MODIFICATION
R -- REVISED Sources Sought announcement for Utility Rate Analysis, Litigation Support, and Various other related tasks
- Notice Date
- 11/1/2012
- Notice Type
- Modification/Amendment
- NAICS
- 541618
— Other Management Consulting Services
- Contracting Office
- USACE HNC, Huntsville, P. O. Box 1600, Huntsville, AL 35807-4301
- ZIP Code
- 35807-4301
- Solicitation Number
- W912DY12URIL
- Response Due
- 11/12/2012
- Archive Date
- 1/11/2013
- Point of Contact
- Chaquandra Wilson, Phone: 2568951261
- E-Mail Address
-
chaquandra.k.wilson@usace.army.mil
(chaquandra.k.wilson@usace.army.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- 1. The US Army Engineering and Support Center in Huntsville (CEHNC), Alabama has a requirement for utility rate analysis, litigation support, and various other related tasks in support of the Army Commercial Utilities Program (CUP). The United States Department of the Army (DA) purchases utility services (electricity, natural or manufactured gas, water, sewerage, and thermal energy [chilled water, hot water, high temperature hot water, steam] in excess of one billion dollars annually. The CUP provides utility contracting oversight and technical field assistance to Army installations in the goal of obtaining reliable utilities at lowest cost practicable. The objective of this contract will be to provide: a. Professional utility rate analytical technical assistance to the DA when conducting rate interventions before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) or State utility regulatory bodies regarding requests for rate increases or other regulatory matters which affect the DA and other Federal Agencies. Includes providing expert witness testimony at rate hearings. b. Assistance in evaluating and recommending the best method of purchasing utility services, e.g. wholesale versus retail; assisting with the development of contracts for competing for utility services; and providing technical assistance in evaluating and negotiating proposals for utility service to Army installations.. c. Perform studies, surveys and evaluations of installation energy use as it affects rate schedule application, utility contract administration/management practices, utility markets, tariff rates, utility procurement options, cost and benefit analyses of various demand side management and behind the meter generation alternatives. 2. The Government is performing market research primarily in order to determine if there are firms that possess the capability to execute the requirements of this anticipated request for proposal (RFP). This synopsis is for market research purposes only and IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS nor does it restrict the Government as to an ultimate acquisition approach. Therefore, we further invite all business concerns to provide a capability statement in response to this requirement. Prospective contractors shall be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) prior to award of a contract. Contractors are encouraged to obtain further information on SAM registration at the following website: https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/. This announcement does not obligate the Government to award a contract nor does it obligate the Government to pay for any bid/proposal preparation costs. 3. If your firm would be interested in such work, you are strongly encouraged to submit a capability statement that addresses as a minimum, the questions presented within this announcement. The Government does not intend to rank submittals or provide any reply to interested firms. North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code 541618 is applicable to this acquisition. It is expected that the performance period will not begin until spring or summer of 2013. The type of vehicle to be utilized to execute this requirement has not yet been finalized. However it is estimated that the capacity ceiling will not exceed $8.5M. NOTE: Registration as an interested vendor for this synopsis does not in any way exempt your firm from submitting the required capability questionnaire. Your firm will only be considered an interested source for this requirement if a formal response to this capability questionnaire is submitted in accordance with this announcement. 4. THIS IS NOT A FORMAL SOLICITATION. Contractors who feel they can provide the U.S. Army Engineering & Support Center, Huntsville, AL, with the above services are invited to submit in writing an affirmative response which includes as a minimum the following information: a. What is the name of your business? b. What is your business address? c. Is your firm a large business, small business, a certified 8(a) small business, certified HUBZone business, Alaskan Native, Native American, Tribal, and/or Service Disabled veteran owned concern according to NAICS code 541618? (Specify all that apply.) d. Would your firm propose on this project as a prime contractor, prime contractor with subcontractor(s), prime contractor with team member subcontractor(s), or a joint venture? (If you have proposed a joint venture, identify to the extent possible, your team members. Identify the business size of your team members or joint venture firms. If a teaming arrangement is planned, give details to the extent practicable on how the team likely will be composed. See FAR subpart 9.6 for Government policy on teaming arrangements and 8(a) Program regulations described in 13 CFR 124.513 e. Describe your experience in the following areas: (1) Serving as an expert witness at utility rate hearings. Identify the total number of rate cases for which your firm served as an expert witness to counter a proposed rate increase in the past 5 years. Describe the salient details for up to 3 past cases including when, which regulatory body, the parties (utility company, client(s) other stakeholders), the issue(s) and the outcome. (2) Conducting utility rate analyses. Identify the total number of utility rate analyses cases for which your firm conducted in the past 5 years. Describe or provide up to 3 samples of Executive Summaries for completed utility rate survey reports or other special studies covering planning, engineering, and economic/market