CERIP_Energy_Assessment_RFP.pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Notice to Prospective Proposers

April 2, 2024

You are invited to review and respond to this Request for Proposal (RFP), entitled GO-Biz CA Energy Assessment Services. In submitting your proposal, you must comply with these instructions.

Note all agreements entered into with the State of California will include reference to General Terms and Conditions and Contractor Certification Clauses that may be viewed and downloaded here: https://www.dgs.ca.gov/OLS/Resources/Page- Content/Office-of-Legal-Services-Resources-List-Folder/Standard-Contract- Language?search=general%20terms

In the opinion of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO- Biz), this RFP is complete and without need of explanation. However, if you have questions, or should you need any clarifying information, please submit your questions to the email shown below. Answers to all questions will be compiled and posted for all potential bidders.

Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development

1325 J Street, Suite 1800

Sacramento, CA 95814

GO-Biz.BSU@gobiz.ca.gov

Opening Date: April 8, 2024 Closing Date: May 8, 2024

Proposals submitted after the stipulated deadline will be rejected without being evaluated with no exceptions.

https://www.dgs.ca.gov/OLS/Resources/Page-Content/Office-of-Legal-Services-Resources-List-Folder/Standard-Contract-Language?search=general%20terms https://www.dgs.ca.gov/OLS/Resources/Page-Content/Office-of-Legal-Services-Resources-List-Folder/Standard-Contract-Language?search=general%20terms https://www.dgs.ca.gov/OLS/Resources/Page-Content/Office-of-Legal-Services-Resources-List-Folder/Standard-Contract-Language?search=general%20terms mailto:GO-Biz.BSU@gobiz.ca.gov

BACKGROUND

California is experiencing a boom in new energy project development. However, challenges remain to achieving the scale and diversity of resources necessary for the clean energy transition. In order to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045, the state must deploy about 7,000 MWs of new resources each year for the next several years. The Joint Agency Reliability Assessment Report identified local permitting challenges as one of the main barriers to project deployment.

In 2023-24 Budget Bill (AB 102), the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development Office (GO-Biz) of Permit Assistance was provided funding to establish best practices and produce documentation to increase transparency and alignment of local jurisdiction permitting processes to significantly reduce barriers for deployment of energy projects, inclusive of cross-jurisdictional transmission projects.

To develop a best practices guide, we need to assess the issues and challenges with energy project deployment faced by local governments as well as the project sponsors. On par with previous documents developed by and with GO-Biz on permitting processes, such the Plug-In Electric Vehicle Charging Station Readiness and the Broadband for All Permitting Playbook for Local Jurisdictions, the findings from this assessment will help GO-Biz to develop a program that will provide technical assistance and direct engagement to increase transparency and alignment of process to ensure readiness standards are consistent.

KEY DATES

Stage Event Date

1. Release of RFP April 8, 2024

2. Question and Answer Period Ends April 18, 2024 at 5:00

PM

3. Answers to RFP questions posted April 22, 2024

4. RFP Response Submission Due Date and Time May 8, 2024 by 5:00

PM PST

5. Contractor Presentations and Interviews (as appropriate)

TBD

6. Anticipated Contract Date May 20, 2024

RFP RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS

This RFP and the Proposer’s response to this document will be made part of GO-Biz’s procurement contract file. Responses must contain all requested information and data and conform to the format described in this section. It is the Proposer’s responsibility to https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/-/media/cpuc-website/divisions/energy-division/documents/summer-2021-reliability/tracking-energy-development/joint-agency-reliability-planning-assessment_20230209t155250.pdf provide all necessary information for the State to evaluate the response, verify requested information, and determine the Proposer’s ability to perform the tasks and activities defined in the State’s Scope of Work.

The Proposer must submit their response electronically to the department contact name and email address indicated on the cover sheet to this RFP. Small Business and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise participation is encouraged, and qualifying Proposer’s can claim the 5% preference when submitting a bid for this RFP. A complete copy of your firm’s current Small Business / DVBE certification with the Department of General Services (DGS) must also accompany your response.

Presentations and/or Interviews

Upon request by GO-Biz, each Contractor may be required to present their proposal in person or virtually.

EVALUATION CRITERIA AND SCORE SHEET

Proposals will be evaluated by individuals in a committee. The committee will evaluate each proposal and score each proposal individually using the Evaluation Criteria Score Sheet.

Evaluation Score Sheet Maximum Possible Score

Score

1. How well does the Proposer’s narrative description and timeline demonstrate an understanding of the request?

2. Does the Proposer provide examples of relevant experience in their proposal?

3. How would the Proposer approach the assessment plan?

4. Firm and Project Team Qualifications 15

5. Budget/Costs 15

6. Examples of similar projects or work executed and outcomes

AWARDS AND PROTESTS

a) Notice of the proposed award shall be posted in a public place in the office of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development for five (5) working days prior to awarding the agreement.

a) If any Proposer, prior to the award of agreement, files a protest with the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, 1325 J Street, Suite 1800, Sacramento, CA 95814; and the Department of General Services, Office of Legal Services, 707 Third Street, 7th Floor, Suite 7-330, West Sacramento, CA 95605, on the grounds that the (protesting) Proposer would have been awarded the contract had the agency correctly applied the evaluation standard in the RFP, or if the agency followed the evaluation and scoring methods in the RFP, the agreement shall not be awarded until either the protest has been withdrawn or the Department of General Services has decided the matter. It is suggested that you submit any protest by certified or registered mail.

