FINAL 23-AMMS-0001 - DOE RFI REQUEST FOR GENERATING CARBON POLLUTION-FREE ELECTRICITY ON THE HANFORD SITE 8-22-23.pdf

United States Department of Energy, Office of Environmental Management

Request for Information

August 30, 2023

GENERATING CARBON POLLUTION-FREE ELECTRICITY ON THE HANFORD SITE,

RICHLAND, WASHINGTON

Why the Request for Information?

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) to identify potentially capable parties having an interest in leasing land from the federal government to develop utility-scale carbon pollution-free electricity (CFE) projects. The federal land that may be considered for leasing is located on the Hanford Site, lying directly north of the city limits of the city of Richland, Washington (see attached map, Potentially Available Lands for Lease).

America’s energy security, economic resilience and climate leadership require the nation to dramatically increase clean-energy production over the next several decades. DOE is playing a critical leadership role in achieving this goal, not only through policy implementation but also the strategic use of DOE federal facilities and lands.

In accordance with the President’s Executive Order (EO) 14057, Catalyzing Clean Energy

Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability, agencies are seeking to reduce carbon emissions across federal operations. As defined in the EO, CFE includes: “electrical energy produced from resources that generate no carbon emissions, including marine energy, solar, wind, hydrokinetic (including tidal, wave, current, and thermal), geothermal, hydroelectric, nuclear, renewably sourced hydrogen, and electrical energy generation from fossil resources to the extent there is active capture and storage of carbon dioxide emissions that meets EPA requirements.”

The EO requires federal agencies to achieve 100 percent CFE on a net-annual basis as early as

2030, including 50 percent 24/7 CFE. In addition, agencies are directed to authorize use of their real property assets, including land for the development of new CFE generation and storage through leases, grants, permits, or other mechanisms, to the extent permitted by law. As the federal leader on clean-energy research and development and the steward of more than 2 million acres of land, DOE has both a unique opportunity and clear responsibility to lead and identify creative solutions to achieve the President’s mandate.

On July 28, 2023, the Secretary of Energy announced DOE’s Cleanup to Clean Energy initiative where DOE will lease some of its underutilized land for the development of CFE projects. The

Hanford Site, which is one of several DOE Environmental Management sites engaged in environmental cleanup across the United States, is supporting efforts to reach the CFE goals as well as supporting the local community’s vision of becoming a center of excellence in clean-energy generation and storage. DOE recognizes the local Tri-Cities community is well suited and prepared to support these critical issues.

How much land is available for potential development?

At Hanford, DOE has identified approximately 19,000 acres of contiguous land that could potentially be used for industrial activities including CFE generation and storage. DOE may decide to lease part or all the available land for CFE, or award leases to one or multiple entities for CFE. The attached map shows the land in consideration. The features of the property are described in the Hanford Site Comprehensive Land-Use Plan, under DOE/EIS-0222 record of decision (64FR61615; Nov. 12, 1999), and related documents at EIS-0222: Documents Available

For Download. Any final decisions on potentially available lands and industrial activities, including CFE, are subject to completion of applicable regulatory processes, including applicable

National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) requirements.

What’s next?

DOE is planning a Cleanup to Clean Energy Information Day in Richland, Washington, on

September 22, 2023, for interested parties to ask questions and have an opportunity to see the land identified for potential CFE production. Registration is available at https://www.energy.gov/em/events/hanford-cleanup-clean-energy-information-day.

• DOE is interested in hearing from parties who have the requisite expertise to design, permit, finance, construct, and operate utility-scale (e.g., 200 MW or larger) CFE generation plants.

• DOE is interested in hearing tribal and community perspectives on potential collaboration with industry partners towards advancement of CFE goals.

• After review of submittals to this RFI and consideration of Cleanup to Clean Energy

Information Day feedback, DOE will announce next steps to identify potential opportunities for CFE generation.

• DOE has not made any final agency decisions at this time and will continue to communicate with tribes and stakeholders on potential proposed land uses, as appropriate.

What to include in the RFI response?

