Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is a regulated investor-owned utility that provides natural gas and electric service to approximately 5.1 million electric customers and approximately 4.3 million customers. PG&E’s service territory stretches from Eureka in the north to Bakersfield in the south. Based in San Francisco, PG&E is one of the largest natural gas and electric utilities in the United States. For further information, please click on the hyperlink below:
In December 2007, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) issued a decision directing the California investor-owned utilities (IOUs) to use an Independent Evaluator (IE) to monitor long-term resource solicitations that may involve affiliate, utility-owned or utility-turnkey bids and for all competitive solicitations seeking products greater than two years in length regardless of whom potential IE candidates may be. The CPUC requires the IOUs to use an IE to monitor:
In addition, PG&E may use an IE for additional procurement processes and/or electric energy and fuel related procurement products, even if not required to do so by the CPUC.
This Request for Proposal (RFP) is being issued to comply with the CPUC requirement above and is seeking qualified parties for PG&E’s pool of IEs.
Being included in PG&E’s IE pool is not a guarantee of specific work or projects. If and when PG&E selects an IE from its pool to monitor a specific solicitation, bilateral negotiation or contract amendment, PG&E and the IE will enter into a Master Service Agreement (MSA) at that time of official entrance into the pool. The MSA would incorporate PG&E’s requirements related to terms and conditions required as a consultant for PG&E. In addition, an IE will be required to sign both PG&E’s Non-Disclosure agreement (NDA) and the Declaration Regarding Conflict of Interest attached as Appendix 1 of this RFP.
Once an IE is added to PG&E’s IE pool, the IE (including the IE’s lead and sub-contractors) will be in the IE pool for a term not to exceed two years. Before the end of the two-year period, if an IE would like to be considered for the following two-years, the IE must submit a proposal in the subsequent Request for Proposal. The specific tasks the IE will perform will include, but shall not be limited to:
This RFP will be conducted using the PowerAdvocate Sourcing Intelligence platform (“PowerAdvocate”). All communications including, but not limited to, RFP documents, information, announcements, and amendments will be posted in PowerAdvocate; likewise, questions or comments between PG&E and potential IE candidates will utilize PowerAdvocate’s messaging tool (“Messaging”). Requested documents and information shall be provided by potential IE candidate through PowerAdvocate.
PG&E Strategic Sourcing Department shall be the potential IE candidate’s sole point of contact during the RFP process. Potential IE candidate shall not contact other PG&E employees or consultants for information regarding the Project during the RFP period. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in disqualification.
Respondents shall submit Proposal electronically via PowerAdvocate platform by Wednesday, July 17, 2013 at 8:00 a.m. (Pacific Time).
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: The California Public Utilities Division Energy Division has granted an extension for the Independent Evaluator (IE) Request for Proposal submissions. Note: This is a 2 business day extension from the original deadline.
PG&E will only consider Proposals submitted through PowerAdvocate. Potential IE candidates will receive an email from Leo Hill, from PG&E’s Strategic Sourcing Department, to register on the PowerAdvocate website.
PG&E will be holding a conference call for potential IE candidates on Monday, June 24, 2013 at 3:00 pm (Pacific Time) to answer additional questions. The dial in number is 1-866-775-2575 (Toll-free North America) or 1-205-354-0119 (International). The Meeting Number is *4159734986*, which must be preceded and followed by the * key.
For questions or matters of general interest raised by any potential IE candidate during the Q&A period, PG&E will issue answers during or shortly after the closing of the Q&A period. PG&E may, in its sole discretion, decline to respond to any e-mail or other inquiry outside of PowerAdvocate Messaging, and will have no liability or responsibility to any potential IE candidate for failing to do so.
If you have additional questions or have not received an invitation to register on the PowerAdvocate website, please email PG&E Independent Evaluator at:
Solicitation Schedule
The table below summarizes the estimated RFP schedule. Further detail of each event in the schedule is provided in the RFP Process Milestones, Section II.B, below. The RFP schedule is subject to change at PG&E’s sole discretion at any time. PG&E will notify potential IE candidate of any schedule change.
The expected schedule (Pacific Time) for this RFP for the Projects is:
Event | Date/Time |
---|---|
17 June 2013 | PG&E issues RFP, Question & Answer Period Opens |
24 June 2013 at 3:00 PM (PT) | Potential IE candidates conference call for RFP Bidders' Conference Notes (PDF, 85 KB) posted 7-12-2013 |
27 June 2013 @ COB | PG&E answers outstanding questions from the potential IE candidates Conference for RFP |
*17 July 2013 @ 8:00 AM (PT) | RFP Closes |
21 Aug. through 13 Sept. 2013 | Potential IE candidate Interviews |
18 October 2013 | Notifications to potential IE candidates |
15 November 2013 | Letter to CPUC’s Energy Division |
31 December 2013 | Response from CPUC’s Energy Division |
*IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: The California Public Utilities Division Energy Division has granted an extension for the Independent Evaluator (IE) Request for Proposal submissions. Note: This is a 2 business day extension from the original deadline.
Potential IE candidate must answer all questions and provide information using the PowerAdvocate Sourcing Intelligence platform as directed by PG&E. Potential IE candidates are to follow directions and submit the required documentations in PowerAdvocate as directed in this RFP. Potential IE candidate may enter and revise information; and upload, delete and re-upload requested documents, anytime during the bid event up until the RFP submittal deadline. It is recommended that potential IE candidate upload the requested document throughout the bid period and well before the deadline. Documents uploaded after the deadline will not be considered.
Potential IE candidate responses can be provided and updated up until the RFP deadline. Thereafter, the RFP will be closed, and potential IE candidate will be unable to make further revisions to datasheets. PG&E will not accept any other form of response to the RFP except those submitted through PowerAdvocate.
RFP Evaluation Process
The goal of the Independent Evaluator RFP is to select qualified parties for inclusion in the PG&E IE pool. Such an inclusion in the IE pool is not a guarantee of specific work or projects.
PG&E will use an initial pre-screening process in the RFP. For parties submitting bids that pass the pre-screening process, PG&E will assess a party’s bid by judging relevant experience and background of key personnel and the competitiveness of offered pricing.
PG&E also considers potential IE candidates plan to support PG&E’s program goal’s (i.e. supplier diversity, green supply chain, etc.), conformance to PG&E’s stated terms and conditions and potential IE candidate’s financial stability,
PG&E and PG&E’s PRG will also conduct interviews with selected potential IE candidates and any final recommendation, for inclusion of a party in the IE pool, will be reviewed and approved by the CPUC’s Energy Division.
Additionally, potential IE candidate’s submittals will be evaluated to determine their completeness, clarity, and conformance to RFP instructions. If it is difficult or overly time-consuming to evaluate potential IE candidate’s submittals, then potential IE candidate may be disadvantaged in the evaluation process and may be disqualified.
To evaluate the bids, PG&E will consider the following elements of the proposed documents and data (in no particular order):
If you have additional questions regarding submittal of Proposals, please email PG&E Independent Evaluator at:
email to PGEIndependentEvalua@pge.com