b) Within five (5) calendar days after filing the initial protest, the protesting Proposer shall file with the Department of General Services, Office of Legal Services and the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development a detailed statement specifying the grounds for the protest.

c) Upon resolution of the protest and award of the agreement, Contractor must complete and submit to the awarding agency the Payee Data Record (STD 204), to determine if the Contractor is subject to state income tax withholding pursuant to California Revenue and Taxation Code Sections 18662 and 26131. This form can be found on the Internet at https://www.documents.dgs.ca.gov/dgs/FMC/PDF/Std204.pdf

d) No payment shall be made unless a completed STD 204 has been returned to the awarding agency.

e) Upon resolution of the protest and award of the agreement, Contractor must sign and submit to the awarding agency, page one (1) of the Contractor Certification Clauses, which can be found on the Internet at https://www.aging.ca.gov/download.ashx?lE0rcNUV0zZK%2FYm8WzGo%2Fg%3D%3 D

PUBLIC RECORDS ACT

By submitting an application, the applicant acknowledges that GO-Biz is subject to the California Public Records Act (PRA) (Government Code section 7920 et. seq.).

Consequently, materials submitted by an applicant to GO-Biz may be subject to a PRA request. In such an event, GO-Biz will notify the applicant, as soon as practicable, that a PRA request for the applicant’s information has been received, but not less than five

(5) business days prior to the release of the requested information to allow the applicant to seek an injunction. GO-Biz will work in good faith with the applicant to protect the information to the extent an exemption is provided by law, including but not limited to notes, drafts, proprietary information, financial information, and trade secret information. GO-Biz will also apply the “balancing test” as provided for under Government Code section 7922 to the extent applicable.

VENDOR FORMS

Please include the completed vendor forms and submit with your proposal. Blank copies of the required forms will be included in the solicitation documents. The necessary forms are as follows:

• STD 204 – Payee Data Record

• STD 21 – Drug Free Workplace Certification

• CCC – Contractor Certification Clauses

• Darfur

• Bidder Declaration

SCOPE OF WORK (SOW)

Legislation requires GO-Biz to provide best practices and produce documentation to increase transparency and alignment of local jurisdiction permitting processes to significantly reduce barriers for deployment of energy projects, inclusive of cross-jurisdictional transmission projects.

There are multiple efforts to improve processes for the installation of energy projects for residential customers. Also, Senate Bill 319 (McGuire, 2023) requires the CEC, CAISO, CPUC to jointly develop an electrical transmission infrastructure development guidebook that describes the state’s electrical transmission infrastructure planning and permitting processes conducted by their agencies. Among other things, the report shall include a description of stages of electrical transmission infrastructure development and the roles, responsibilities, and decision-making authority of federal agencies and state agencies. Therefore, this assessment will focus on barriers to deployment within local jurisdictions for large renewable energy generation projects, including but not limited to solar, onshore wind and battery energy storage. The assessment will not include offshore wind.

There are two main components to the SOW:

1. Assessment of the local jurisdiction processes for permitting and siting renewable energy projects. The assessment shall:

• Systematize actions required by federal, state, regional and local jurisdictions, focusing solely on local and regional authorities as the recipient and user of this playbook.

• Identify, document, validate and memorialize efforts done by local jurisdictions that can be illustrated as best practices energy projects widely.

• Illustrate, templatize and replicate best practices that exist in local jurisdictions in specific energy project verticals such as onshore wind, solar, and battery energy storage.

• Utilize other permitting process improvement documents produced by

California for similarity in delivery where possible. (ZEV, Hydrogen, Broadband)

2. Development of toolkit resulting from the assessment work and incorporation of stakeholder feedback that would include:

• “Smart Practices” that can be undertaken at the local jurisdictional level to increase transparency and access to information.

• Strategies for local jurisdictions to develop that will enhance connectivity between responsible entities, including but not limited to private businesses, investor-owned utilities, municipally owned utilities, private utilities, community choice aggregators and permitting authorities.

• Approaches that local jurisdictions can use to undertake these actions, including templates of forms, applications, council resolutions, etc.

Task 1: Kick-off Meeting with GO-Biz and Contractor The Contractor will meet with the Point of Contact and relevant staff of GO-Biz to review scope of work, discuss methods to conduct the assessment and recommendations, timelines, and processes for stakeholder outreach and involvement.

Task 2: Develop and Refine Strategy for Assessment and Outreach The Contractor will take feedback from GO-Biz (from kick-off meeting) to revise and refine the process for conducting the assessment, timelines and other related activities.

Task 3: Conduct Assessment and Outreach After the agreement between GO-Biz and Contractor on the assessment and outreach strategy, the Contractor begins assessment and works with GO-Biz on outreach efforts to stakeholders.

Task 4: Develop Draft Report on Findings and Recommended Set of Tools for Improving Processes and Cross Jurisdictional Collaboration Contractor will develop draft assessment report based on findings and provide toolkit that includes recommendations to mitigate challenges and improve permitting processes. The Contractor will also work with GO-Biz to gather feedback on draft report including outreach efforts.

Task 5: Provide Final Report and Toolkit The Contractor will develop final report which will incorporate feedback on the draft report and development of toolkit for adoption by the local jurisdictions to improve transparency and permitting processes.

Potential Proposers must email all required materials to GO-Biz.BSU@gobiz.ca.gov no later than May 8, 2024, at 5:00 PM PST. No mailed/hard copy submittals will be accepted. No late proposals will be accepted or considered under any circumstances.

It is recommended that you submit your proposal in advance of the final deadline to receive a confirmation of receipt.