Cumulative Impact FAQ~1.xlsx
XLSX spreadsheet 25 KB Posted
- Solicitation number
- BD-25-1042-ENV-ENV01-115069
- Issued by
- Massachusetts
About this file
The file is a Cumulative Impact FAQ spreadsheet from the Office of Environmental Justice and Equity (OEJE) related to a request for qualifications (RFQ) for developing a Cumulative Impact Analysis (CIA) framework for energy infrastructure projects. The project involves three primary tasks: stakeholder engagement, asset mapping, and guidance development, focusing on new wind, solar, storage, transmission, and distribution infrastructure projects. The contract has a maximum budget of $250,000, with work to be completed by June 30, 2025, and involves comprehensive stakeholder engagement across multiple languages including English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, and Haitian Creole.
The procurement includes monthly time and materials invoicing, with the successful bidder prohibited from preparing additional Cumulative Impact Analyses or Community Benefits Plans for energy infrastructure project applicants while under contract. The CIA framework will primarily examine air pollution impacts but will also consider qualitative and quantitative factors affecting communities, including construction emissions, health impacts, and broader community considerations. The project requires bidders to propose a team that can include subcontractors, with translation and interpretation services to be procured and budgeted as part of the overall proposal. Stakeholder engagement will include provisions for compensating participants through stipends or incentives, which must be incorporated into the project budget.
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Sheet1 Question # Created Date User Created Question Subject Question OEJE Answer
| 1 | 1/7/25 | Marketing Department/Synapse Energy Economics, Inc. | Conflict Check | Would the successful bidder be precluded from preparing Cumulative Impact Analyses or Community Benefits Plans for energy infrastructure project applicants? | While the successful bidder is under contract with the commonwealth pursuant to this RFQ, the bidder cannot prepare Cumulative Impact Analyses or Community Benefit Plans for energy infrastructure project applicants. |
| 2 | 1/7/25 | Marketing Department/Synapse Energy Economics, Inc. | Timeline | The RFQ notes that the project end date can be extended past June 30th to December 31st, 2025. Are there milestones/aspects of coordination with other efforts that make the shorter schedule preferable? If the project is extended to the end of 2025, what milestones/points of coordination with other efforts will occur between January and December 2025 that should be considered in a longer schedule? | All Tasks need to be completed by June 30, 2025. |
| 3 | 1/7/25 | Marketing Department/Synapse Energy Economics, Inc. | Re-bid | It is our understanding that this RFQ is being re-bid. Can OEJE elaborate on why this RFQ is being re-bid? | It is our understanding that this is not a re-bid. |
| 4 | 1/7/25 | Marketing Department/Synapse Energy Economics, Inc. | Coordination with MassDEP | The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection promulgated a cumulative impact analysis framework on March 29, 2024 for comprehensive plan applications. How does OEJE see the two CIA frameworks either lining up with one another, or how they should differ? | DEP's cumulative impact analysis and this cumulative impact analysis for energy infrastructure framework are two seperate ones. These are independent from each other. However, we hope many of the lessons and principles from DEP's process can be included in this process. |
| 5 | 1/7/25 | Marketing Department/Synapse Energy Economics, Inc. | Scope of Pollution Impacts | Is OEJE�??s goal to only quantify air pollution impacts under the CIA, or should other impacts such as economic and jobs impacts, or other health impacts such as noise, visual, and health and safety impacts be studied? | While the CIA focuses on air pollution, other health impacts can also be noted. |
| 6 | 1/7/25 | Marketing Department/Synapse Energy Economics, Inc. | Qualitative and Quantitative Impacts | Some project impacts, such as visual impacts may not be well-suited for quantifying numerically. Would OEJE be open to a CIA framework that includes options for both quantitative and qualitative impacts? | Yes |
| 7 | 1/7/25 | Marketing Department/Synapse Energy Economics, Inc. | Emission Sources | Solar, wind, and battery projects have no direct air emissions while operating. Is it OEJE�??s goal to conduct a cumulative impact analysis on the air emissions from the construction of these projects and/or potential changes in traffic due to these projects? If not, can OEJE elaborate on what types of emission sources should be considered in the CIA? | This cumulative impact analysis framework shuld include emissoins from consturctions, however it will go beyond air emissions. It will include other impacts and factors a community is facing. |
