SRS RFP Questions and Answers PART 3 (Cleared for Release).pdf

SRS RFP Questions and Answers PART 3 (Rev 00) Question Answer 1 Do the water mains in the SRS system in proximity to Sites 4, 5, and 10 carry potable or raw water? Are there any maps available that show the sizes of the mains within the

SRS?

SRS has multiple water systems that are distinguished by how the water is treated. A .kmz file with GIS data for the primary domestic water, river water and sanitary sewer systems has been posted to SAM.gov. The Industry Day presentation contains additional information on the water and sewer systems including an estimate of the distance between the site and the closest point on each water system. SRS will not allow potable water from the existing domestic water system to be used for cooling data centers or power generation facilities.

2 Are there any existing groundwater wells within or accessible to the site that could provide domestic water supply to the sites? If not, would the installation of groundwater wells within the site limits be permitted within the lease agreement?

The installation of new wells is permissible if they do not disrupt the operations of SRS. In addition to permits from the SC Dept. of Environmental Services, the location of new well would need to be approved through the SRS Site Use Permitting process described in the RFP.

3 Is there a map of the road system that would be applicable for buried fiber network placement both between site and for off DOE long haul connections?

DC Blox, Segra, AT&T, Quest and ESNet among other companies have long-haul fiber passing near SRS at various locations including SRS Road 1, SC Hwy 125, US Hwy 278 and the CSX railroad line. Offerors should contact carriers directly for additional information.

4 Are parallel easements to DOE, Dominion, Georgia Power, or other known easements and ROWs proposed to be granted to the selected vendor for fiber network installation?

Existing ROWs for electricity transmission infrastructure are currently under a lease agreement with Dominion Energy SC. Use of existing transmission ROWs will require coordination with Dominion Energy and approval of NNSA. Use of ROWs not under lease agreement with Dominion Energy SC and newly proposed ROWs will be considered using the SRS Site Use Permitting process described in Section 2.1(f).

5 What is the role of the DOE/state/county for review and approval of traffic studies and road improvements to support the site?

All Federal and South Carolina laws and regulations apply to Federal and State highways bordering or passing through SRS. Roadways within the SRS site boundaries are governed by the SRS Site Use Permitting process.

6 Would the DOE be open to a grading easement to allow us to grade outside of the long-term lease/operations area?

Negotiations related to easements can be included in the lease negotiations.

Activity outside the leased premises would require review using the Site Use Permitting process.

7 Will the data center sites be aggregated as a single source for air permitting purposes with the existing DOE and biomass power generation air permits?

The answer to this question depends on the specifics of the Offeror's proposal.

8 US Forest service manages the forest for SRS

- are there any coordination requirements with that group if we need to clear a significant amount of trees?

Clearing of a significant number of trees requires a review using the Site Use Permit process and includes a Safety Basis Assessment in accordance with DOE standards and directives. Coordination with the US Forest Service is required for clearing of any trees onsite.

9 Does the SRS ecology lab have any buffer requirements that may limit activities?

Buffers around wetlands particularly Carolina Bays and streams with legacy heavy metal contamination will require buffers.

10 Would an onsite septic system be allowed within the lease agreement if the above-mentioned options are not available?

Yes, if permitted by the SC Dept of Environmental Services and if necessary, the EPA.

11 There do not appear to be any perennial streams within the SRS sites that could be used to discharge treated wastewater. Is there an alternative discharge method that the SRS utilizes or prefers?

The preferrable discharge option will depend on the specific characteristics of the flow and can be addressed during negotiations.

12 If the sites cannot utilize the existing SRS system, would an onsite wastewater treatment package plant be allowed for each site?

Yes, if permitted by the SC Dept of Environmental Services and if necessary, the EPA.

13 Are there any existing wastewater mains in proximity to the sites?

There is an extensive sanitary sewer system onsite being utilized currently at about 30% of capacity. Distance that must be covered to connect the system varies from piping passing through or on the border of the site to about 5 miles.

14 Would the proposed developments be allowed to connect to the SRS wastewater treatment system? If so, what is its available capacity?

