Municipal Electric Utility (MEU) Feasibility Study

The City of St. Petersburg, Florida, issued a Request for Proposals on January 30, 2026 (RFP No. 26133-130) seeking qualified consulting firms to conduct a Municipal Electric Utility (MEU) Feasibility Study to evaluate the financial, technical, operational, regulatory, and legal implications of establishing a city-owned electric utility to potentially replace Duke Energy Florida. The procurement is structured in three phases: Phase 1 (base award) comprises a comprehensive feasibility study including project management, stakeholder engagement, data collection, baseline assessment of Duke Energy's assets and operations, financial modeling, and comparative analysis; Phase 2 (optional award) assesses the technical and financial viability of a 100% renewable-powered MEU and compares it to Duke Energy's Clean Energy Connection program; and Phase 3 (optional award) evaluates alternative municipalization options, develops a draft transition plan, and supports public education and engagement efforts. Key deliverables include draft and final feasibility reports, executive summaries, presentations to city leadership, detailed data appendices with modeling assumptions and sensitivity analyses, financial models with 10-, 20-, and 30-year demand forecasts, and comprehensive analysis of Duke Energy asset valuation, acquisition costs, bonding capacity, funding options, and Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) and Franchise (PILOF) implications. Responding firms must demonstrate minimum qualifications including experience in utility asset valuation, public utility formation, energy infrastructure planning, financial modeling, rate-setting, renewable energy integration, familiarity with Florida regulatory requirements, and grid modernization; the project manager and substitute project manager must each have a minimum of ten years of applicable experience. Proposals are limited to 45 pages (excluding cover pages and section dividers), must be submitted as single PDF documents on 8.5 x 11-inch pages with bookmarked table of contents, and are due by March 19, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. through the City's online bidding portal. The evaluation employs a point-based system weighted as follows: Experience and Qualifications (35 points), Project Approach (30 points), Fee Summary (20 points), and Business Outreach Plan (15 points); shortlisting is scheduled for April 3, 2026, interviews and selection on April 22, 2026, and anticipated council recommendation for award on June 4, 2026. The deadline for submission questions is February 26, 2026.

No specific set-asides are identified for disadvantaged enterprises; however, the City requires all vendors to submit a business outreach plan describing efforts to identify and utilize Small Business Enterprises (SBEs), Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), and Women Business Enterprises (WBEs), with documentation of planned or prior outreach efforts to these business categories. Additionally, for service contracts exceeding $200,000, vendors with more than 50 full-time employees must comply with St. Petersburg City Code living wage requirements. No incumbent vendor or current contractor is identified in the solicitation materials. Responding firms must be registered with the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations, comply with E-Verify requirements, maintain current applicable Florida licenses, and provide criminal background compliance per Level 2 screening and other Florida Statute requirements for facility access. Required insurance coverage includes Commercial General Liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate, Commercial Automobile Liability of $1,000,000, Workers' Compensation as required by Florida law, and Errors & Omissions/Professional Liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence. The allocated budget for this procurement is $750,000 from Fund 0001, Department 130, Division 1341; the City reserves the right to award to one or multiple vendors and retains flexibility in final contract negotiations.