Amendment No. 1 to RFX-2024-10032 - Community Microgrid Development Partnership Awards.pdf

National Renewable Energy Laboratory Managed and Operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC

Request for Proposals Number RFX-2024-10032

AMENDMENT NO. 1

"Community Microgrid Development Partnership Awards”

Amendment Issue Date: 11/07/24 Due Date for Proposals: 12/20/24 Time Due: 2:00 p.m. Mountain Time

Solicitation Type Best Value Selection Firm Fixed Price Subcontract

Submit offers to the NREL RFP Contact below

NREL RFP Contact

Kyndall Jackson, Subcontract Administrator

National Renewable Energy Laboratory 15013 Denver West Parkway Golden, CO 80401 Email: Kyndall.Jackson@nrel.gov

*Please note, an informational webinar will be hosted on Monday, November 11th, 2024, at 2:00 pm Mountain Time. To register, please follow this link:

https://nrel.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_TrQ8Sn84REqkS4H0cgPwog

**Questions regarding technical assistance will be addressed in Amendment No. 2, to be posted soon.

Amendment No. 1 is hereby issued in response to questions received regarding the subject Request for Proposal (RFP) No. RFX-2024-10032. Please note that some questions may have been edited to address duplicate questions or to protect business-sensitive information provided in the original questions. The essences of the original questions are not affected. Questions are in no particular order.

mailto:Kyndall.Jackson@nrel.gov https://nrel.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_TrQ8Sn84REqkS4H0cgPwog

1. Which states and regions are eligible to apply?

NREL Response: See below map, which is also available at this link: Community Microgrid Assistance Partnership | Department of Energy

2. Are tribes eligible to apply?

NREL Response: Yes, tribes are eligible.

3. What is meant by “regional”? Using regional and community to identify the first 2 categories is a bit confusing. I didn’t find “regional” defined in the RFP.

NREL Response: Regional is meant to include communities that are in generally close geographic proximity but are not meant to be restrictive. The regional awards are intended to support collaboration and collaborative solutions between communities that are facing similar issues. The REP was not meant to reinforce any pre-conserved regional designations, such as state boundaries, Tribal distinctions or defined geographic boundaries.

4. The instructions say 15 pages max for proposal, is that for the technical proposal only and does not include the budget. Is that correct?

NREL Response: Correct

5. How many communities could be supported in this pilot program?

NREL Response: NREL is looking at funding up to about 15 communities or clusters of communities through the first round of this solicitation. The beneficiaries are not limited to communities that submit proposals. C-MAP convenes microgrid experts and practitioners in a knowledge sharing network that develops and distributes resources for scaling microgrid solutions that have been proven to work in remote and under resourced areas. Engagement with this wider set of communities will be through webinars, regional engagement events and facilitated dialog between communities powered by microgrid systems.

https://www.energy.gov/oe/community-microgrid-assistance-partnership https://www.energy.gov/oe/community-microgrid-assistance-partnership

6. Will communities receive funding support? And what is the total amount of funding support available?

NREL Response: Yes, funding to be provided to communities through this solicitation is expected to be approximately $7.2M.

7. This is called a pilot program. If it is successful, what if any follow-on program could follow?

What would constitute success?

NREL Response: Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Electricity is interested in supporting the C-MAP effort over the long term, including annual rounds of funding and expanding the geographic coverage for communities that can apply. Dependent on funding availability, additional rounds of solicitations would be likely with topic areas that meet priorities defined by the expanded base of communities. Success for this effort includes expanded community-community collaboration around the development of microgrid energy systems, more community-based development proposals for microgrid systems, and the improved operation of community based microgrid systems, primarily through improved performance efficiency.

8. Was this program funding through any particular legislation (e.g., the Inflation Reduction Act)?

NREL Response: Funding for this effort is through annual budget appropriations to the U.S.

DOE Office of Electricity.

9. The prime applicant must be a non-profit entity, including energy cooperatives, a state or local government, or a Tribal organization. Is it possible to use a Fiscal Agent to serve an “underserved” community with local government approval?

NREL Response: Yes. One of the goals of this effort is to develop capacity within communities to support and develop microgrid energy systems. To support this goal proposals should demonstrate close collaboration between the community(ies) and the Fiscal Agent prior to and throughout the proposed effort. For example, community members should be clearly represented on the project team and defined memorandums of understanding should be included in place of generic letters of support.

10. Do applicants apply to this program through sam.gov or grants.gov?

NREL Response: The solicitation is posted to sam.gov. Per the RFP, proposals should be submitted to Kyndall.Jackson@nrel.gov. The award(s) will be a subcontract, not a grant.

11. Are non-tribal entities eligible to apply?

NREL Response: The following types of U.S. based entities are eligible to participate as a prime subcontractor:

• Non-profit entities, including energy cooperatives; and

• State and local governmental entities; and

• Any federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes and villages, inclusive of any Alaska Native village or regional corporation as defined in or established pursuant to the Alaska Native Settlement Act.

See page 2 of the RFP for additional criteria.

As a reminder, each proposal must be submitted as an electronic PDF file by 2:00 p.m. Mountain Time on 12/20/24. Please send submissions to Kyndall.Jackson@nrel.gov.

Please include confirmation of receipt and acceptance of this Amendment in your cover letter.

Thank you for your interest in this project. We look forward to receiving your proposal!

Submit offers to the NREL RFP Contact below