considerations which affect the cost, acquisition and/or management of utility services. Include example recommendations provided to your client(s) to reduce utility cost. (3) Identify the total number of utility procurements which your firm assisted clients during the past 5 years. Describe your firm's role in assisting in the optimized procurement of utilities. Identify past clients served that are industrial and institutional, the year which the utility procurement assistance was provided and results achieved. NOTE: To avoid or reduce adverse cross examination, the Contractor will be required to certify that any person provided to be an utility rate witness on electric rate design had not advocated, within the last five years, allocating class costs of service (or class revenues responsibility) or rate design in a manner which is not recognized in the ELECTRIC COST ALLOCATION MANUAL published by the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), or advocated a goal of rate design inconsistent with unitized class rates of return. The Contractor will certify that any person furnished to be an utility rate witness on gas utility rate design has not advocated, with in the past five years, allocating class costs of service (or class revenue responsibility) or rate design in a manner which is not recognized in the manual entitled GAS RATE DESIGN published by the National Association of Regulatory Commissioners (NARUC), or advocated a goal of rate design inconsistent with unitized class rates of return. Personnel requirements are noted below: a. Project Manager: The Project Manager shall be employed full time by the (prime) Contractor and cannot be an employee of any subcontractor performing work under this contract. It is expected that he Project Manager be a designated company official that is authorized to make decisions and commit company resources on behalf of the contractor. The Project Manager shall have at least 3 years of experience in utility rate making issues and regulations; commission functions and administrative processing; utility litigation process; report writing; case administration and management; development of testimony strategies; briefing high-level federal commanders; and development of feasible engineering and economic approaches in developing testimony. Minimum education required is a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Economics or Engineering. b. Utility Rate Analyst. The contractor shall provide professional utility rate experts who are fully qualified in utility engineering, legal accounting, finance, or economics. The utility rate experts shall have had previous experience in presenting testimony in at least 5 cases within the last three years, which has been subject to cross-examination before regulatory commissions. The utility rate experts shall have the knowledge and experience to prepare special studies that center on the solution of planning, engineering, and economic problems, which affect the acquisition and management of utility services. The utility rate experts shall have the ability to negotiate utility service contracts and rates in accordance with FAR Part 41 (Utility Services). Education is a Bachelor's in engineering, economics, or a related field, or in the project's functional area. c. Economist. Economist should be fully qualified in legal accounting, finance, or economics. The economist shall have had at least one year of experience in analyzing cost of service, return on equity and or factors used when determining fair and reasonable rate design structures and performed a minimum of five studies within the last three years. This person shall have the knowledge and experience to prepare special studies that center on the solution of planning, engineering, and economic problems, which affect the acquisition and management of utility services. Minimum education is a Bachelor's in Economics, or a related field. 5. Other items to address (1) Ability of your firm to comply with the requirements of Federal Acquisition Regulation FAR 52.219-14 (b)(1), limitations on subcontracting (2) Ability of proposed employees/team members to a security clearance of SECRET. If employees/team members already have a secret clearance provide date granted. (3) Capability to support a minimum of three (3) utility interventions with simultaneous oral hearings scheduled in different locations. The Contractor shall be capable of responding to requests for action within 24 hours after task order award. 6. All responsible sources are encouraged to submit a capability statement response to this announcement. All such responses will be considered by the agency. Responses can be submitted electronically using the following address: Chaquandra.K.wilson@usace.army.mil and Earl.W.Johnson@usace.army.mil OR submitted in hard copy format using the following address: The United States Army Engineering and Support Center ATTN: CEHNC-CT-B (Chaquandra Wilson) 4820 University Square Huntsville, AL 35816-1822 7. All responses shall be received by 5:00 PM central time on 16 November 2012. Responses shall be no more than 20 pages (single spaced, front and back, no smaller than Times New Roman, font size 12 or equivalent). If submissions exceed the page count noted, the Government will only review the first 20 pages and disregard the remainder of the submission. Extraneous materials (brochures, manuals, etc.) will not be considered. Questions concerning this announcement shall be submitting in writing via email to both Contract Specialist Chaquandra Wilson (email address noted above) and Contracting Officer Earl Johnson (email address noted above). The Government does not intend to rank submittals or provide any reply to firms as it relates to the Government's review of the data submitted in response to this announcement.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/USA/COE/DACA87/W912DY12URIL/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: USACE HNC, Huntsville P. O. Box 1600, Huntsville AL
- Zip Code: 35807-4301
- Zip Code: 35807-4301
- Record
- SN02922974-W 20121103/121101234625-094ec4b2354c83357357e05072e7cf19 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
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