RFP-25-801 - Energy Efficiency Technical Support 2026

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Energy Efficiency

Technical Support 2026

RFP-25-801

www.energy.ca.gov/contracts/

State of California

California Energy Commission

November 2025

Table of Contents

Attachments

1. Contractor Status Form

2. Darfur Contracting Act

3. DVBE Declarations Form (Std. 843)

4. Bidder Declaration Form (GSPD-05-105)

5. Contractor Certification Clauses

6. Client References

7. Budget Forms

8. Sample Standard Agreement

9. Iran Contracting Act Form

10. California Civil Rights Laws Certification

I. Introduction

Purpose of RFP

The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to hire an experienced, full-service Contractor team (composed of a Contractor and Subcontractors) with particular strengths in the technical and administrative aspects of: analytical methods for forecasting energy efficiency (EE) savings mandated by Senate Bill 350 (SB 350, De León, Chapter 547, Statutes of 2015); tracking EE savings from market-based activities; electrification and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; demand response and demand flexibility analysis; developing a common platform for long term statewide energy demand scenarios; and managing any associated Subcontractor products. The team will provide technical assistance to the Energy Assessments Division (EAD).

The California Energy Commission (CEC) is seeking a prime Contractor to apply as a single entity or represent a team of companies. A single company, not a group of representatives from different companies, must submit a proposal as the prime Contractor. The prime Contractor will be responsible for all contract duties, directing team members in all contract provisions, and participating in technical work assignments.

Key Activities and Dates

Key activities including dates and times for this RFP are presented below. An addendum will be released if the dates change for the asterisked (*) activities.

ACTIVITY	ACTION DATE
RFP Release	November 26, 2025
Deadline for Written Questions by 5:00 p.m.*	December 11, 2025
Pre-Bid Conference *	December 11, 2025
Distribute Questions/Answers and Addenda (if any) to RFP	[January 12, 2026] December 29, 2025
Deadline to Submit Proposals by 11:59 p.m. *	January 12, 2026
Notice of Proposed Award	February 23, 2026
Commission Business Meeting	May 8, 2026
Contract Start Date	July 1, 2026
Contract Termination Date	June 30, 2029

Available Funding and How Award is Determined

There is up to $1.5 million, $500,000 per year over the course of three years available for the contract resulting from this RFP. This is an hourly rate plus cost reimbursement contract and the award will be made to the responsible Bidder receiving the highest points.

Of this amount $500,000 is immediately available. The remaining balance of $1 million from fiscal year (FY) 2027-2028 and 2028-2029 may be available contingent upon approval of the CEC’s 2027-2028 and 2028-2029 Budgets. Funding shall be subject to the appropriation and availability for that purpose in the 2026-2027 Governor’s Budget. In the event funds are not available, the CEC shall have no further liability with regard to the agreement.

The CEC reserves the right to reduce the contract amount to an amount deemed appropriate in the event the budgeted funds do not provide full funding of CEC contracts. In this event, the Contractor and Commission Agreement Manager (CAM) shall meet and reach agreement on a reduced scope of work commensurate with the level of available funding.

Eligible Bidders

This is an open solicitation for public and private entities. Each agreement resulting from this solicitation includes terms and conditions that set forth the Contractor’s rights and responsibilities. Private sector entities must agree to use the attached standard terms and conditions (Attachment 8). The University of California, California State University or U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratories must use either the standard or the pre-negotiated terms and conditions located at: ( DGS Lab Terms ). The CEC will not award agreements to non-complying entities. The CEC reserves the right to modify the terms and conditions prior to executing agreements.

All corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), limited partnerships (LPs) and limited liability partnerships (LLPs) that conduct intrastate business in California are required to be registered and in good standing with the California Secretary of State (SOS) prior to its project being recommended for approval at an CEC business meeting. If not currently registered with the California Secretary of State, bidders are encouraged to contact the Secretary of State’s Office as soon as possible to avoid potential delays in beginning the proposed project(s) (should the application be successful). For more information, visit the SOS website at https://www.sos.ca.gov/. Sole proprietors using a fictitious business name must be registered with the appropriate county and provide evidence of registration to the CEC prior to their project being recommended for approval at a CEC Business Meeting.

Pre-Bid Conference

There will be one (1) Pre-Bid Conference. Participation in this meeting is optional but encouraged. The Pre-Bid Conference will be held remotely through Zoom at the date, time, and location listed below.

