Signed 12-20-23 - DOE to Interested Parties - C2CE Draft RFQ coverletter.pdf

December 20, 2023

To: Interested Parties

CARBON POLLUTION-FREE ELECTRICITY PROJECTS AT THE HANFORD

SITE - REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

The Department of Energy (DOE) is releasing the Draft Request for Qualifications (RFQ) pertaining to a Realty Agreement (lease or possibly an easement) for Carbon Pollution-Free

Electricity Projects at the Hanford site, for review. The purpose of the Draft RFQ is to solicit questions and comments from all interested parties, and to assist DOE in developing a Final

RFQ for this project.

DOE IS NOT REQUESTING PROPOSALS AT THIS TIME, AND INTERESTED

PARTIES SHALL NOT SUBMIT PROPOSALS IN RESPONSE TO THE DRAFT RFQ.

DOE WILL NOT EVALUATE ANY PROPOSALS RECEIVED IN RESPONSE TO THE

DRAFT RFQ. PROPOSALS SHALL BE SUBMITTED ONLY IN RESPONSE TO THE

FINAL RFQ, WHICH IS CURRENTLY ANTICIPATED TO BE ISSUED NO SOONER

THAN FEBRUARY 2024.

DOE hereby invites all interested parties to thoroughly examine the Draft RFQ and the accompanying website (https://www.energy.gov/em/em-clean-energy-land-reuse) in their entirety, and to submit comments in writing to the following email address:

EMCleanEnergy@em.doe.gov. During the development of the Final RFQ, DOE will consider the comments received from interested parties in response to the Draft RFQ.

The DOE contemplates issuing a Realty Agreement for Carbon Pollution-Free Electricity

(CFE) Projects at the Hanford site by selecting one or more Qualified Offerors that will utilize the Property for the purposes set forth in the RFQ; this is not a Government procurement covered by the Federal Acquisition Regulations, but a private project on Federal land. The Realty Agreement with the Government is ultimately for the purpose of installation, maintenance, and operation of a 200+ MW CFE generation facility and its interconnection with the local public electric utility system. The anticipated Realty

Agreement duration will include three periods – development, construction, and initial operations, consistent with commercial best practices for the proposed project type.

DOE is pursuing a competitive, qualifications-based RFQ for selection of the Offeror(s) representing the best return with least risk to the Government. The selected project(s) will be determined based on four Consideration Factors (Project Description; Return to the

Government; Capability and Experience; and Project Plan and Schedule). The selection will include a 2-step process, whereby negotiations will commence after the Government

Department of Energy Washington, DC 20585 https://www.energy.gov/em/em-clean-energy-land-reuse mailto:EMCleanEnergy@em.doe.gov

Interested Parties -2-completes the evaluation and ranking of the submitted offers/proposals and provides written notice to those Proposed Offeror(s) determined to be Qualified Offeror(s).

DOE is seeking feedback from interested parties on the following:

1. Is the information DOE has provided or is planning to provide within the RFQ and on the C2CE website sufficient to submit a proposal?

2. Are any of the requirements within the RFQ or any of the Appendices considered a barrier to entry or overly burdensome?

3. Are there any additional specific technical or programmatic documents and/or information that you think would be helpful and should be posted to the C2CE website in order to assist in preparation of proposals?

4. Is there any input on the intent to phase the development of the Hanford site land or on the anticipated timeframes for the three periods of development as identified in

Section 1.0, paragraph (c)?

5. Is there any input regarding the level of detail or information requested within each

Factor for Consideration that DOE should consider in making the selection? Any other input related to the Factors for Consideration?

6. Are the General Realty Agreement Requirements, specifically the Terms and

Requirements identified in Section 3.1 clear? If not, what is unclear and/or how can these portions of the Draft RFQ be improved?

7. Are the instructions within Section 4.0, Instructions to Proposed Offeror(s) clear? If not, what is unclear and/or how can these portions of the Draft RFQ be improved?

8. The Offeror(s) may have the opportunity to collaborate with a DOE National

Laboratory through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) or other vehicle to support research and development effort on the clean electricity technology project deployed at the site. Apart from energy generation and storage, what types of projects should DOE be considering for this land that meet these objectives and leverage private sector funding?

9. DOE is envisioning a 45-day proposal preparation period once the Final RFQ is released. Is there any feedback regarding this timeframe?

10. Is any additional information needed in order to submit a quality proposal? Do you have any additional suggestions/comments?

Interested parties will have until February 5, 2024, to submit written comments regarding the

Draft RFQ. All comments shall be submitted in the Microsoft Excel format provided herein, separated by Draft RFQ section. Please do not make any changes to the Microsoft Excel formatting with the exception of adding rows as needed, and please do not submit marketing materials. DOE will not respond to or post on the EM Cleanup to Clean Energy website any questions or comments pertaining to the Draft RFQ; however, DOE will consider comments when preparing the Final RFQ. Interested parties will be given the opportunity to submit

Interested Parties -3-questions and comments in writing for DOE response once the Final RFQ is issued.

Generalized responses to questions will be available to all interested parties via the EM

Cleanup to Clean Energy website.

Sincerely, Andrea Dolch

Realty Specialist

Enclosures:

Draft RFQ (with Appendices A - E)

Industry Comment Matrix