STATE OF CONNECTICUT RFP FOR ENERGY RESILIENCE CONSTRUCTION GRANTS November 10, 2025

Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

STATE OF CONNECTICUT PROCUREMENT NOTICE

Request for Proposals (RFP) For

Energy Resilience Construction

Grants RFP

Issued By:

Department of Energy and

Environmental Protection

November 12, 2025

The Final Request For Proposals is available in electronic format on the State Contracting Portal by filtering by Organization for

Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

https://portal.ct.gov/DAS/CTSource/BidBoard or from DEEP’s Official Contact:

Address: 10 Franklin Square, New Britain, CT 06051

E-Mail: DEEP.EnergyBureau@ct.gov

DEEP is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

DEEP reserves the right to reject any and all submissions or cancel this RFP at any time if deemed in the best interest of the State of Connecticut.

https://biznet.ct.gov/SCP_Search/BidResults.aspx https://biznet.ct.gov/SCP_Search/BidResults.aspx https://portal.ct.gov/DAS/CTSource/BidBoard mailto:DEEP.EnergyBureau@ct.gov

STATE OF CONNECTICUT RFP FOR ENERGY RESILIENCE CONSTRUCTION GRANTS November 10, 2025

DEEP reserves the right to modify this RFP in accordance with any changes made to its U.S

Department of Energy Assistance Agreements. The underlying Project and scope of work of any resulting contract, including any payments, are contingent upon the continued availability of federal funds that have been appropriated, designated, encumbered, or otherwise made available to DEEP for payments for this Project.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) §40101(d) funds have been appropriated by Congress and obligated to DEEP. However, any party that enters into an agreement with DEEP for a project as a result of the RFP will need to agree and acknowledge that the contract, the funding and all deliverables are subject to the availability of appropriations and continued support for program implementation from DOE to DEEP. Should the DOE take actions to suspend, delay or terminate program funds, the parties will agree to cooperate in taking all necessary actions, such as suspending all contract activity and accounting for costs in accordance with federal termination laws and CFR

200.340.

STATE OF CONNECTICUT RFP FOR ENERGY RESILIENCE CONSTRUCTION GRANTS NOVEMBER 10, 2025

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

A. INTRODUCTION

1. RFP Name and Number.

Energy Resilience Construction Grants Request for Proposals (RFP)

Number: DEEP-2026-002-SW

2. RFP Summary.

DEEP is using this RFP to fund energy resilience projects using federal Bipartisan

Infrastructure Law (BIL) §40101(d) formula funding for the first three (3) years, state funding through C.G.S. §16-243y DEEP Climate and Resilience Fund to meet federal cost match requirements, and SEP-BIL State Energy Program funding to leverage both funding sources.

Selected projects will receive state and federal funds.

3. RFP Purpose.

The purpose of this RFP is to seek proposals that further the goals of the Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants Program, BIL (P.L. 117-169) Section 40101(d) and the energy construction component of the DCRF authorized pursuant to Section 16-243y of the Connecticut General Statutes.

The goal of BIL Section 40101(d) is to improve the resilience of the electric grid. The goal of the energy construction component of C.G.S. Section 16-243y is to support local distributed energy generation for critical facilities or resilience projects, prioritizing proposals from Vulnerable Communities, as defined in C.G.S. Section 16-243y as: “populations that may be disproportionately impacted by the effects of climate change, including, but not limited to, low and moderate income communities, environmental justice communities pursuant to section 22a-20a, communities eligible for community reinvestment pursuant to section 36a- 30 and the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977, 12 USC 2901 et seq., as amended from time to time, populations with increased risk and limited means to adapt to the effects of climate change, or as further defined by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection in consultation with community representatives.” One of the goals of the Federal SEP-BIL funding is to support resilience infrastructure deployment at critical state facilities.

This funding may be used for an energy-resilience focused project (for example, solar deployment paired with storage) to improve energy security and resiliency at one or more critical state facilities.

DEEP is using this RFP to select one or more projects that will be funded using one or more of the funding sources listed above. DEEP intends to select project proposals under this RFP that have the potential to deliver the following objectives in the most cost-effective manner:

• Support the efficient and reliable integration of variable and distributed energy resources needed to meet the state’s zero carbon electric sector goal and avoid fossil peaking generation;

• Improve system reliability and resilience in a range of weather and storm conditions and improve overall grid flexibility;

• Maximize the benefits and limit the adverse impacts of grid resilience investments for

Vulnerable Communities1, as defined in C.G.S. Section 16-243y; and

• Use strong labor standards and protections, and strategize to attract, train, and retain an appropriately skilled and local workforce, especially from vulnerable communities.

4. Commodity Codes. The services that DEEP wishes to fund through this RFP are as follows:

• 81000000: Engineering and Research and Technology Based Services

• 83101900: Energy Conservation

• 80101600: Project Management

• 80101604: Project Administration or Planning

• 80101606: Project Monitoring and Evaluation

• 80161500: Management and Support Services

• 81101516: Professional Engineering Services, Civil Engineering, Energy or utility consulting service

B. INSTRUCTIONS

1. Official Contact. DEEP has designated the individual below as the Official Contact for purposes of this RFP. The Official Contact is the only authorized contact for this grant RFP and, as such, handles all related communications on behalf of DEEP.

