Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources – RFQ-ENE-2026-018 Economic Benefits of Solar Study Page 1 of 9

THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF ENERGY AND

ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY RESOURCES

ELIZABETH T. MAHONY, COMMISSIONER

100 Cambridge Street, 9th Floor Boston, MA 02114

Request for Quote (RFQ)

Document Title: Economic Benefits of Solar Study

COMMBUYS Bid Number: BD-26-1041-ENE01-ENE01-122499

Agency Document Number: RFQ-ENE-2026-018

Issued November 3rd, 2026

Please Note: This is a single document associated with a complete Bid (also referred to as Solicitation) that can be found on www.COMMBUYS.com. All Bidders are responsible for reviewing and adhering to all information, forms and requirements for the entire Bid, which are all incorporated into the Bid. Bidders may also contact the COMMBUYS Helpdesk at COMMBUYS@state.ma.us or the COMMBUYS Helpline at 1-888-MA-STATE. The Helpline is staffed from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday Eastern Standard or Daylight time, as applicable, except on federal, state and Suffolk County holidays.

http://www.commbuys.com/ mailto:COMMBUYS@state.ma.us

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1. BACKGROUND & PURPOSE

A. Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources

The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) develops and implements policies and programs aimed at ensuring the adequacy, security, diversity, and cost-effectiveness of the Commonwealth's energy supply to create a clean, affordable, equitable, and resilient energy future for all residents, businesses, communities, and institutions.

B. Background for Solicitation

Massachusetts’ Clean Energy and Climate Plan for 2050 identified that Massachusetts will require 27-34 GW of solar in order to achieve Net-Zero status.1 DOER develops and implements policies that support solar deployment across the Commonwealth such as the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART), the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (RPS), the Low-Income Services Solar Program (LISSP), and more. As DOER continues to develop policies to support solar deployment it is critical to understand the economic benefits that solar deployed in Massachusetts provides to ratepayers and residents. DOER is seeking a contractor to calculate the statewide historic benefits of solar to date and qualitatively estimate the potential future benefits of solar through 2035 and 2050.

2. PROCUREMENT & CONTACT INFORMATION

A. Type of Procurement

The contract (Contract) will be a Fee for Service subject to 801 CMR 21 and Statewide contract PRF74 Energy Climate action, and Facility Advisory Services.

B. Request for Quote Distribution Method

This Request for Quotes (RFQ) has been distributed electronically using the COMMBUYS system. It is the responsibility of every potential respondent to check COMMBUYS for any addenda or modifications to an RFQ to which they intend to respond. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts (Commonwealth) and its subdivisions accept no liability and will provide no accommodations to respondents who fail to check for an amended RFQ or submit inadequate or incorrect responses.

Respondents may not alter language in an RFQ or any RFQ component files. Those submitting a proposal must respond in accordance with the RFQ directions and complete only those sections that prompt a respondent for a response. Modifications to the body of this RFQ, its specifications, terms and conditions, or which change the intent of this RFQ are prohibited. Any unauthorized alterations will disqualify a response.

1 Massachusetts Clean Energy and Climate Plan for 2050, 2022, https://www.mass.gov/doc/2050-clean-energy-and-climate-plan/download https://www.mass.gov/doc/2050-clean-energy-and-climate-plan/download https://www.mass.gov/doc/2050-clean-energy-and-climate-plan/download

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C. PRF74 Energy Climate Action, and Facility Advisory Services.

Any work awarded as a result of this RFQ is pursuant to Statewide Contract PRF74 Energy Climate Action, and Facility Advisory Services. All terms, conditions, contract rules, and Compensation Structure/Pricing and Expenses established in PRF74 shall apply. Additional information concerning PRF74 can be found using PRF74 User Guide located at:

https://www.mass.gov/doc/prf74-energy-climate-action-and-facility-advisory-services/download

Massachusetts Public Records Law

All proposals and information submitted in response to this RFQ are subject to the Massachusetts Public Records Law, M.G.L., Chapter 66, Section 10, and to Chapter 4, Section 7, and Subsection

26. Any statements in submitted proposals that are inconsistent with these statutes shall be disregarded.

D. Small Business Procurement

Program Background. The Massachusetts Small Business Purchasing Program (SBPP) was established pursuant to Executive Order 599 to increase state contracting opportunities with small businesses having their principal place of business within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Pursuant to the SBPP, it is the intention of the issuing department to award this Small Procurement to one or more SBPP participating business(es) as described below.

