GDO RFP 8.15.23.docx

United States Department of Energy (DOE) Southeastern Power Administration (SEPA) 1166 Athens Tech Road Elberton, Georgia 30635 Stephanie.pullen@sepa.doe.gov 706-213-3187 August 24, 2023

ATTN: Potential Offerors

Subject: Request for Proposal (RFP) – Study for Pumped Storage Optimization and Increased Transfer Capability

Dear Potential Offerors, We are seeking proposals from qualified organizations to aid in the study of optimizing the utilization of federal pumped storage hydropower assets and new transmission paths between two Eastern Interconnection transmission planning regions. We have carefully reviewed your organization's expertise and believe that you possess the necessary skills and experience to successfully execute this project.

The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to solicit competitive proposals that would provide two separate studies: The first project objective consists of a study that would weigh options that would increase the transfer capability between Georgia and South Carolina, by performing a feasibility study for necessary actions which would establish a new interconnection with an investor-owned 230kV transmission line in South Carolina. The second study should be options to derive additional energy from pumping by performing a capacity expansion study quantifying the theoretical increase in firm system capacity that can be derived from pumping.

The RFP deliverables will include the following:

1. A proposal document: a comprehensive written response to the RFP that outlines the bidder’s understanding of the project, proposed solutions, methodologies, timelines, and costs.

2. Technical specifications: detailed technical descriptions of prior experience with similar projects, the study methodology and the tools to be used, management capability, and qualifications of the personnel performing the work.

The period of performance is approximately 12 months from contract award. Proposals must be received by mail or email on or before Noon on October 10, 2023 Eastern Daylight Time.

We invite your organization to submit a detailed proposal in response to this RFP.

Key Information:

1. Project Overview: Two separate studies will be required:

· Study 1: Increased transfer capability between Georgia and South Carolina:

· Study options to increase transfer capability between Georgia and South Carolina, by performing a feasibility study for necessary actions which would establish a new interconnection with an investor-owned 230kV transmission line in South Carolina.

· Task 1: Evaluate increased rating of Richard B. Russell 230 kV switchyard from 1200 Amps to 3000 Amps

· Task 2: Evaluate adding an interconnection from Area 354 (Richard B. Russell 230 kV switchyard) to Area 342 (Duke Energy Carolinas) to supplement its single connection into the Carolinas at Area 354’s single connection into the Carolinas at Area 344 (South Carolina Public Service Authority).

· Study 2: Pumped Storage Hydropower Optimization

· Study options to derive additional energy from pumping by performing a capacity expansion study quantifying the theoretical increase in firm system capacity that can be derived from pumping.

· Task 1: Evaluate open-loop operations at Carters and Richard B. Russell for operational constraints on unrestricted pumping. Determine plant-specific storage durations (hrs) and Energy-in-Storage quantities (GWh) for the as-is and unconstrained conditions given the governing in-stream flow requirements of the Water Control Manuals and favorable economic arbitrage conditions.

· Task 2: Evaluate adding pumps to hydropower generation at Carters and Richard B. Russell to increase the Pump/Generator Capacity Ratio. Determine plant-specific storage durations (hrs) and Energy-in-Storage quantities (GWh) for the as-is and unconstrained conditions given the governing in-stream flow requirements of the Water Control Manuals and favorable economic arbitrage conditions.

· Task 3: Evaluate the potential for emerging technologies to allow flexible pump operation by which the facility can ramp power input and provide reserve services (i.e., fixed vs variable-speed, ternary, or quaternary pump technology) at Carters and Richard B. Russell.

2. Proposal Submission Requirements:

· The proposal title “Study for Pumped Storage Optimization and Increased Transfer Capability”;

· The name, address, and telephone number of the offeror;

· Offerors must be registered in the System for Award Management, SAM, https://www.sam.gov/. All offerors who bid on Federal Government Contracts are required to be registered in SAM. To keep the registration current, an update has to be completed annually. There is no fee to register in SAM. When submitting the bid please include the offeror Unique Entity ID.

· A Statement of Work; technical description of the services being offered in sufficient detail to evaluate compliance with the government requirements. This may include product literature, or other documents, if necessary; include a plan for monitoring performance;

· Terms of any express warranty;

· Price and any discount terms;

· “Remit to:” address, if different than mailing address;

· Past performance information, to include recent and relevant contracts for the same or similar items and other references (including contract numbers, points of contact with telephone numbers and other relevant information); and

Respondent shall also propose performance standards in response to this RFP in accordance with FAR 37.603. Performance standards establish the performance level to be requirement by the Government to meet the contract requirements. The standards should be measurable and structured to permit an assessment of the contractor’s performance. The agency will evaluate the proposed standards to determine if they meet agency needs.

Respondent shall also propose a quality assurance surveillance plan for the Government’s consideration in development of the Government’s plan in response to this RFP in accordance with FAR 37.604. Requirements for quality assurance and quality assurance surveillance plans are in subpart 46.4

3. Evaluation Criteria:

The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The criteria that will be used to evaluate the proposals are as following:

· Price: Firm-fixed price

· Quality of the Technical Approach: Technical capability of the Technical Approach offered to meet the Government requirement; the approach must include a logical sequence of tasks that you will perform to accomplish the requirements. Identify and describe the specific techniques and steps that will be applied during the accomplishment of all tasks of this project.

