Compressed Natural Gas Fueling Station Operation & Maintenance

The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) is requesting proposals for compressed natural gas fueling station operation and maintenance services at three bus bases (Anaheim, Garden Grove, and Santa Ana) serving 481 CNG-powered buses, with proposals due July 8, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. and a mandatory pre-proposal conference on June 2, 2026 at 2:30 p.m. (in-person at 600 South Main Street, Conference Room 09, Orange, California, or via teleconference). Questions are due June 4, 2026. A zero percent Disadvantaged Business Enterprise participation goal applies.

The contractor must provide turn-key operation and maintenance of three 600-horsepower electric-driven compressor stations equipped with gas dryers, storage vessels, transit and light-duty dispensers, and backup generators. The contractor is responsible for all scheduled and unscheduled repairs, maintenance, consumables, parts, labor, permits, fees, taxes, backup generator diesel fuel, and equipment replacements, excluding utility electricity and natural gas commodity charges retained by OCTA. Critical service problems (bus fueling prevented, safety systems disabled, natural gas leaks) require two-hour response; non-critical issues require four-hour response and 24-hour repair. The contractor must maintain minimum 8,500 standard cubic feet per bus dispense capability within five minutes and ensure eleven hours of availability 5:00 p.m.–4:00 a.m. and fourteen continuous hours 4:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m., seven days per week. Contractors must demonstrate at least two years' direct CNG facility operating experience.

The contract budget is $2,181,165 for the three-year initial term (December 1, 2026–November 30, 2029), funded entirely through Federal Transit Administration grants, with two one-year optional renewal periods. Pricing is firm-fixed per therm of CNG dispensed, structured on tiered monthly throughput levels (25,000 to 300,000+ therms). Evaluation criteria: qualifications of firm (30 points), cost (30 points), work plan (25 points), staffing and project organization (15 points). Interviews are scheduled July 22, 2026. Board award is anticipated on or after September 14, 2026. Liquidated damages are $250 per day for inability to fuel. The contractor must maintain $5,000,000 minimum general liability and automobile liability insurance with OCTA as additional insured. Level 3 Health, Safety and Environmental specifications apply, requiring comprehensive HSE submittals within 30 days of notice to proceed and an on-site HSE representative with specified certifications.