waiver does not apply to projects requesting $500,000 or more in reimbursement, but the Manufactured Products Waiver can be claimed for items as noted. If the Manufactured Products Waiver is going to be claimed for certain products, the Developer will note this to KYTC for their review and approval.

14. Can KYTC clarify how phones and EVSE charger displays must indicate support for disabled users?

For phone and SMS payment options, any signage or labelling providing the phone and/or SMS number for payment must identify access for people with disabilities and limited English proficiency. This should include both symbology as well as text indicating that the payment method supports users with disabilities (for example, TTY capability or 711 support). The label should also identify what languages are supported for non-English speakers.

For EVSE charger displays, menus for accessibility options and selecting different languages should be clearly displayed on the home screen of the charging station user interface. EVSE may also be marked with standard symbology for accessibility or hearing loss, as appropriate. See the US Access Board EV Charger User Interface Recommendations for additional details.

https://www.access-board.gov/tad/ev/#ev-charger-user-interface https://www.access-board.gov/tad/ev/#ev-charger-user-interface