This is a Solicitation Development Form and Request for Proposals issued by the City of St. Petersburg, Florida, for a Municipal Electric Utility (MEU) Feasibility Study (ECID Project No. 26133-130). The City is seeking qualified consulting firms to conduct a comprehensive three-phase evaluation of establishing a city-owned electric utility to potentially replace Duke Energy Florida. Phase 1 (base award) encompasses project management, stakeholder engagement, data collection, baseline assessment of Duke Energy's assets and operations, financial modeling, and comparative analysis. Phase 2 (optional award) assesses the technical and financial viability of a 100% renewable-powered MEU and compares it to Duke Energy's Clean Energy Connection program. Phase 3 (optional award) evaluates alternative municipalization options, develops a draft transition plan, and supports public education and engagement efforts. The proposal submission deadline is March 19, 2026, at 3:00 p.m., with the deadline for submission questions on February 26, 2026. Shortlisting is scheduled for April 3, 2026, interviews and selection on April 22, 2026, and anticipated council recommendation for award on June 4, 2026. Key deliverables include draft and final feasibility reports, executive summaries, presentations to city leadership, detailed data appendices, and financial models with 10-, 20-, and 30-year demand forecasts.
The allocated budget for this procurement is $750,000 from Fund 0001, Department 130, Division 1341, Expenditure Account 5320110. No specific set-asides for disadvantaged enterprises are identified; however, all vendors must submit a business outreach plan describing efforts to identify and utilize Small Business Enterprises (SBEs), Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), and Women Business Enterprises (WBEs). Service contracts exceeding $200,000 with vendors having more than 50 full-time employees must comply with St. Petersburg City Code living wage requirements. No incumbent vendor or current contractor is identified. Responding firms must be registered with the Florida Department of State, comply with E-Verify requirements, maintain current applicable Florida licenses, and provide criminal background compliance per Level 2 screening. Required insurance coverage includes Commercial General Liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate, Commercial Automobile Liability of $1,000,000, Workers' Compensation as required by Florida law, and Errors & Omissions/Professional Liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence. Proposals are limited to 45 pages (excluding cover pages and section dividers) and must be submitted as single PDF documents. Evaluation criteria include Experience and Qualifications (35 points), Project Approach (30 points), Fee Summary (20 points), and Business Outreach Plan (15 points). The City reserves the right to award to one or multiple vendors and retains flexibility in final contract negotiations.