Applicants may attend the workshop via the Internet (Zoom, see instructions below), or via conference call on the date and at the time listed below. Please contact the Commission Agreement Officer (CAO) listed on the next page or refer to the CEC’s website at https://www.energy.ca.gov/funding-opportunities/solicitations to confirm the date and time.

Date: December 11, 2025

Time: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

(Pacific Standard Time)

Zoom Instructions:

To join the Zoom Meeting , go to https://zoom.us/join and enter the Meeting ID below. Select “join from your browser.” Participants will then enter the meeting password listed below and their name. Participants will select the “Join” button.

Zoom ID: 870 0090 4881

Meeting Passcode: 544938

Topic: Energy Efficiency

Technical Support 2026 Pre-Bid Conference

Telephone Access Only:

Call 1-669-219-2599 (Toll-Free) or 1-213-338-8477 (Toll-Free). When prompted, enter the meeting number above. International callers may select a number from the Zoom International Dial-In Number List at https://energy.zoom.us/u/abEf4RINDr. To comment, dial *9 to “raise your hand” and *6 to mute/unmute your phone line.

Access by Mobile Device:

Download the application from the Zoom Download Center at https://energy.zoom.us/download .

Technical Support:

• For assistance with problems or questions about joining or attending the meeting, please call Zoom Technical Support at 1-888-799-9666 extension 2. You may also contact the Public Advisor’s Office by email at publicadvisor@energy.ca.gov or by telephone at 916-269-9595.

• System Requirements : To determine whether your computer is compatible, visit https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362023-System-requirements-for-Windows-macOS-and-Linux .

• If you have a disability and require assistance to participate, please contact Erica Rodriguez by email at erica.rodriguez@energy.ca.gov or by telephone at
916-764-5705 at least five (5) days in advance of the Pre-Bid Conference.

Questions

During the RFP process, questions of clarification about this RFP must be directed to the Commission Agreement Officer listed in the following section. You may ask questions at the Pre-Bid Conference, and you may submit written questions via electronic mail. However, all questions must be received by 5:00 pm on the day of the Pre-Bid Conference.

The questions and answers will be posted on the Commission’s website at

https://www.energy.ca.gov/funding-opportunities/solicitations .

Any verbal communication with a CEC employee concerning this RFP is not binding on the State and shall in no way alter a specification, term, or condition of the RFP. Therefore, all communication should be directed in writing to the Energy Commission’s Agreement Officer assigned to the RFP.

Contact Information

Chester Hong, Commission Agreement Officer

California Energy Commission

715 P Street, MS-18

Sacramento, California 95814

Telephone: (916) 890-4694
E-mail: chester.hong@energy.ca.gov

Responses to this RFP

Responses to this solicitation shall be in the form of an Administrative, Technical and Cost Proposal according to the format described in this RFP. The Administrative response shall include all required administrative documents. The Technical Proposal shall document the Bidder’s approach, experience, qualifications, and project organization to perform the tasks described in the Scope of Work, and the Cost Proposal shall detail the Bidder’s budget to perform such tasks.

Reference Documents

Bidders responding to this RFP may want to familiarize themselves with the following documents:

The Clean Energy and Pollution Reduction Act of 2015 (Senate Bill 350, De León, Chapter 547, Statutes of 2015)

Text of SB 350

Assembly Bill 3232 (Friedman, Chapter 373, Statutes of 2018)

Text of AB 3232

California Building Decarbonization Assessment

Report and supplements

Fuel Substitution Scenario Analysis Tool (FSSAT) (2020)

Senate Bill 100 (De León, Chapter 312, Statutes of 2018)

Text of SB 100

Senate Bill 100 Joint Agency Report (2021)

Report

Senate Bill 846 (Dodd, Chapter 239, Statutes of 2022)

Text of SB 846

SB 846 Load Shift Goal Report (2023)

Report

Staff’s Demand Flexibility Modeling Documentation (2025)

SB 350 Energy Efficiency Workbooks

Workbooks

2021 Integrated Energy Policy Report and Forecast

Volumes and Forecast

Building Decarbonization (Volume 1, Pages 28-40)

California Energy Demand Forecast (Volume 4, Pages 33-49 and Appendix A)

Demand Scenarios Project 2022

2023 Integrated Energy Policy Report and Forecast

Report and Forecast

Demand Scenarios Project 2024

Programs and Incremental Codes and Standards Modeling Assumptions

FSSAT Modeling Assumptions

California Commercial End Use Survey

2022 Report link

2019 Residential Appliance Saturation Survey

Data and reports

CARB AB 32 Climate Change Scoping Plan

Documents

All above reference documents are on display and available for review in the CEC’s Library. Library hours are Monday - Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed for lunch 12:00-1:00p.m. The Library is located at: CEC, 715 P Street, Third Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814, (916) 931-5326.