Proposers, prospective proposers, and other interested parties are advised that any communication with any other DEEP employee(s) (including appointed officials) or personnel under contract to the DEEP about this RFP is strictly prohibited. Proposers or prospective proposers who violate this instruction may risk disqualification from further consideration.

Address: 10 Franklin Square, New Britain, CT 06051 E-Mail: DEEP.EnergyBureau@ct.gov

Please ensure that e-mail screening software (if used) recognizes and accepts e-mails from the Official Contact.

2. Registering with State Contracting Portal. Respondents must register with the State of CT contracting portal at https://portal.ct.gov/DAS/CTSource/Registration if not already registered. Respondents shall submit the following information pertaining to this application to this portal (on their supplier profile), which will be checked by DEEP’s contact.

• Secretary of State recognition – Click on appropriate response

• Non-profit status, if applicable

• Notice to Executive Branch State Contractors and Prospective State Contractors of Campaign Contribution and Solicitation Limitations: (attached as Appendix E)

• Campaign Contribution Certification (OPM Ethics Form 1):

https://portal.ct.gov/OPM/Fin-PSA/Forms/Ethics-Forms

1 DEEP used the term Disadvantage Communities (DACs) in Connecticut’s 40101(d) program narrative; however, for the purpose of this RFP, DEEP is adopting the concept of “vulnerable communities” as defined in C.G.S. Section

16-243y to define DACs.

mailto:DEEP.EnergyBureau@ct.gov https://portal.ct.gov/DAS/CTSource/Registration https://portal.ct.gov/OPM/Fin-PSA/Forms/Ethics-Forms

3. RFP Information. The RFP, amendments to the RFP, and other information associated with this grant RFP are available in electronic format at the following locations:

On DEEP’s website in the following locations: DEEP Climate Resilience Fund, Clean, Resilient, and Reliable Energy; and Energy Filings Docket

State Contracting Portal (go to CTsource bid board, filter by “Department of Energy and Environmental Protection”)

It is strongly recommended that any proposer or prospective proposer interested in this grant RFP check the State Contracting Portal Bid Board for any solicitation changes. Interested proposers may receive additional e-mails from CTsource announcing addendums that are posted on the portal. This service is provided as a courtesy to assist in monitoring activities associated with State RFPs.

4. RFP Schedule. See below. DEEP may amend the schedule as needed. Any change to non-target dates will be made by means of an amendment to this RFP and will be posted on the State Contracting Portal and, if available, DEEP’s RFP Web Page.

Final RFP Released: November 12, 2025 RFP Conference November 20, 2025 at 1:00 PM EPT Deadline for Questions: December 1, 2025 at 12:00 PM EPT Answers Released: December 8, 2025 Proposals Due: May 8, 2026 by 12:00 PM EPT Proposer Selection: Q3 2026 Start of Contract Negotiations: Q3 2026 Start of Contract: Q4 2026/Q1 2027

5. Contract Awards. DEEP anticipates the following:

• Contract Cost: $10,000 up to $6 million

• Contract Term: 1 – 5 years

• Funding Source: Up to $9.595 million in Federal BIL formula funding, up to $12.5 million in state funds, and up to $2.2 million in Federal SEP- BIL funding.

BIL Section 40101(d) requires a cost match for both the state and the subrecipient in order to receive the federal funding, as detailed below. Through this RFP, DEEP will use state bond funding authorized pursuant to C.G.S. Section 16-243y to meet the cost match requirements under BIL Section 40101(d) for both the state and for the subawardee:

• Connecticut is required to match 15 percent of the amount of each grant provided to it under BIL Section 40101(d).

• A subawardee receiving a subaward under this RFP is required to match 100 percent of the amount of the subaward funded from the BIL Section 40101(d) formula funding. If the subawardee is an eligible entity that sells not more than 4,000,000 megawatt hours of electricity per year (Small Utility), the required match is one-third of the amount of the subaward.

https://portal.ct.gov/connecticutclimateaction/executive-order/deep-climate-resilience-fund https://portal.ct.gov/deep/energy/clean-and-resilient-energy https://portal.ct.gov/deep/energy/clean-and-resilient-energy https://www.dpuc.state.ct.us/DEEPEnergy.nsf/$EnergyView?OpenForm&Start=1&Count=30&Expand=4&Seq=1

BIL Section 40101(d) also requires DEEP to set aside a portion of the funding (including the State’s 15% match) for small utilities. This small utility set aside must be not be less than the percentage of all customers in Connecticut that are served by those eligible entities. DEEP estimates that the eight Small Utilities in Connecticut provide service to a total of approximately 5% of all customers in Connecticut.

Accordingly, this RFP sets aside funding specifically for small utilities of an amount up to $733,823, which includes $479,780 of the BIL Section 40101(d) formula funding as well as $71,967 in state cost match of the formula funding amount and $182,076 in Small Utility subawardee cost match using the state bond funding. If DEEP does not receive project proposals that meet the RFP requirements from Small Utilities for the full set aside amount, the excess set aside funds will be reallocated to the total available funds for awards to other eligible entities.

