Energy Advisor Services

The City of Pittsburgh Office of Management and Budget, on behalf of the Department of Public Works and the Western Pennsylvania Energy Consortium (WPEC), is soliciting bids from Licensed Energy Advisor Service Providers for energy advisory services (RFP #2025-RFP-182) for an initial five-year term with an option to renew for two additional years. The procurement covers comprehensive energy management support for 26 WPEC members, including the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, collectively managing approximately 212 gigawatt hours of annual electricity consumption across more than 400 accounts. The Energy Advisor will provide electricity procurement support, market analysis, renewable energy procurement guidance, management of a dedicated PJM subaccount, and deliver quarterly reports and presentations to WPEC members. Contractors must be Licensed Energy Advisor Service Providers registered with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and demonstrate substantial experience working with local government entities. Evaluation criteria include firm qualifications, project team expertise, approach and plan, detailed cost proposals with transparent pricing structures, and commitment to minority and veteran-owned business participation. The pre-proposal meeting is scheduled for August 13, 2025, at 10:00 am via Microsoft Teams; written questions are due by September 11, 2025; and proposals must be submitted by September 17, 2025, at 3:00 pm.

Services will be provided at no upfront cost to WPEC members, with fees pro-rated based on each entity's historical electricity usage, ensuring transparent cost structures and equitable burden-sharing across the consortium. The procurement emphasizes integration with WPEC's existing infrastructure, including the established triad structure involving the Energy Advisor, Electricity Supplier, and WPEC Oversight Committee, as well as the cost-plus, block and index purchasing methodology outlined in the operating procedures. No specific incumbent vendor information or award value ranges are disclosed in the solicitation documents; however, the WPEC quarterly presentation indicates potential substantial savings for individual members, with Pittsburgh Water projected to save $451,936 annually, the City of Pittsburgh $338,492, and the University of Pittsburgh $302,383, demonstrating the significant financial impact of successful energy procurement. While the solicitation documents do not explicitly list formal set-aside designations, the RFP emphasizes commitment to minority and veteran-owned business participation as an evaluation criterion. Eligible bidders must be organizations capable of serving 26 member entities across southwestern Pennsylvania and must comply with WPEC's governance framework, including the 2025-2030 Memorandum of Understanding requiring collaborative decision-making and transparent reporting to the Energy Committee comprised of representatives from member organizations.