II. Scope of Work and Deliverables

About This Section

This section describes the contract scope of work, deliverables, and due dates under the direction of the CAM.

Background

With the passage of SB 350 - the Clean Energy and Pollution Reduction Act, the CEC is required to establish annual targets for statewide EE savings and demand reduction that will achieve a cumulative doubling of statewide EE savings in electricity and natural gas final end uses by January 1, 2030. In addition, the CEC assesses the effects of EE savings, electrification, and demand response on electricity demand statewide in local service areas and on an hourly and seasonal basis. The CEC provides to the legislature recommendations and an update on progress toward achieving this goal every two years in the Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR).

CEC staff and consultants hired under prior RFPs are presently doing work on:

• Updating EE savings methodologies

• Updating electrification and decarbonization analyses

• Identifying cost effectiveness methods that could be applied to non-investor owned utility entities

• Reviewing and making recommendations on improving California-specific evaluation, measurement, and verification (EM&V) studies and practices

• Researching demand response and demand flexibility challenges and potential demand side flexibility scenarios

Additional work is still needed on the following areas:

• EE, electrification, and demand flexibility analysis

• Decarbonization impacts to energy systems

• Enhancing, streamlining, and integrating CEC analytical products

The Contractor shall provide technical assistance for the following tasks, as directed by the CAM.

General Requirements or Goals and Objectives

Task 1.1 Kick-off Meeting

The goal of this task is to establish the lines of communication and procedures for implementing this Agreement.

Expected General Classifications: Analyst, Scientist, Engineer, Project Manager, Director

The Contractor shall:

Attend a “kick-off” meeting with the CAM, and the Commission Agreement Officer (CAO). The meeting will be held in Sacramento, CA and the CAM will designate the specific location. The Contractor shall include their Project Manager, Contracts Administrator, Accounting Officer, and others designated by the CAM in this meeting. The administrative and technical aspects of this Agreement will be discussed at the meeting.

• If necessary, prepare an updated Schedule of Deliverables based on the decisions made in the kick-off meeting

The CAM shall:

• Arrange the meeting including scheduling the date and time

• Provide an agenda to all potential meeting participants prior to the kick-off meeting

Deliverables:

• An Updated Schedule of Deliverables (if applicable)

Task 1.2 Invoices

Expected General Classifications: Accountant, Analyst, Scientist, Engineer, Project Manager, Director

The Contractor shall:

• Prepare invoices for all reimbursable expenses incurred performing work under this Agreement in compliance with the Exhibit B of the Terms and Conditions of the Agreement. Invoices shall be submitted with the same frequency as progress reports (task 1.4). Invoices must be submitted to the Energy Commission’s Accounting Office.

Deliverables:

Invoices

Task 1.3 Manage Subcontractors

The goal of this task is to ensure quality products, to enforce Subcontractor Agreement provisions, and in the event of failure of the Subcontractor to satisfactorily perform services, recommend solution to resolve the problem.

Expected General Classifications: Project Manager, Director

The Contractor shall:

Manage and coordinate Subcontractor activities. The Contractor is responsible for the quality of all Subcontractor work and the CEC will assign all work to the Contractor. If the Contractor decides to add new Subcontractors, they shall 1) comply with the Terms and Conditions of the Agreement, and 2) notify the CAM who will follow the Energy Commission’s process for adding or replacing Subcontractors.

Task 1.4 Progress Reports

The goal of this task is to periodically verify that satisfactory and continued progress is made towards achieving the objectives of this Agreement.

Expected General Classifications: Project Manager, Director

The Contractor shall:

• Prepare progress reports which summarize all Agreement activities conducted by the Contractor for the reporting period, including an assessment of the ability to complete the Agreement within the current budget and any anticipated cost overruns. Each progress report is due within 15 calendar days after the end of the reporting period. The CAM will provide the format for the progress reports.