Any contract award under the BIL Section 40101(d) portion of the award is contingent upon DOE approval and subject to the subaward approval processes outlined in the Administrative and Legal Requirements Document (ALRD) for this federal funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0002736)2. After selecting projects submitted in response to this RFP, DEEP must adhere to the following process to get final project approval from DOE prior to awarding a final contract to the selected vendor(s) for a resilience project subaward.

DEEP must notify the DOE in writing prior to the execution of new or modified subawards/subcontracts. DEEP may not proceed with the subaward/subcontract until the DOE determines, and provides DEEP written notification, that the information provided is adequate.

Proposers should be aware of the following documents they will need to complete if selected for an award as well as the standard terms and conditions that will be part of the contract:

• Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL)

• Environmental Questionnaire for each work location

• Statement of Assurances (Attachment F)

• Sample contract - Terms and Conditions and Appendices A, B, and C

(attached as Appendix D)

DEEP reserves the right to issue an award using BIL Section 40101(d), C.G.S.

Section 16-243y, or SEP-BIL funding, or any combination thereof. DEEP will work with any selected entity on the allocation of funding and identify from which funding source.

6. Eligibility.

Any individual, entity, or public or private firm listed here with the requisite experience listed in the scope of services in Section II below may respond to this

RFP.

To be eligible for an award under this Program, a proposer must be one of the following entities (Eligible Entity):

a. An electric grid operator

b. An electricity storage operator

c. An electricity generator

2 FedConnect: Opportunity Summary. Search for Reference Number DE-FOA-0002736. Click on the title then on DE-FOA-0002736 in the

Amendment 9 folder.

https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/post-award-reporting-forms https://www.netl.doe.gov/sites/default/files/2024-09/451-1-1-3_8-27%20update.pdf https://www.fedconnect.net/FedConnect/PublicPages/PublicSearch/Public_Opportunities.aspx

d. A transmission owner or operator

e. A distribution provider, like an electric distribution company or participating municipal electric utility

f. A fuel supplier

g. Any local or regional governmental entity

h. Municipal corporation

i. Regional council of governments

j. Public authority, including but not limited to quasi-public agencies

k. State and federally recognized tribe

l. Energy improvement district, and

m. Any nonprofit, academic and private entity

Entities g-m in the list above are not explicitly identified as eligible entities in BIL Section 40101(d), but are specifically included in C.G.S. Section 16-243y. If an entity is selected in this RFP and is not explicitly included as an eligible entity under BIL Section 40101(d), DEEP will submit a request to DOE for eligibility. BIL Section 40101(d) explicitly authorizes DOE to add eligible recipients.3 Any award resulting from this RFP to an entity that is not explicitly included in BIL Section 40101(d) is contingent upon DOE approval of the entity as eligible for such federal funding.

7. Minimum Qualifications of Proposers. To qualify for a grant award, a proposer must have the following minimum qualifications:

a. An entity with experience successfully implementing community grant projects;

b. An entity who will develop and implement the project in collaboration with a municipality or community;

c. An entity with demonstrated experience successfully implementing similar or related projects to the proposed project.

d. Be an Eligible Entity as defined in Section I.B.6. above.

e. The ability to obtain a federal Unique Entity ID (UEI) from the System for

Award Management (SAM) to uniquely identify the entity. Register with SAM at https://www.sam.gov/

f. A clear understanding of the Uniform Administrative Guidance for this grant as outlined in Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 200 (2 CFR 200)4 as amended by Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 910 (2

CFR 910)5.

g. Relevant experience working with federal, state and local government agencies on large-scale infrastructure resiliency projects similar to the proposed project or related experience.

h. The ability to separately track and report state funding, BIL 40101(d)funding, SEP-BIL funding, and ability to comply with requirements of all applicable Federal, State, and local laws, regulations, DOE policy and guidance, and instructions in the ALRD6.

i. Assurance that the entity or any individuals participating on the project are not participating in a Foreign Government-Sponsored Talent Recruitment Program of a Foreign Country of Risk.

3 BIL Section 40101(d) includes under eligible entities: “any other relevant entity, as determined by the DOE Secretary.” U.S. Department of

Energy (2024). Frequently Asked Questions for Grid Resilience Formula Grants to States and Indian Tribes IIJA Section 40101(d). pg. 39.

Available at: 40101d Frequently Asked Questions_09172024.pdf 4 eCFR :: 2 CFR Part 200 -- Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards 5 eCFR :: 2 CFR Part 910 -- Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards 6 https://www.fedconnect.net/FedConnect/default.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2ffedconnect%2f%3fdoc%3dDE-FOA-

0002736%26agency%3dDOE&doc=DE-FOA-0002736&agency=DOE https://netl.doe.gov/sites/default/files/2024-09/40101d%20Frequently%20Asked%20Questions_09172024.pdf https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200?toc=1 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-B/chapter-IX/part-910 https://www.fedconnect.net/FedConnect/default.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2ffedconnect%2f%3fdoc%3dDE-FOA-0002736%26agency%3dDOE&doc=DE-FOA-0002736&agency=DOE https://www.fedconnect.net/FedConnect/default.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2ffedconnect%2f%3fdoc%3dDE-FOA-0002736%26agency%3dDOE&doc=DE-FOA-0002736&agency=DOE

j. Assurance that the proposer will pay all of the laborers and mechanics performing construction, alteration, or repair work in excess of $2,000 on projects funded directly by or assisted in whole or in part by and through funding under the federal awards, wages at rates not less than those prevailing on projects of a character similar in the locality as determined by subchapter IV of Chapter 1 of Title 40, United State Code commonly referred to as the “Davis-Bacon Act” (DBA).

k. Assurance that the proposer will comply with all requirements of the Build America Buy America Act, Pub. L. No. 117-58, §§ 70901-52 (BABAA), including providing the BABAA self-certification (Attachment G). The Buy America Preference applies to articles, materials, and supplies that are consumed in, incorporated into, or affixed to a public infrastructure project.

l. Assurance that no planned, actual or apparent conflict of interest exists between the proposer and the State of Connecticut.