SBPP Award Preference. While all businesses, no matter the size or principal place of business, may submit responses to this solicitation, should an SBPP participant respond and meet the best value criteria as described in this solicitation, the SBPP participant shall be awarded the contract.

The Strategic Sourcing Services Team (SST) will not evaluate submissions from non-SBPP participants unless no SBPP Bidder meets the SSST’s best value evaluation criteria.

SBPP Participation Eligibility. To be eligible to participate in this procurement as an SBPP participant, an entity must meet the following criteria, and be marked as an SBPP registered business in COMMBUYS:

1. Have its principal place of business in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

2. Been in business for at least one year.

3. Employ a combined total of fifty (50) or fewer full-time equivalent employees in all locations, or employees work less than a combined total of twenty-six thousand hours 26,000 hours per quarter.

4. Have gross revenues, as reported on appropriate tax forms, of fifteen million dollars $15,000,000 million or less, based on a three-year average.

Non-profit firms also must be registered as a non-profit or charitable organization with the MA Attorney General’s Office and be up to date with all filings required by that office and be tax exempt under Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code.

https://www.mass.gov/doc/prf74-energy-climate-action-and-facility-advisory-services/download https://www.mass.gov/sbpp https://www.mass.gov/executive-orders/no-599-reaffirming-programs-to-ensure-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-for-diverse-and-small-massachusetts-businesses-in-state-procurement-and-contracting?_gl=1*wnz9qe*_ga*OTcxODE1Mjg3LjE2ODM2MzUyMjc.*_ga_MCLPEGW7WM*MTY5ODA3OTg1NC4yNi4wLjE2OTgwNzk4NTQuMC4wLjA.

https://www.commbuys.com/bso/

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SBPP Compliance Requirements. It is the responsibility of the Bidder to ensure that their SBPP status is current at the time of submitting a response and throughout the life of any resulting contract. Misrepresentation of SBPP status will result in disqualification from consideration, and may result in debarment, contract termination, and other actions. To learn more about the SBPP, including how to apply, visit the SBPP Webpage.

Program Resources and Assistance. Bidders and Contractors seeking assistance regarding SBPP may visit the SBPP webpage, http://www.mass.gov/sbpp, or contact the SBPP Help Desk at sbpp@mass.gov.

E. No Guarantee of Resulting Contract

The Commonwealth makes no assurance that any services will be purchased from any contract resulting from this RFQ.

F. Questions & Answers

All questions must be submitted through the Q&A feature within COMMBUYS.

G. Contact Information

Responses to this RFQ will be received by:

Contact: Samantha Meserve Director, Renewable & Alternative Energy Department of Energy Resources 100 Cambridge Street, 9th Floor Boston, MA 02114 Email: Samantha.Meserve@mass.gov RFQ Name: Economic Benefits of Solar Study

RFQ: RFQ-ENE-2026-018

http://www.mass.gov/sbpp http://www.mass.gov/sbpp mailto:sbpp@mass.gov mailto:Samantha.Meserve@mass.gov

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H. PROCUREMENT CALENDAR

DOER Issues Request for Quote November 3, 2025

Deadline to Submit Questions on COMMBUYS November 7, 2025 at 4:00PM

Deadline to Receive Answers on COMMBUY November 14, 2025 at 4:00PM

REQUEST FOR QUOTE RESPONSE DUE DATE December 5, 2025 at 4:00PM

Selection of Winning Response* December 12, 2025

Estimated Start Date of Contract* January 5, 2026 *Dates after Request for Quote Response Due date are anticipated dates. All dates are subject to change.