Yes. The current capacity is 1.05 million gallons per day, and the system is currently utilized at about 30% of capacity.

15 Has groundwater contamination been documented at or near any of the sites that would prevent the ability to access or install a well?

Ground water contamination is well documented and monitored onsite. The PNNL Tracs database is linked from the RFP Appendix-A and shows locations and composition of plumes. Sites were chosen to avoid the known plumes.

16 Will the proposed developments be allowed to connect to these existing water mains via water main extensions? If so, what is their available capacity?

Data on the various water infrastructures is available in the Industry Day presentation linked from SAM.gov.

17 If the power generation entity and the AI Data Center end user (both located on DOE lands) enter into a direct Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), and the local utility facilitates delivery through a sleeving arrangement (i.e., the utility is not the primary purchaser but acts as an intermediary), would this structure be permissible under DOE policy and site-specific constraints?

DOE/NNSA does not object to an arrangement of this structure, however any agreement for power delivery between the generator and data center must comply with all State and Federal regulations. It is the Offeror's responsibility to confirm the arrangement proposed is compliant with all regulations.

Failure of a power delivery arrangement to comply is grounds for termination of a lease by DOE/NNSA.

18 Please confirm that this DOE RFP does not require an interconnection with SRS’s existing power utility and grid operator for power generated on SRS’s land, and that the DOE will allow for this same “behind the meter” power generation to independently dedicate its power distribution to the AI data center service regardless of the AI data center being placed on or off DOE SRS land.

DOE/NNSA does not object to an arrangement of this structure, however any agreement for power delivery between the generator and data center must comply with all State and Federal regulations. It is the Offeror's responsibility to confirm the arrangement proposed is compliant with all regulations.

Failure of a power delivery arrangement to comply is grounds for termination of a lease by DOE/NNSA.

19 Please confirm that 10-point font is acceptable for tables, graphics, and headers/footers.

Please confirm that header and footer text within 1" margins is acceptable.

10-point font is acceptable for tables, graphics, and headers/footers and header and footer text within 1" margins is acceptable.

20 Please identify any limits on file size for email receipt.

The NNSA_AI_Infrastructure@srs.gov email address can receive emails up to 100 megabytes.

21 What is the design and available capacity of the utility owned substation located within the SRS boundary on the 230 kV line passing through the site where the DOE distribution grid is connected?

This substation is owned and operated by Dominion Energy SC and this question should be addressed to their POC in the RFP listing on SAM.gov.

22 What are the power projections for the Site between now and 2040?

As stated in the Industry Day presentation, peak load for SRS is currently about 50MW and annual consumption approximately 300,000 MWh. The current estimate is that this peak and consumption will rise by approximately 50% to 75% as new missions come online in the next 10 years.

23 Will DOE have any desire for test and measurement or validation oversight of AI data center components?

It is unlikely the data center will connect directly to the SRS network for either unclassified or classified use cases. However, NNSA is open to the possibilities of creating exchange points in either network which allow the Enterprise-wide NNSA networks to connect to services or systems hosted in the data center (both unclassified and classified). If there exists the possibility that the data center could access the SRS network directly, then a cybersecurity review of all components is required. As stated in Section 4.4.2(f), Offerors’ Security Plans should detail supply chain risks associated with the Project, among other security risks.

24 Is there a need for test and measurement (including emulation) of throughput, efficiency, etc. for planning/design, pre-deployment, implementation, and post-deployment phases?

This RFP is for a land lease. The suitability of the Offeror's facilities for the tasks they will perform is the responsibility of the Offeror. All installations must demonstrate they comply with all applicable State and Federal regulations.

25 If the preferred site identified in the RFP is allocated to another project, is there flexibility to negotiate any of the other 9 alternative sites in Savannah River?

Yes.

26 Does a First-of-a-Kind (FOAK) GEN IV reactor fall under the definition of a “nuclear facility” and DOE-STD-1271 apply? If not, should the licensing process be aligned with NRC Part 50 or Part 52 requirements?

Offerors proposing to build nuclear energy projects should indicate whether they intend to pursue DOE authorization or NRC licensing and include the basis for their intention.