Attorney for the Coordination of Siting Board Reviews

The Commonwealth of Kentucky's Public Service Commission, Energy and Environment Cabinet, issued this Request for Proposal on May 2, 2022, seeking qualified attorneys to provide legal coordination services for Siting Board cases involving merchant electric generating and transmission facility applications filed pursuant to KRS 278.700-278.718. The solicitation seeks multiple personal service contracts on an as-needed basis with no guaranteed minimum work volume. Primary deliverables and responsibilities include reviewing and evaluating Notices of Intent and applications for compliance, coordinating with the Siting Board, drafting procedural documents and orders, managing discovery processes, scheduling hearings, conducting site visits and attending community meetings and public hearings, and preparing case decision memos and final orders. Vendors must be actively licensed to practice law in Kentucky and capable of handling multiple cases simultaneously, with the ability to respond to case assignments within five business days or risk breach of contract. The evaluation criteria allocate 430 points to experience (including relevant practice years, siting board process familiarity, and solar facility experience), 300 points to organizational capacity and conflict identification processes, 150 points to detailed work plans with personnel and hour estimates, 120 points to cost proposals, and 20 discretionary points for optional oral presentations. Written questions closed on May 18, 2022, with proposals due by 3:00 PM EST on June 15, 2022, submitted in sealed format with separate technical and cost sections. The initial contract term runs from August 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023, with renewal options for additional one-year terms as needed, subject to Secretary of Finance and Administration Cabinet and Legislative Research Commission Government Contract Review Committee approval.

The solicitation specifies Kentucky resident bidder and qualified bidder preferences in accordance with KRS 45A.490, 45A.492, and KRS 45A.494, with vendors claiming such status required to submit corresponding affidavits. Hourly rates for legal services are capped at $125.00 per hour per Legislative Research Commission Government Contract Review Committee Policy Statement 99-1, with cost proposals structured by work plan tasks and assigned staff, including separate line items for travel expenses reimbursed per government travel policy and miscellaneous expenses, plus an overall project cost calculated for a representative single case. The RFP indicates based on 20-year historical data that significant case activity began in 2020, with 20 cases processed to final order, 3 cases pending, and 8 notices of intent pending as of the RFP date. No specific award value or budget range was disclosed in the solicitation documents. All contracts require approval by the Secretary of the Finance and Administration Cabinet and filing with the Legislative Research Commission Government Contract Review Committee before work commences. No bidders' conference was held, and no incumbent vendors or current contractors were referenced in the available solicitation materials.