Proposers that fail to follow instructions, satisfy these minimum qualifications, or meet the submission requirements of this RFP may be notified of an omission or defect that DEEP does not consider significant, and that DEEP determines can be cured without giving the respondent an unfair advantage over any other respondent, and may be given the opportunity to cure in DEEP’s discretion. DEEP will reject any proposal that deviates significantly from the requirements of this RFP.

8. Inquiry Procedures. All questions must be directed, in writing, electronically, (e-mail) to the Official Contact before the deadline specified in the RFP Schedule. The early submission of questions is encouraged. Questions will not be accepted or answered verbally – neither in person nor over the telephone. All questions received before the deadline(s) will be answered. However, DEEP will not answer questions when the source is unknown (i.e., nuisance or anonymous questions). Questions deemed unrelated to the RFP will not be answered. At its discretion, DEEP may or may not respond to questions received after the deadline. DEEP may combine similar questions and give only one answer. All questions and answers will be compiled into a written amendment to this RFP. If any answer to any question constitutes a material change to the RFP, the question and answer will be placed at the beginning of the amendment and duly noted as such.

DEEP will release the answers to questions on the date(s) established in the RFP Schedule. DEEP will publish any and all amendments to this RFP on the State Contracting Portal and, if available, on DEEP’s RFP Web Page. At its discretion, DEEP may distribute any amendments to this RFP to prospective proposers who submitted a Letter of Interest or attended the RFP Conference.

9. RFP Conference. A virtual RFP conference will be held to answer questions from prospective proposers on the date and time below. Attendance at the conference is optional. Prospective proposers are asked to have a copy of the RFP available to them while attending the conference. At the conference, attendees will be provided an opportunity to submit written questions, which DEEP’s representatives may (or may not) answer at the conference. Any oral answers given at the conference by DEEP’s representatives are tentative and not binding on DEEP. All questions submitted will be answered in a written amendment to this RFP, which will serve as DEEP’s official response to questions asked at the conference. If any answer to any question constitutes a material change to the RFP, the question and answer will be placed at the beginning of the amendment and duly noted as such. DEEP will release the amendment on the date established in the RFP Schedule. DEEP will publish any and all amendments to this RFP on the State Contracting Portal and on DEEP’s Web Pages listed in Section I.B.3.

A virtual RFP conference will be held on November 20, 2025, at 1:00 PM EPT via Zoom.

Interested stakeholders can register for the virtual RFP conference here.

10. Proposal Due Date and Time. Proposals must be received on or before the due date and time: May 8, 2026, by 12:00 PM EPT.

Proposals received after the due date and time will be ineligible and will not be evaluated. DEEP will send written notification alerting late respondents of ineligibility.

An acceptable submission must include the following:

• One complete, redacted version, subject to the Declaration of Confidential

Information requirements in Part III.A.8, of the proposal for public posting, which must be clearly labeled PUBLIC, AND

• If applicable, one complete, unredacted version of the proposal for the Evaluation Team’s review, which must be clearly labeled CONFIDENTIAL. Any version of the proposal not clearly marked CONFIDENTIAL will be posted publicly.

The proposal must be complete, properly formatted and outlined, and ready for evaluation by the Screening Committee.

Respondents will submit their proposals through the DAS state contracting portal (CT Source) which can be accessed here:

https://portal.ct.gov/DAS/CTSource/CTSource.

11. Multiple Proposals. The submission of multiple proposals is an option for this RFP.

An eligible entity may submit a proposal individually and additional proposals as part of a team. An eligible entity may also submit separate proposals for the same or different resilience measures. If an eligible entity chooses to submit multiple proposals, each proposal must be submitted separately as its own standalone proposal and individually meet all minimum requirements of this RFP. An eligible entity may submit multiple proposals that are substantially similar, including segments of a project submitted as multiple proposals.

II. PURPOSE OF RFP AND SCOPE OF SERVICES

A. AGENCY OVERVIEW

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is charged with conserving, improving, and protecting the natural resources and the environment of the state of Connecticut as well as making cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable energy available for the people and businesses of the state. The Bureau of Energy and Technology Policy (BETP) of DEEP was designated by Connecticut’s Governor as the recipient to receive and administer the grid resilience formula funding grant agreement under Section 40101(d) of the BIL. BETP manages energy, telecommunication, and broadband policy issues and program deployment for DEEP with the goal of establishing a clean, economical, resilient, and reliable energy and technology future for all of Connecticut’s residents.

https://ctdeep.zoom.us/meeting/register/W0iESg84Sfu1872YkqB49g

After contract execution, DEEP’s role is administration of the grant at the program level.