· Past performance: Prior Experience: Recently performed similar and relevant work (i.e. size, scope and complexity)

· The supplier must be able to access and utilize power flow models and associated dynamics simulation models of the Eastern Interconnection as a baseline for the feasibility study. For example: The Multiregional Modeling Working Group (MMWG) under the direction of the Eastern Interconnection Reliability Assessment Group (ERAG) develops a library of solved power flow models and associated dynamics simulation models of the Eastern Interconnection. The models are used in planning future performance and evaluating current operating conditions of the interconnected bulk electric systems. SEPA’s Hartwell, Richard B. Russell and J. Strom Thurmond projects are modeled as areas 353/SEHA, 354/SERU and 355/SETH respectively in the 2022 series of MMWG power flow dynamics cases.

· The supplier must be able to access and utilize a capacity expansion model (CEM) to understand the future mix of generation, storage, and transmission technologies that meet future system performance, environmental, and policy objectives at the minimum cost or maximum welfare, or other overarching aims.

Examples of CEMs include the:

· Electricity module of the National Energy Modeling System, which is used for U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Annual Energy Outlook (AEO) scenarios.

· Integrated Planning Model, which is used for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulatory analysis

· Electric Power Research Institute’s U.S. Regional Economy, Greenhouse Gas, and Energy (US-REGEN) model, which is used for industry stakeholder-driven analysis

· National Deployment System (ReEDS), which has been used to explore an array of electricity futures for various purposes.

Technical and past performance, when combined, are approximately equal to cost or price.

The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. The Government may determine that an offer is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s). Weighted criteria will be used to evaluate:

· Prior experience with similar projects

· Past performance as recorded in https://www.cpars.gov/

· Considerations include:

· Accuracy of reports on past contracts.

· Degree of technical complexity in past studies.

· Adhere to schedules and meeting milestone dates.

· Method for identifying and solving problems.

· Key personnel performance examples from previous contracts.

· Study methodology and tools to be used

· Technically acceptable offers will be ranked on:

· Sufficiency of analysis

· Timeline to complete

· Documentation of results

Study 1

· The final Study 1 should be delivered to include, at a minimum, the following for both Task 1 and Task 2.

a. Transmission power flow, short circuit, and stability analyses based on the most recent ERAG/MMWG base cases

b. Proposed transmission path

c. Transfer Capability/Sensitivity Study on the SERTP/SCRTP interface

d. Budgetary Cost Estimate to increase transfer capability

e. Internal Rate of Return analyses

f. Summary Report

Study 2

· The final Study 2 should be delivered to include, at a minimum, the following:

a. Transmission power flow, short circuit, and stability analyses based on the most recent ERAG/MMWG base cases showing the impact of increasing the pump/generator capacity ratio.

b. Capacity Expansion / Sensitivity Study on firm system capacity

c. Budgetary Cost Estimate to increase peaking capacity

d. Internal Rate of Return analyses

e. Summary Report

· Study 1 and Study 2 are independent and may be completed in parallel.

· Two interim deliverables for each study should be presented to SEPA, at the following points:

a. 35 percent Summary Report – Offering a 3-week period for review.

b. 70 percent Summary Report – Offering a 3-week period for review.

· Check-In and Review Meetings:

a. Check-in and review meetings will be scheduled to align with 35/70/100 percent completion for each study (or not less than quarterly) via Teams meetings throughout period of performance. Meetings may include staff from the Grid Deployment Officer (GDO) (up to 3 meetings total) to ensure timely and productive information exchanges, as necessary.

· Management capability.

· The offeror’s ability to accomplish the technical requirements.

· The offeror’s approach to meeting milestones.

· How the offeror determines acceptable performance and the level of quality.

· Qualifications of the personnel performing the work.

· Experience, skills, and academic background of the key personnel.

· Individually held certifications, degrees, honors and awards.

· Description of how the proposed key personnel have the ability to perform the work of the contract.

A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer’s specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award.

4. Timeline:

· Submission Deadline: Noon Eastern Daylight Time on October 2, 2023

· Expected Decision Date: November 1, 2023

· Vendor start date: Negotiable

· Check-In Meetings: To be scheduled at dates anticipating 35/70/100 percent project completion, or not less than quarterly. Meetings may be conducted using Microsoft Teams or equivalent remote technologies.

· Interim Deliverable 1-Summary Report: Timing is expected to align approximately with 35 percent project completion.

· Interim Deliverable 2-Summary Report: Timing is expected to align approximately with 70 percent project completion.

· Interim Deliverable 3-Draft Final Report: Timing is expected to align approximately with 100 percent project completion.

· Vendor close-out date: NLT 10 Months from Vendor Start Date

5. Contact Information:

Stephanie Pullen Administrative Officer 706-213-3817/office Stephanie.pullen@sepa.doe.gov

Please note that this RFP does not constitute a contract, and we reserve the right to accept or reject any or all proposals received. Furthermore, any costs incurred by your organization in the preparation and submission of the proposal will be solely your responsibility and will not be reimbursed.

To receive the complete RFP document and additional information, kindly confirm your interest in participating by email preferably: Stephanie.pullen@sepa.doe.gov, or by telephone at 706-213-3817.

We look forward to receiving your proposal and appreciate your consideration of this request. Should you have any questions or require further clarifications, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Thank you for your time and attention.

Sincerely, Stephanie Pullen Administrative Officer Southeastern Power Administration