Natural Gas Utility Rate Study

The City of Clearwater is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a comprehensive Natural Gas Utility Rate Study for CGS Energy, its municipally owned natural gas utility serving over 32,000 customers across 330 square miles in Pinellas and Pasco counties. The procurement seeks qualified firms to conduct cost-of-service analysis, rate design evaluation, benchmarking, financial forecasting, and implementation recommendations to ensure equitable and financially sustainable utility rates for the utility's $40.3 million annual operating budget. Proposers must deliver seven primary tasks: Project Initiation & Data Request, Cost of Service & Revenue Requirements, Rate Design Alternatives & Bill Impacts, Benchmarking & Peer Review, Financial Forecasting, Stakeholder Engagement & Presentations, and Final Deliverables & Ordinance Update, with all-inclusive lump sum pricing required for the initial contract term and optional hourly rates for additional services. Eligible firms must demonstrate a minimum of five years' experience and have successfully completed at least three comparable natural gas distribution utility projects within the past five years. Evaluation will be based on five weighted criteria: Qualifications and Experience (30 points), Technical Approach and Methodology (25 points), Project Management and Communication (15 points), References and Past Performance (15 points), and Cost Proposal (15 points). The proposal deadline is June 17, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. local time, with questions due by June 7, 2026, proposal presentations scheduled for the week of July 13, 2026, and contract commencement anticipated for August 2026.

The RFP does not specify set-aside designations or restrictions on organization types eligible to respond. There are no listed incumbent vendors or current contractors identified in the procurement documents. The initial contract term runs from August 2026 through August 2027, with four optional one-year renewals available at the City's discretion; pricing shall remain firm for the initial one-year term, with subsequent year increases limited to the Consumer Price Index for the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area unless negotiated otherwise. Required insurance coverage includes $1,000,000 commercial general liability, $2,000,000 professional liability, and statutory workers' compensation coverage. No specific award value or budget range is provided in the available procurement documents.