Consulting services - avoided costs

The Public Service Commission of South Carolina is seeking consulting and expert services for evaluating avoided cost rates, methodologies, terms, calculations, and conditions across three specific electrical utility dockets: Docket No. 2023-15-E (Dominion Energy South Carolina), Docket No. 2023-16-E (Duke Energy Carolinas), and Docket No. 2023-17-E (Duke Energy Progress). The solicitation requires qualified independent third-party consultants who can provide comprehensive technical analysis and expert testimony related to these utility proceedings. Mandatory qualifications include the ability to comply with ex parte laws, maintain independence, respond to discovery, be deposed, and testify before the Commission. Evaluation criteria will encompass qualifications, performance data, staff expertise, mandatory written conflicts of interest certification, and pricing structure. Key submission deadlines include questions due by April 1, 2022, at 2:00 PM EST, and proposals required by April 26, 2022, at 2:00 PM EST through the online procurement system at www.procurement.sc.gov. The anticipated contract period spans from May 9, 2022, through June 30, 2024, with a public offer opening scheduled for April 28, 2022, at 2:00 PM.

Pricing for this opportunity will be structured as hourly rates with reimbursement allowances for lodging (not exceeding U.S. General Services Administration maximum rates) and meals ($35 per day in South Carolina, $50 per day outside the state). The Commission may award contracts to multiple qualified consultants for the same dockets, indicating potential for multiple vendor selection. Offerors must register as a South Carolina vendor and submit both technical and business proposals, including a signed cover page and Page Two. There are no specific set-aside designations or restrictions noted for disadvantaged enterprises in the solicitation. No pre-bid or proposal conference is scheduled, and no incumbent vendors are mentioned. While a specific budget range is not explicitly stated, the comprehensive nature of the consulting services and the multi-utility scope suggest a potentially significant contract value. The procurement is open to independent consultants and firms with demonstrated expertise in utility cost analysis, regulatory proceedings, and energy sector economic evaluations.