DEEP will collect the quarterly reported data from the selected project(s) to track project construction and operation and report to DOE the progress of meeting the Program objectives. DEEP will not perform any administration at the project level.

B. GRANT OVERVIEW

DEEP will award a grant or grants for project(s) that improves the resilience of the electric grid against disruptive events.

The proposal must clearly describe how the project will provide tangible, measurable benefits to residents of the State and must indicate whether those benefits are provided to

Vulnerable Communities, as defined by C.G.S. Section 16-243y. Proposals should identify and map targeted Vulnerable Communities using environmental mapping tools available in

Connecticut7 or other publicly available environmental mapping tools.

C. SCOPE OF SERVICE DESCRIPTION

Proposals must meet the requirements established in this section. Proposals can demonstrate how they meet each of these requirements by responding to the questions in

Section IV, below.

1. Resilience Measures

DEEP is soliciting proposals from Eligible Entities to deliver services and execute projects that are expected to help prevent outages and enhance the resilience of the electric grid in

Connecticut. Funding under this RFP may be used to implement a wide range of resilience measures intended to mitigate the impact of events in which operations of the electric grid are disrupted, preventively shut off, or cannot operate safely due to extreme weather, wildfire, or a natural disaster, including (Eligible Project):

▪ Weatherization technologies and equipment

▪ Fire-resistant technologies and fire prevention systems

▪ Monitoring and control technologies

▪ The undergrounding of electrical equipment

▪ Utility pole management

▪ The relocation of power lines or the reconductoring of power lines with low-sag, advanced conductors

▪ Fuel-load management

▪ The use or construction of distributed energy resources for enhancing system adaptive capacity during disruptive events, including microgrids and energy storage subcomponents

▪ Adaptive protection technologies

▪ Advanced modeling technologies

▪ Hardening of power lines, facilities, substations, of other systems

▪ The replacement of old overhead conductors and underground cables

▪ Other, subject to approval by DOE

7 Connecticut Environmental Justice Office – Environmental Justice Communities or CIRCA - Connecticut

Environmental Justice Screening Tool.

https://ctdeep.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=d04ec429d0a4477b9526689dc7809ffe https://connecticut-environmental-justice.circa.uconn.edu/

DEEP acknowledges that the set of solutions that can provide resilience is rapidly developing and evolving. As a result, DEEP has included an “Other” project type for project ideas that may be newer and/or do not fall into the key categories. “Other” project types must be approved by DOE.

Funding may also be used for the training, recruitment, retention, and reskilling of skilled and properly credentialled workers in order to perform the work required for any of the resilience measures listed above.

The period of performance will be determined based upon the project proposed. However, in no project shall the period of performance be greater than five years.

Funding under this RFP may not be used for feasibility studies, alternatives analyses, or environmental impact assessments or studies. Projects submitted for funding must be at minimum ready to proceed to detailed design upon award.

Funding from BIL Section 40101(d) may not be used for cybersecurity or construction of a new electric generating facility or large scale battery storage facility that is not used for enhancing system adaptive capacity during disruptive events. However, if a project is selected and conforms to the BIL Section 40101(d) requirements, DEEP may award additional state funds for the project, which may include costs not eligible for funding under

BIL Section 40101(d). It is important to separately identify the cost of the facility in

Attachment D, Budget.

2. Objectives

The following primary objectives are the desired outcomes of this RFP. Relevant project impacts could include the project’s potential to:

• Reduce the frequency, extent and duration of disruptive events from extreme weather events and/or other causes;

• Reduce restoration times from grid disruptive events;

• Incorporate distributed energy resources;

• Reduce greenhouse gases and other air pollutants in alignment with state climate policies;

• Provide measurable benefits to residents of the State, including but not limited to

Vulnerable Communities; and

• Foster economic development to members of the community of which the project is serving.

Proposals should specify how the proposed project deliverables may achieve the following objectives:

• Support the efficient and reliable integration of variable and distributed energy resources needed to meet the State’s zero-carbon electric sector goal and avoid fossil peaking generation.

• Improve system reliability and resilience in a range of weather and storm conditions and improve overall grid flexibility while maximizing community benefits by providing quantifiable and/or tangible benefits relating to reducing the likelihood and duration of occurrences of disruptive events..

• Maximize the benefits and limit the adverse impacts of grid resilience investments for residents of the State, including but not limited to Vulnerable Communities.

• Use strong labor standards and protections and strategize to attract, train, and retain an appropriately skilled and local workforce, especially from vulnerable communities.

3. Project Metrics

DEEP will analyze project metrics upfront and over the term of the contract (for selected projects). Project metrics define the information that DEEP will use to evaluate project proposals against objectives and criteria, track actual performance of projects as compared to proposed performance, and report program results to DOE. DEEP requests proposers provide these metrics in the standardized formats provided in the Excel spreadsheet titled

Attachment A. Metrics Reporting Template. The purpose of this section is to describe these standardized formats in more detail. Attachment A: Metrics Reporting Template contains more detailed instructions on how to provide the project metrics.

