Summary
The Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is seeking a solar energy project developer to design, finance, build, operate, and maintain a solar photovoltaic system at DOE’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) Livermore Site on approximately 10 acres of DOE-owned federal property in the northwest buffer zone near the LLNL West Gate Badge Office. The Main Site is located in Livermore, California on the eastern edge of Alameda County. LLNL is managed and operated by Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC (LLNS) under a DOE/NNSA contract. It is intended that the selected developer will enter a license agreement with DOE/NNSA as well as enter into a Power Purchase Agreement with Western Area Power Administration (WAPA).
Project Structure
DOE/NNSA expects the developer to design, finance, build, operate, and maintain a ground-mounted solar photovoltaic system for a period of at least 20 years at DOE’s Livermore Site. WAPA, on behalf of DOE/NNSA, will purchase the power generated from this system. DOE/NNSA is also requiring a monitoring and data acquisition system that is remotely available to LLNL through a real-time internet site. DOE/NNSA is interested in having the Project fully operational in 2013.
The Project shall comply with all federal and state environmental and safety requirements applicable to projects of this type. In addition to the requirements listed in the attachments, DOE/NNSA may impose additional requirements necessary to ensure environmentally appropriate and safe cooperative access to and use of the federal land.
Prospective developers must be willing to enter into specific agreements with various parties who will be involved in the successful execution of this project. These agreements include the following: (1) a no-cost license agreement with DOE/NNSA for access to the land for installation, operation, and maintenance activities conducted at the site; and (2) a Power Purchase Agreement with WAPA for the electricity generated by the ground-mounted system. Please see Attachment C for the WAPA PPA contract.
Site Visit, Project Selection, and Timing
One pre-proposal site visit will be held for interested parties on November 13, 2012. Pre-registration is required no later than November 8, 2012 at
llnlsolarproject@nnsa.doe.gov. All proposal preparation and development costs are to be borne by the bidders. DOE will complete a Categorical Exclusion for this project pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act. Based on the proposals received in response to this Opportunity Notice and subsequent negotiations, DOE and LLNL will jointly select one solar project developer who will enter into agreements with WAPA and DOE/NNSA. The selection decision will be final and is within the sole discretion of DOE and LLNL. See Attachment G for Opportunity Notice schedule.
Evaluation Criteria
The proposals will be evaluated to determine which offers the best overall value, using the combined responses to the criteria below, in conjunction with the price offered.
Responses shall include the following:
Criterion 1: Technical Approach
1. Describe your plan to design, build, operate, and maintain the project in accordance with the technical requirements in the attached Statement of Work.
- Offers will be evaluated on the basis of system design (size, performance, technology, preliminary system footprint, and implementation schedule for major project steps).
- Offers will be evaluated on the approach to meeting the minimum technical requirements stipulated in Attachment A, Statement of Work, of this opportunity.
- Offers will be evaluated on the approach to providing maintenance and maintenance response time.
Criterion 2: Capabilities of the Offeror and Performance Record
2. Describe the relevant capabilities of your principal technical, management and operational personnel you anticipate will work on this project. Submit resumes of key personnel who will be working on this project.
3. Describe why your company is qualified to successfully design, build, operate, and maintain the project including relevant past experience.
4. Describe your company’s experience working on a solar project on federal property.
5. Describe any previous experience your company has in entering into a PPA with WAPA, Bonneville Power Administration, Southwestern Power Administration, and/or Southeastern Power Administration.
6. Describe any special performance abilities or attributes of your company that would be particularly useful in performing the work.
7. Describe any plans you have to use subcontractors to perform work. Identify them by company name if possible and the scope of work they will be performing. The contractors identified in the response to this Opportunity Notice must be used on the project.
8. Describe how your company intends to meet quality, performance, security and safety standards in performing the work.
9. Submit 3 references for similar-sized PPA work you have completed.
10. Describe your capabilities to secure financing and provide proof of capacity to finance the project described in the attached Statement of Work.
- Offers will be evaluated on satisfactory evidence of Offeror’s experience working with utility companies, preparing interconnection studies, and negotiating power purchase agreements.
- Offers will be evaluated on the ability to meet safety, security, and environmental requirements.
- Offers will be evaluated on the ability to financially complete the project.
Criterion 3: Pricing Approach
11. Explain the approach for minimizing the proposed price of electricity generated.
- Offers will be evaluated on price per kilowatt hour (kWh) for each year for the electricity generated.
- Offers will be evaluated on the basis of satisfactory evidence of at least a conditional commitment of funds in an amount necessary to construct a PV solar electric generating facility.
12. Complete the Tables for pricing requirements in Attachment H. The table must be filled out completely without deviations in order to be accepted.
Response Submission
Proposal Due Date is Friday, January 18, 2013.
All proposals must be received no later than 4:00 PM Pacific Time by Friday, January 18, 2013. Proposals shall be submitted electronically to the following:
llnlsolarproposals@nnsa.doe.gov. Paper proposals will not be accepted.
Please submit questions by email to:
llnlsolarproject@nnsa.doe.gov. All questions must be submitted no later than November 30, 2012. All questions received and their responses will be published on this website by December 21, 2012.
Interested Offerors are advised to monitor this Web site for potential Opportunity Notice amendments and other information updates. DOE/LLNS may notify interested Offerors (who have previously contacted LLNS and expressed an interest in this project) of updated information via e-mail; however, DOE/LLNS is under no obligation to do so. It is the responsibility of all interested Offerors to monitor this Web site for current information.
This work performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.