Interested parties (individual entity or teaming arrangement) are invited to submit an RFI response, which should be no longer than 20 pages and may include the following information:

Entity Profile o Entity name, point of contact, official title, phone number, and email address.

o Entity’s socioeconomic size standard based on the North American Industry

Classification System Code 2211 (“Electric Power Generation, Transmission and

Distribution”).

o Entity’s resources to demonstrate knowledge and ability to design, permit, finance, construct, operate, and maintain a utility-scale CFE generation project.

o Description of entity’s skills in the clean energy sector, how the entity meets the demands of clean energy and corresponding skills, as well as the competencies, qualifications and training that are needed to meet the demands and fully realize the CFE job opportunities.

https://www.energy.gov/nepa/listings/eis-0222-documents-available-download https://www.energy.gov/nepa/listings/eis-0222-documents-available-download https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.energy.gov%2Fem%2Fevents%2Fhanford-cleanup-clean-energy-information-day&data=05%7C01%7Ckaren.lutz%40rl.doe.gov%7C8d7f5d7ebe0d49d2988208dba7d43c79%7C61e35c42ffa04f89bb152b8c13320625%7C0%7C0%7C638288302233713246%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=22rZT3X6v6g7pe6yJAYDvFotTQi7swyj9l9S6eRm62k%3D&reserved=0

Entity Experience o Describe the entity’s experience in developing and operating CFE projects, past performance and description of two relevant projects and include references with contact information from previously completed projects.

o Describe the entity’s experience interfacing with the utilities to integrate with the grid and/or establish a microgrid.

o Describe the entity’s experience in compliance with state and federal regulatory reviews in permitting projects on federal land, through tribal consultation or partnering, the

National Environmental Policy Act and National Historic Preservation Act, to address such elements as ecological, environmental, and cultural consideration associated with ground-disturbing and visual-affecting activities.

o Describe the qualifications of the personnel the entity would use to develop and operate a

CFE project. Confirm that the personnel would include licensed professional engineers with experience typically required to support CFE generation, including, for example, experience in industrial engineering, chemical engineering, and computer software engineering.

o Describe the entity’s stakeholder and Tribal engagement approach and experience.

Entity Capability o Identify the entity’s proposed CFE technology, project size in acres and production capacity-output for electrical generation.

o Discuss the entity’s strategy and technical considerations for grid-integrated clean energy, and how project developers will interconnect and distribute CFE for acceptance of power to the transmission grid in working with DOE Bonneville Power Administration or other similar entity(s).

o Describe the entity’s vision and approach for clean energy market, including proposed life of a lease and provisions in a lease, economic development (e.g., jobs and monetary benefits) and partnering opportunities among tribal governments, private investors, investor-owned utilities, public and municipal utilities, and electric cooperatives.

o Confirmation that the entity is registered in the Hanford Vendor Portal https://vendreg.hanford.gov/.

Tribal and Community Input o Provide any input DOE should take under consideration with this CFE initiative.

Please note, responses should not include proprietary business information.

All responses must be received no later than 4 p.m. PT on Thursday, October 12, 2023.

Please send responses to EMCleanEnergy@em.doe.gov.

In accordance with the implementing regulations of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

(PRA), specifically 5 CFR 1320.3(h)(4) and OMB guidance this general solicitation is exempt from the PRA. Facts or opinions submitted in response to general solicitations of comments from https://vendreg.hanford.gov/ mailto:EMCleanEnergy@em.doe.gov https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-5/section-1320.3#p-1320.3(h)(4) the public, published in the Federal Register or other publications, regardless of the form or format thereof, provided that no person is required to supply specific information pertaining to the commenter, other than that necessary for self-identification, as a condition of the agency's full consideration, are not generally considered information collections and therefore not subject to the PRA.

We note that this is a RFI only, and NOT a formal request for proposals. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes; it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP), applications, proposal abstracts, or quotations. This RFI does not commit the U.S. Government to contract for any supplies or services or make a grant award. Further, we are not seeking proposals through this RFI and will not accept unsolicited proposals. Responders are advised that the U.S. Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI; all costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party's expense. We note that not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future procurement, if conducted. It is the responsibility of the potential responders to monitor this RFI announcement for additional information pertaining to this request. No proprietary information should be included in any submittal.

Potentially Available Lands for Lease