The project metrics include data that should be available for most project types. These metrics are labeled General Metrics and appear at the top of each project type reporting page (1-GridInfrastructure, 2-DistributedGeneration, and 3-Microgrid). These metrics are grouped by the evaluation criteria. All these metrics are required and DEEP expects project proposers to populate as many of these required metrics as possible. A list the General

Metrics is below.

Climate Policy Goal Metrics

• Greenhouse gases: Annual emissions reductions in metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent

• Air Pollutants:

o Annual emissions reductions in metric tons of NOx o Annual emissions reductions in metric tons of SO2 o Annual emissions reductions in metric tons of PM2.5

Resilience Metrics8

• Number and names of towns benefited by the project

• Number of Residential customers benefited by the project

• Number of Commercial customers benefited by the project

• Number of Industrial customers benefited by the project

• Number of occurrences of planned maintenance

• Number of hours across all occurrences of planned maintenance

• Number of occurrences of unplanned maintenance

• Number of hours across all occurrences of unplanned maintenance

• Number of hours of uptime

• If Utility Applicant:

8 The Applicant should indicate the type(s) of outages that the proposed measures will address. If the proposed measures address a variety of outage types, the Applicant can attribute the benefits to ‘All Causes’. Regardless of which outage type(s) the Applicant selects, the resilience baseline and reduction calculations should reflect the outage type(s) selected. Outage types include: all causes, vegetation, animal, vehicle, tornado, thunderstorm, hurricane, derecho, flooding, wildfire, earthquake, ice/snow storm, operator error, equipment failure, extreme heat, extreme cold, other storm, and other. If the Applicant identifies the outage type as ‘Other Storm” or ‘Other’, the Applicant should provide a description of the outage type(s).

o Baseline SAIDI, SAIFI, CAIDI for the area associated with the improvements9 for each of the past five years (including Major Event Days)10 o Reduced SAIDI, SAIFI, CAIDI for the area associated with the improvements

(including Major Event Days) o Total number of Residential customers in the coverage area o Total number of Commercial customers in the coverage area o Total number of Industrial customers in the coverage area

• If Non-Utility Applicant (with no access to SAIDI, SAIFI, CAIDI data):

o Baseline number of outages for the area associated with the improvements for each of the past five years (including Major Event Days) o Baseline hours of unmet load for the area associated with the improvements for each of the past five years (including Major Event Days) o Reduced number of outages for the area associated with the improvements

(including Major Event Days) o Reduced hours of unmet load for the area associated with the improvements

(including Major Event Days)

Community Benefits Metrics

• Number and names of Vulnerable Communities (VCs) benefited by the project

• # Residential customers benefited by the project in VCs

• # Commercial customers benefited by the project in VCs

• # Industrial customers benefited by the project in VCs

• $ Total Costs (including grant funding request in this RFP and other funding sources) associated with VCs benefitted by the project

Workforce Development Metrics

• FTEs In-State

• FTEs in VCs

• Businesses In-State

• Businesses in VCs

• Apprenticeships and Trainings In-State

• Apprenticeships and Trainings in VCs

Cost-Effectiveness Metrics

• $ Total Costs (including grant funding request in this RFP, and other funding sources)

• Grant Funding Request ($ and % of Total Costs)

• Other Funding, itemize by source ($, source description, and % of Total Costs)

The wide variety of project types allowed under this RFP results in the need for additional metrics that are specific to each project type. These project types include grid infrastructure, distributed energy resources (not part of a microgrid), and microgrids. These

9 The Applicant should report resilience metrics for the geographical area best associated with the improvements.

The Applicant can select: the full service territory, one or more feeder coverage areas, one or more substation coverage areas, or a specific facility or facilities. The Applicant may also select ‘Other’ and define a geographical area that is specific and more appropriate to the project.

10 The baseline and reductions should account for all days, including normal days and Major Event Days.

metrics are labeled Project-Specific Metrics and appear after the General Metrics, towards the bottom of each project type reporting page (1-GridInfrastructure, 2-

DistributedGeneration, and 3-Microgrid). The table below maps the Eligible Projects to the project types. Proposals that include more than one project type must clearly specify the project types included in their proposal and submit Project-Specific Metrics for all included project types. A list of the metrics for each Project Type is below the table.

Project Type Eligible Projects

Grid Infrastructure • Fire-resistant technologies and fire prevention systems

• Monitoring and control technologies

• The undergrounding of electrical equipment

• Utility pole management

• The relocation of power lines or the reconductoring of power lines with low-sag, advanced conductors

• Adaptive protection technologies

• Advanced modeling technologies

• Hardening of power lines, facilities, substations, of other systems

• The replacement of old overhead conductors and underground cables Distributed Energy

Resources (not part of a

Microgrid)

• Weatherization technologies and equipment

• Fuel-load management

• The use or construction of distributed energy resources for enhancing system adaptive capacity during disruptive events, including stand alone energy storage subcomponents Microgrids • The use or construction of distributed energy resources for enhancing system adaptive capacity during disruptive events, including microgrids and energy storage subcomponents associated with a microgrid

Grid Infrastructure

• Life of project/expected benefits (years)

• Number of measures installed, by component Miles of lines impacted by project

Distributed Energy Resources (not part of a Microgrid)

• Technology type (energy efficiency, demand response, back up generator, solar PV, EVs, stand alone battery storage, etc.)

