University of California

california institute for energy and environment

Request for Qualifications: Demand Response Load Impact and Cost Effectiveness (CP2-08-01)

Introduction

On behalf of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the University of California (through the California Institute for Energy and Environment (CIEE)) is seeking qualified individuals or teams to assist CPUC staff in

• Developing load impact and cost-effectiveness protocols for demand response resources,

• Reviewing demand response program designs, implementation plans and evaluation plans; and

• Responding to CPUC information requests related to these topics.

The CPUC has initiated a rulemaking (R.07-01-041) that will adopt load impact protocols and cost-effectiveness methodologies for demand response programs and tariffs.  This rulemaking is also setting policy goals for demand response resources as well as coordinating changes to demand response programs, so that they can be properly aligned with anticipated changes to the wholesale energy market.

• Technical assistance is needed in the development and refinement of load impact and cost-effectiveness protocols for long-term planning and other needs. 

• Once the protocols are in place, technical expertise is needed to help CPUC staff evaluate utility compliance with the protocols. 

• Technical expertise will also be needed for on-going implementation of the CPUC’s demand response policies, such as providing information on best practices on demand response program design, implementation and evaluation, as well as assistance in developing and/or critiquing demand response rates and tariffs. 

DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF YOUR SUBMISSION:

5:00 PM Pacific Time, February 18, 2008

At this time, we are seeking qualified individuals or teams with one or more of the following preferred attributes, or competences (including experience, publications or recognized credentials) to work on the project:

1. Experience, knowledge and involvement in demand response in a manner that allows you to leverage prior experience (with your firm) or organizational knowledge, assets and processes in this project.
2. Ability to identify and utilize publicly available information about demand response in California and elsewhere.
3. Experience in assisting regulators in the development of methodologies, analysis and policies related to demand response.
4. Knowledge of the draft protocols and other documents submitted in Commission proceeding R.07-01-041 by the utilities and other parties, as well as staff reports and guidelines
5. Experience with the development of cost-effectiveness methodologies.
6. Knowledge of regulatory policymaking in promoting demand response.
7. Demonstrated ability to collaborate with and work at the direction of a large and varied stakeholder group, assist in the development of consensus, and fully incorporate stakeholder input into their analysis
8. Ability to write clearly and understandably, especially to the targeted audience

Responses to will be posted on the Demand Response Question and Answer web page

Project Tasks & Responsibilities:

In particular, assistance is required for the following topics:

1. Development and/ or refinement of demand response load impact protocols for long-term planning, resource adequacy purposes, and California Independent System Operator (CAISO) operational needs
2. Development of demand response cost-effectiveness methodology
3. Review of utility evaluation plans implementing demand response load impact protocols
4. Review of utility demand response program budget applications, and the application of the cost-effectiveness protocol to those applications
5. Review of the utilities' management of their demand response programs/budgets
6. Review of the utilities’ demand response proposals

The scope, detail, and tight timeframe associated with this project require that any interested bidders demonstrate a considerable level of familiarity with California’s demand response programs and CPUC regulatory processes.  Successful bidders should also have experience providing analysis of demand response programs and familiarity with demand response programs nationally.  

Eligibility

All individuals or teams are allowed to respond to this request for qualifications.

DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF YOUR SUBMISSION:

5:00 PM Pacific Time, February 18, 2008

Schedule

The contract start date is expected to be March 2008; a detailed schedule for deliverables will be part of the contract. (A prototype contract is available on the CIEE web site.

Submission (not to exceed 10 pages (single-spaced) inclusive of all requirements below)

Please send your application electronically with the following material, by February 28th :

• Cover page TITLE PAGE
• Statement of Qualifications (that specifically addresses these eight Qualifications) and references (not to exceed 3, with contact information) for each of the project tasks that you indicate in your submission that you intend to address, list your competencies as well as any recent (past 36 months) involvement that is relevant to each task.
• Resume/ Curriculum Vitae for all named principal investigator(s) (A maximum of two pages per person)
• Statement of Work (that addresses any individual, multiple or all of these six Tasks).  
• Proposed budget – include hourly rates (only and not expected hours) for each key investigator in the tasks outlined above and any other requirements (such as equipment, travel) that you anticipate.  This information should be submitted in this format: Budget Template
• Conflict of Interest:  To facilitate the identification of potential conflicts of interest, all parties that are awarded under this solicitation will be required to follow the disclosure guidelines set forth in Exhibit D of the sample terms and conditions (Exhibit D). The potential for conflicts are evaluated on an individual basis (not organization). Completed Conflict of Interest disclosure will be necessary only for the Principal Investigator(s) and Key Personnel during the submission of the RFP. Upon selection all other individuals on the respondent’s team will need to disclose potential conflicts. If a potential conflict is identified, the solution would be the replacement of that individual team member.

Supporting information for each of the above bulleted items can be found on the CIEE website research opportunities page. Also, please note that questions asked by potential respondents will be posted (anonymously) with a CIEE response on the Demand Response Question and Answer web page

Responses to will be posted on the Demand Response Question and Answer web page

CIEE does not require an original hardcopy version of your qualifications submittal. Your authorized institutional representative should email your completed submission to Michael.Kusiak@ucop.edu  with the following statement in the subject line of the email:

 [organization’s name] Qualifications, Demand Response RFQ (CP2-08-01).

We do request that you also forward a copy of the signed Title Page that includes the signature of both the Principal Investigator and the authorized contract official at your organization. You may provide this signed version as either a PDF (to the submission) or as a separate fax or mailed a hardcopy (see contact information in the Demand Response checklist).

DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF YOUR SUBMISSION:

5:00 PM Pacific Time, February 18, 2008