| 8 | 1/7/25 | Marketing Department/Synapse Energy Economics, Inc. | Project Variations | The RFQ indicates that the types of energy resources that should be studied are new wind, solar, and storage projects as well as new transmission and distribution infrastructure. Does OEJE plan for the same CIA framework to be used for all these types of projects or should there be variations depending on the project? | There should be an overarching framework, as well as energy infrastructure-specific frameworks. |
| 9 | 1/7/25 | Marketing Department/Synapse Energy Economics, Inc. | Task II | Can OEJE elaborate on the meaning of a �??cumulative impact baseline analysis�??? (Task II) | The process of defining such is part of the work the succesful bidder will lead. |
| 10 | 1/7/25 | Marketing Department/Synapse Energy Economics, Inc. | Task I | Does OEJE have a minimum or maximum goal for the number of stakeholder meetings to be held (Task I)? | No. |
| 11 | 1/7/25 | Marketing Department/Synapse Energy Economics, Inc. | Example Contract | Please provide an example contract (terms and conditions) for review. | The contract that will be used in this procurement is the standard statewide contract. |
| 12 | 1/7/25 | Marketing Department/Synapse Energy Economics, Inc. | Fiscal and Additional Terms | The Fiscal and Additional Terms section of the proposal states "The contract(s) awarded pursuant to this ENV 25 EJ CI will be awarded as a rate-based contract with a maximum dollar amount not to exceed two hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) in total with a breakdown of the maximum dollar amount for each of the two tasks described above which together shall not exceed $250,000." Please clarify how many tasks there are and what the total max budget for these tasks is. | There are three tasks: Task I (Stakeholder Engagement), Task II (Asset Mapping), and Task III (Guidance Development). The total max budget is $250K. |
| 13 | 1/7/25 | Marketing Department/Synapse Energy Economics, Inc. | Fiscal and Additional Terms | As related to the above, please clarify the envisioned invoicings structure (e.g., time and materials with monthly invoicing, time and materials with milestone billing, fixed-price, etc.). | Monthly invoicing for time and materials. |
| 14 | 1/7/25 | Marketing Department/Synapse Energy Economics, Inc. | Fiscal and Additional Terms | What is meant by "with a breakdown of the maximum dollar amount for each of the two tasks described above"? Will the full budget/contract value be fungible between tasks? | There are three tasks: Task I (Stakeholder Engagement), Task II (Asset Mapping), and Task III (Guidance Development). The total max budget is $250K. |
| 15 | 1/7/25 | Marketing Department/Synapse Energy Economics, Inc. | Narrative Section Page Limit | Our team will include a prime and subcontractors. Could we have more than 6 pages for the Narrative Section, give that we will have a large team across multiple organizations? | Include additional team details in the appendices. |
| 16 | 1/7/25 | Marketing Department/Synapse Energy Economics, Inc. | Scope of Work Page Limit | What portion of the proposal should our team include a detailed scope of work in, detailing our firms approach, assumptions, etc.? How many pages should this fit within? | Six pages is provided for the narrative section. |
| 17 | 1/7/25 | Marketing Department/Synapse Energy Economics, Inc. | Stipends and Incentives Budget | Task 1 - Stakeholder engagement refers to "stipends or incentives, such as gift cards" to be distributed to participating stakeholders. Does OEJE have separate funds for these purposes or should a certain amount of funds be reserved for stakeholder compensation in the project proposal budget? | Such funds should be included in the project proposal budget. |
| 18 | 1/8/25 | Marketing Department/Synapse Energy Economics, Inc. | Teaming | Please confirm that a proposed team can include subcontractors that were not invited to bid (e.g., translators, etc.). | Yes, a proposed team can include subcontractors that were not invited to bid as long as any subcontractors are identified in the proposal (see section 15, Response Package Contents) |
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Comment:
@ChicojayMoore, Katrina (EEA), what's legal's take on this?
| 19 | 1/8/25 | Marketing Department/Synapse Energy Economics, Inc. | Translation Services | How many languages and what languages should the team procure translation and interpretation services for? | The following five languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazilian and European), Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Haitian Creole, and additional languages depending on communities where engagement will ake place. |
| 20 | 1/8/25 | Marketing Department/Synapse Energy Economics, Inc. | Translation Services as part of budget | Please confirm that the awarded bidder will procure all transportation and interpretation services, and that this should be allocated in the full proposed budget. | Yes |
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