I. REQUEST FOR QUOTE & CONTRACT INFORMATION

A. Scope of Work

Massachusetts has approximately 4 GW of solar deployed across the Commonwealth. The majority of the solar deployed in Massachusetts was done with the assistance of an incentive program such as the Solar Carve-Out (SREC) program, the Solar Carve-Out II (SREC II) program, the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) program, or Net Metering. Each of these incentive programs was funded by Massachusetts ratepayers. DOER is seeking a Contractor to conduct a detailed economic analysis to understand the total cost of solar incentive programs paid for by ratepayers and the corresponding economic benefits passed on to ratepayers from the solar deployed under said programs. The analysis should include but is not limited to the following:

Costs

• Net metering and energy compensation

• Ratepayer funded incentive programs

• State tax incentives

Benefits

• Peak demand reduction

• Wholesale energy price suppression

• Avoided transmission and distribution costs

The Consultant will be expected to conduct the analysis utilizing incentive program data from DOER, public information filed with the Department of Public Utilities, and publicly available utility data sets as well as other public information identified by the Contractor.

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The Contractor will also be tasked with utilizing the results from the economic analysis to qualitatively describe the potential economic benefits for ratepayers based on deploying 27-34 GW of solar by 2050.

While DOER recognizes the variety of environmental, health, and other benefits solar provides, this analysis will focus specifically on the economic benefits of solar.

B. Qualifications & Experience

At a minimum, the selected Contractor’s qualifications and experience should include the following elements. A selected Contractor’s qualifications and types of experience may be met through one or more subcontracting relationships. If the Contractor (including subcontractors) has comparable qualifications to those that are listed below but does not have the exact qualifications, the bid should explain so.

• Knowledge of Massachusetts solar landscape

• Knowledge of utility rate structure, with a particular emphasis on Massachusetts

• Knowledge of solar net metering policy structures, with a particular emphasis on

Massachusetts

• Experience in developing economic models

• Experience in evaluating solar incentive programs and related ratepayer impacts

C. Contract Information

The contract(s) awarded pursuant to this RFQ-ENE-2026-018 will be awarded as a rate-based contract with a maximum dollar amount not to exceed one hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($150,000). The Contract(s) awarded pursuant to this RFQ-ENE-2026-018 is anticipated to be through December 31, 2026. The DOER reserves the right to hire a Contractor for a limited scope of work if necessary to meet the budget parameters.

D. Contract Expansion

If additional funds become available during the Contract duration period, the DOER reserves the right to increase the maximum obligation to the Contract executed as a result of this RFQ with related additional tasks to be determined by the written mutual agreement of the DOER and the selected Contractor consistent with the terms of Statewide Contract PRF74 Energy Climate Action, and Facility Advisory Services.

E. Contractor’s Responsibility & Invoicing

The selected Contractor will be responsible for the timely completion of the requirements described above and as directed by the DOER. The Contractor must assume overall responsibility for coordinating and completing all deliverables contained in the resultant contract. All invoices must be submitted to the DOER on a schedule and in a format to be agreed upon by the DOER

Economic Benefits of Solar Study Page 7 of 9 and the Contractor. Invoices shall include sufficient back-up documentation to support the amount being invoiced.

F. The Commonwealth’s Responsibility

The Commonwealth's Project Manager will be responsible for overseeing and managing all tasks undertaken by the selected Contractor, including but not limited to, developing a Statement of Work; reviewing, commenting, and approving work plans and subsequent deliverables;

coordinating with the DOER and other program staff as required; approving invoices promptly;

and reviewing and preparing work products for reports.

G. Submission Instructions

Respondents to RFQ-ENE-2026-018 must respond via COMMBUYS and must also submit an electronic proposal to Samantha.Meserve@mass.gov by 4:00 P.M. on December 5, 2025, using the subject line “RFQ-ENE-2026-018 Response”. Late proposals will not be accepted. Faxed proposals will not be accepted. Unnecessary attachments beyond those sufficient to present a complete, comprehensive, and effective response will not influence the evaluation of the proposal.

Each page of the proposal should state the name of the Bidder, and the page number. All correspondence and filings submitted to the DOER shall be directed to the Grant Contact set forth above.

Responses that do not include all of the information outlined in the Response Package Contents section below may be disqualified. The DOER may ask applicants (Applicants) to provide additional information or to participate in an interview.

Once the award is made, all submissions are subject to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Public Records Law, M.G.L., Chapter 66, Section 10, and to Chapter 4, Section 7 and Subsection 26.

