Lower Snake River Dams Replacement Energy and Grid Services

The Washington Department of Commerce is soliciting proposals for comprehensive analysis of replacement electricity generation and grid reliability services currently provided by the Lower Snake River Dams under an RFP due August 27, 2026, with a pre-proposal conference on July 23. The procurement follows ESSB 5998 Section 131(4)(a).

Proposers must demonstrate minimum five years of experience in electric system planning, transmission analysis, resource adequacy analysis, energy systems modeling, or related fields, plus three years conducting complex power system or clean energy transition analyses. The selected contractor will analyze replacement resources including generation, transmission, ancillary services, efficiency, and storage that comply with Washington's clean electricity requirements and support regional decarbonization objectives, culminating in a final report due April 12, 2027, for legislative submission by June 30, 2027.

The total contract budget does not exceed $710,000, funded through Climate Commitment Act appropriations on a reimbursement basis for deliverables and allowable expenses. The contract period runs October 6, 2026, through June 30, 2027, with potential for two one-year renewal periods at Commerce's discretion. Work spans Franklin, Garfield, Walla Walla, and Thurston counties in Washington.

Proposers must be licensed to do business in Washington or commit to obtaining licensure within 30 days of selection. Diverse Business Inclusion Plans are required, with Commerce goals of 10% Minority-Owned Business, 6% Women-Owned Business, 5% Veteran-Owned Business, and 5% Small Business participation. The RFP encourages partnerships with subcontractors. Evaluation weights technical proposals at 80% and management proposals at 20%, with cost as a final scoring component. Commerce awards extra points to organizations new to state contracting, those certifying they do not require mandatory individual arbitration clauses for employees, and those achieving Workers' Rights Certification compliance (5% bonus). Proposals are due August 26, 2026, at 4:00 PM Pacific Time, with the Apparent Successful Contractor announced by September 21, 2026.