• Life of project/expected benefits (years)

• Units (#)

• Nameplate (kW for non-storage/kW and kWh for storage)

• Peak Generation/Savings (kW)

• Annual Energy Generation/Savings (kWh)

• FCM Participation (Y/N)

• Critical Facility (Y/N)

• On-Site Fossil Fuel Replacement (Y/N)

• Annual Natural Gas Savings (Therms)

• Annual Oil Savings (Gallons)

• Annual Gasoline Savings (Gallons)

• Annual Diesel Savings (Gallons)

Microgrids

• Facility(s) providing Critical Services (Y/N)

• Description of critical facility(s)

• List of Major System Components

• Design Life of project/expected benefits (years)

• DER Nameplate Rating by component (kW/kWh)

• Grid-Parallel Operation

Average and peak load of facilities served by microgrid

Annual Generation during normal operation (kWh)

▪ Annual on-site usage (kWh)

▪ Annual export to grid (kWh)

▪ Peak reduction (kW)

• Islanded Operation

Does the microgrid employ load shed technologies (Y/N)

Percentage of normal operation load served by microgrid (%)

Percentage of load served by microgrid that is considered critical (%)

Average and peak critical loads served by microgrid (kW, kWh)

Annual critical load (kWh)

Annual critical load served (kWh)

Maximum outage duration that microgrid is designed to ride-through (hours) Availability/uptime percentage (%)

Islanding Response Time (seconds)

Mean Time Between Failures (hours)

Mean Time to Repair (hours)

For “Other” project types DEEP may request additional project metrics to appropriately evaluate the project’s performance. DEEP may also request project metrics that are not explicitly identified in this RFP from any project proposers at any time, in order to adequately evaluate and monitor projects.

4. Organizational Expectations

Proposer must be an Eligible Entity as defined in Section I.B.6 above, and possess the

Minimum Qualifications set forth in section I.B.7. above. Include this information in response to Part IV.D.4.1.

DEEP will give preference to proposals from Connecticut-based entities that currently employ Connecticut residents or proposals that indicate how the project will create local jobs in Connecticut.

Proposer and subcontractors should have experience in developing, financing, owning, and operating, if applicable, other projects of similar type, size and technology, and any evidence that the project participants have worked jointly on other projects.

If the proposer has previously received funding through DEEP, identify the project(s) funded and the status of the project (i.e. under construction, complete).

5. Service Expectations

DEEP will give priority to projects that directly benefit Vulnerable Communities, as defined in

C.G.S. Section 16-243y. If a bidder is providing a benefit to what it believes is a Vulnerable

Community but it is not explicitly included in the definition listed above, the bidder may present detailed information outlining a justification for including its benefitting community in the definition of a Vulnerable Community. DEEP may or may not accept changes to the definition of a Vulnerable Community, at its discretion.

Proposers must propose a project that fulfills one or more of the resilience measures.

Proposals must provide details of the core components necessary to achieve successful buildout of the intended resilience measure(s).

Proposers must include an explanation of how the proposed resilience project addresses the community and grid resilience objectives described above.

Proposers must include an explanation of how the proposed project supports the efficient and reliable integration of variable and distributed energy resources needed to meet the

State’s zero-carbon electric sector goal and avoid fossil peaking generation. This could include the use or construction of distributed energy resources for enhancing system adaptive capacity during disruptive events, including microgrids and battery-storage subcomponents.

Proposers must include an explanation of how the proposed project will reduce the likelihood and consequences of disruptive grid events (i.e., events in which operations of the electric grid are disrupted, preventively shut off, or cannot operate safely due to extreme weather, wildfire, or a natural disaster). This could include any measurable resilience improvements resulting from conventional resilience approaches such as grid hardening, and undergrounding wires to help mitigate storm and weather damage, as well as the expected resilience enhancements from projects delivering on-site backup generation and/or microgrids.

DEEP will give preference to projects that, at the determination of DEEP, will generate the greatest community benefit (whether rural or urban) in reducing the likelihood and consequences of disruptive events. Proposers may use any publicly available information to justify whether the project reduces the likelihood and consequences of disruptive events, including but not limited to information that may be available resulting from the Grid

Resilience Analysis and Climate Change Impacts (GRACI) federal grant funding collaboration between the University of Connecticut and the University of Albany.11

Proposer shall include an explanation of how it will coordinate with the electric distribution companies, if applicable to the project.

Proposer must demonstrate permitting viability, which includes a viable plan to acquire the permits, and licenses necessary to develop the project. Note that for any project that requires a permit, license, or environmental review over which DEEP has jurisdiction, the selection of a project pursuant to this RFP in no way confers preferential treatment, prejudges, or otherwise affects the integrity of DEEP’s determination with respect to such

11 Link to the GRACI Connecticut Grid Resilience Assessment: A Strategic Guide for Key Stakeholders:

https://cleanearth.engr.uconn.edu/graci-ct/.

https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/cleanearth.engr.uconn.edu/graci-ct/__;!!EAPaXxOOW7smCwU!kchPyFnYeOeUHHkPL134aQmHV7syXVpRJwzfIctrLccwW8Br5Et9UzRXDduGbUvii9HPBmtIwpAuMsndoMGVyCjFwyiY6Dvk2YcshfZp$ permit, license, or environmental review. Include this information in response to Part IV, D.4.9.