H. Response Package Contents

Respondents must provide the following sections in their proposal. All responses must include a Transmittal Letter, Executive Summary, Narrative Section, and Cost Proposal as defined below:

Transmittal Letter (1-page limit): The transmittal letter should highlight any special features of the response and include the name, phone number, and email for the Applicant’s point of contact and must identify this RFQ by number (RFQ-ENE-2026-018). The transmittal letter should acknowledge any Amendments to this RFQ posted on COMMBUYS and be signed by a representative of the Applicant who has the authority to bind the Applicant.

Executive Summary (2-page limit): The executive summary must contain the key components of the response, including the Contractor’s name, names of key personnel that will be involved in the project and their respective roles, and a brief description of the organization’s experience with similar energy procurements.

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Narrative Section (10-page limit): A narrative, not to exceed twelve (12) pages, describing the respondent’s plan of approach to complete the above Scope of Work, qualifications, and experience (the page limit does not include resumes or the cost proposal).

Cost Proposal (2-page limit): A cost proposal, broken out by task listed in the deliverables, staff person, and hourly rate. Respondents must provide project‐based pricing instead of the maximum billing rates established in PRF74. Contractors must include all ancillary services in the project price. DOER under no circumstance will pay additional invoices related to project‐based procurement. Proposals that include partnerships must designate one party as the lead contractors and identify the team of subcontractors.

Proposals that include partnerships must designate one party as the lead contractor and identify the team of subcontractors.

A. EVALUATION AND AWARD

A. Process

The DOER will review the submitted proposals and may conduct an interview process. The DOER reserves the right to select no respondents if the responses do not meet a sufficient standard based on the evaluation criteria. The DOER reserves the right to waive any technical defect or informality in proposals received or to allow the Respondent to correct them, and to accept or reject any proposal or portion thereof. The DOER reserves the right to seek additional information from any and all respondents including but not limited to requests for clarifications and interviews. In reviewing proposals or interviewing respondents, the DOER may seek the input of other relevant agencies or stakeholders, including the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.

B. Evaluation Criteria

The selected Contractor is required to have the experience, ability, and skills to complete projects of this type on time and within budget.

All proposals received by the due date and meeting the requirements established in this RFQ will be reviewed and evaluated by the DOER. The evaluation will include, but will not be limited to, the following criteria:

1. Qualifications and availability of Team Members

Respondent’s proposed team demonstrates knowledge of managing program budgets, experience in efficiently coordinating communication between stakeholders, and managing project schedules and budgets. Respondents submitting responses must demonstrate sufficient availability of qualified team members to perform all tasks.

2. Respondent’s experience with similar projects

Respondent has demonstrated experience providing similar evaluation services.

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3. Price

Respondent presents a reasonable budget with expected hours of work broken down by major tasks and by personnel. Proposals will be evaluated on price and those that can accomplish the scope with lower budgets will be weighed more favorably.

4. Supplier Diversity Program Commitments & Experience

Respondents will be evaluated based on contractually obligated SDP Plan Commitments.

B. TERMS AND CONDITIONS

A. Reporting

The selected Contractor is responsible for compliance with all contract reporting requirements including, but not limited to, Supplier Diversity Program (SDP) and other contract reports, as required by this contract.

B. Security and confidentiality

The selected Contractor shall comply fully with all security procedures of the Commonwealth and all other applicable state, local and federal agencies in performance of the contract. The selected Contractor shall not divulge to third parties any confidential information obtained by the selected Contractor or its agents, distributors, resellers, subcontractors, officers or employees in the course of performing contract work, including, but not limited to, security procedures, business operations information, personally identifiable information, or commercial proprietary information in the possession of the Commonwealth Agency. The selected Contractor(s) shall enter into a contract which shall include confidentiality and conflict of interest obligations, in a form acceptable to

DOER.

C. Audit

During the term of this Agreement and for a period of six (6) years thereafter, the DOER, its auditors, the Operational Services Division, the Office of the Inspector General or other authorized representatives shall be afforded access at reasonable times to the Contractor’s accounting records, including sales information on any system, reports or files, in order to audit all records relating to goods sold or services performed pursuant to this Agreement. If such an audit indicates that the Contractor has materially overcharged the DOER, then the Contractor shall remit the overcharged amount and be responsible for payment of any costs associated with the audit.