Proposer must provide a complete critical path schedule for the project from contract execution to the start of commercial operations and any documentation supporting such critical path schedule. For each project element, list the start and end date. Identify the elements on the critical path. Include, at a minimum, facility contracts, start of construction, construction schedule, siting, fuel supply, financing, engineering and procurement, acquisition of real property rights, federal, state and/or local permits, licenses, environmental assessments and/or environmental impact statements (including anticipated permit submittal and approval dates), quarterly reporting updates required under this RFP, and any other contingencies or requirements that could influence the project schedule and the commercial operation date. Include this information in response to Part IV, D.4.6.

For any projects using distributed generation, DEEP will give a preference to projects that leverage or intend to leverage the existing state incentive programs, including but not limited to Nonresidential Renewable Energy Solutions and Energy Storage Solutions.

Pursuant to BIL Section 40101(d), new electric generating facilities are not allowable for funding under this provision. Modification of an existing generation facility may be an eligible use of funds, but the scope of the project would need to reduce the likelihood and consequences of disruptive events and meet one of the eligible uses of grant funds listed in

BIL Section 40101(e), such as weatherization or hardening of facilities. Additionally, any work performed on an existing generating system cannot increase the maximum rated output of the original nameplate capacity.

6. Managerial Expectations:

Proposer must demonstrate that they have resolved the ownership structure for the proposed project and are prepared to implement it with appropriate buy-in from all stakeholders. Proposer shall name the proposed owner and manager of all key assets, and provide a summary of plans for asset operation and maintenance. Proposer shall advise as to the status of negotiations with the project host(s) regarding any necessary easements, siting and terms, and the status of negotiations with energy or service off-takers regarding terms (if applicable). For Proposers who have previously received funding through DEEP, past performance will be a factor considered in the evaluation process.

Proposer shall provide information on the following, if known at the time of writing:

- Manufacturers of / specifications for key equipment

- Qualifications of firm selected to perform engineering, procurement, and/or construction activities

- Availability of or intent to pursue grant funding or leverage funding from other sources (e.g. ratepayer funded programs like NRES, ESS, etc.)

7. Technical Expectations:

Proposer must demonstrate that the proposed project has technical merit and will provide meaningful value to communities which is in line with the goals of the State of Connecticut.

Preference shall be given to projects providing value to Vulnerable Communities. Proposer must demonstrate that the technology it proposes to use is technically viable. Technical viability may be demonstrated by showing that the technology is commercially available and has been used successfully in the United States.

8. Staffing Expectations

Proposer must demonstrate that there is adequate internal staffing, existing subcontractor relationships, or the ability or plan to staff up as needed to complete the resilience project.

Proposer must demonstrate that it has a sufficient amount of relevant experience and expertise, as applicable, to successfully develop, finance, construct, operate and maintain its proposed project. Development, financing and construction experience can be established by demonstrating that key member(s) of the proposer’s development team have undertaken project management responsibilities, including:

• Successful development and construction of a similar type of project;

• Successful development and construction of one or more projects of similar size or complexity or requiring similar skill sets; and

• Experience successfully financing a similar type of project

Proposers must demonstrate a commitment to affirmative action, as required by the Regulations of CT State Agencies § 46A-68j-30(10).12

Proposer must demonstrate that the required staff and subcontractors have the appropriate credentials/licensure.

Proposer may not use BIL Section 40101(d) funds, whether directly or indirectly, to support or oppose union organizing.

9. Community Benefits Expectations

Proposer must include an explanation of measurable benefits and who is the beneficiary of those benefits, and whether those benefits go to a Vulnerable Community, including but not limited to reducing the likelihood and consequences of disruptive grid events, providing community members with publicly-accessible, life-sustaining services during an outage, investments in the local workforce through workforce training and the creation of local jobs, and redevelopment of brownfields and other sites with limited development opportunities.

Proposers must include socioeconomic and other demographic data of the community where the project will be sited, including data from the Connecticut Environmental mapping tools13 or other publicly available tools. Proposer must also include context for legacy and/or present community vulnerabilities and how the project may mitigate historic and persistent issues in the community where the project will be sited.

12 The Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies requires each agency awarding a contract to:

“(10) consider, as bearing upon the responsibility and qualification of a bidder to meet its contract compliance requirements, the following factors:

(A) the bidder's success in implementing an affirmative action plan;

(B) the bidder's success in developing an apprenticeship program complying with Sections 46a-68-1 to 46a-68-17, inclusive;

(C) the bidder's promise to develop and implement a successful affirmative action plan;

(D) the bidder's submission of EEO-1 data indicating that the composition of its work force is at or near parity when compared to the racial and sexual composition of the work force in the relevant labor market area;

(E) the bidder's promise to set aside a portion of the contract for legitimate minority business enterprises;”

13 Connecticut Environmental Justice Office – Environmental Justice Communities or CIRCA - Connecticut

Environmental Justice Screening Tool https://ctdeep.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=d04ec429d0a4477b9526689dc7809ffe

DEEP will prioritize proposed projects that include a commitment to taking all reasonable actions to ensure a community benefits agreement is entered with appropriate community organizations representing residents of the…