Deliverables:

Monthly Progress Reports

Task 1.5 Work Authorizations

The goal of this task is to develop and manage all technical and budgetary aspects of work authorizations (WA) in accordance with the requirements of this Agreement for work to be performed under Technical Tasks 2 through 6.

Expected General Classifications: Analyst, Scientist, Engineer, Project Manager, Director

The Contractor shall:

• Help prepare WAs in accordance with the contract requirements

• Have the WA format and content be specified by the CAM

• Have the WA end date be no later than 60 days prior to the term end date of the Agreement

• Submit all required WA Documents to the CAM

• Administer WAs

• Establish and maintain contractual agreements with entities performing work

• Develop project schedules

• Manage Subcontractor activities in accordance with the Agreement terms and conditions

• Provide oversight and first-level review of reports and documentation, and comment on the content of deliverables

• Review and approve all WA invoices

• Provide audit and accounting services for all WAs

• Immediately report any significant variances affecting performance of WAs and recommend mitigation actions for consideration by the Project Manager and CAM. Examples of significant variances include the inability to submit deliverables by key WA due dates, unavailability of key personnel that will affect timely submittal of deliverables, and key technical issues that would require change in scope, redirection of the effort, or discontinuation of the project.

• Coordinate with the CAM to close out completed WAs and remaining unallocated balances

• Monitor and track each WA and the overall agreement

• Provide updated WA project schedules, as needed, and determine if each WA is on schedule and deliverables are satisfactory

• Determine the fiscal status of each WA and the overall Agreement

• Prevent cost overruns

• Track the start, progress, and closure of each WA

Deliverables:

WA Documents

Task 1.6 Final Report

Expected General Classifications: Project Manager, Director

The goal of this task is to prepare a comprehensive written final report that describes the original purpose, approach, results, and conclusions of the work completed under this Agreement. The final report shall be prepared in language easily understood by the public or layperson with a limited technical background.

The final report must be completed before the termination date of the Agreement in accordance with the schedule of deliverables.

The final report shall be a public document. If the Contractor has obtained confidential status from the CEC and will be preparing both a public and a confidential version of the final report, the Contractor shall perform the following subtasks for both the public and confidential versions of the final report.

Deliverables:

Final Reports

Task 2: Improve Analytical Methods for Forecasting energy Savings, impacts, and GHG reductions from energy efficiency (EE) and fuel substitution (FS) programs and incremental codes and Standards (PiCS)

Expected General Classifications: Analyst, Scientist, Engineer, Project Manager, Director

Using the SB 350 and Additional Achievable Energy Efficiency (AAEE) Tool Structure Report (2021), the 2021 IEPR Volume I and IV and 2023 IEPR, energy efficiency and fuel substitution calculation workbooks (found in the Reference Documents section),, the contractor shall provide technical assistance to CEC staff. The scope of assistance includes developing analytical strategies and providing other support to update potential EE and FS PiCS savings and impacts for electricity and gas end uses of retail customers that will achieve a cumulative doubling of savings at the statewide level relative to the baseline efficiency savings specified in SB 350 by January 1, 2030. The cost, energy, and emission impacts from these decarbonization programs must be examined, particularly with a focus on equity concerns.

The software used for this work is primarily Microsoft Excel and scripts compiled in the R programming language. Staff expect to continue to work with this software, although there is an openness to migrating tools to a different environment where productivity could be significantly enhanced.

This work will require collaboration with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), Community Choice Aggregators (CCAs), publicly owned utilities, and local authorities. The work includes updating the tools, data inputs, and background research used in tracking SB 350 savings and generating projections, as well as other energy forecasting products in the following areas, including but not limited to:

• Integration of verification methods using EM&V reports from utilities and individual customer billing and metered data when available.

• Integration of the California Technical Forum’s eTRM (Electronic Technical Resource Manual) for documentation and all applicable measures, including, but not limited to, deemed measures and other SB 350 measures in current tools.

• Evaluation of the extent to which more granular historic EE data can be obtained from the CPUC and other sources for use in developing demand forecasts, including, but not limited to, building vintage and technology types.

• Evaluation of the extent to which more geographically disaggregated data can be analyzed to reflect localized impacts such as those resulting from CCA and Regional Energy Network (REN) programs and local ordinances.

• Evaluation of potential savings from emerging EE, electrification, and other decarbonization programs in all covered sectors.

• Evaluation of new and updated potential savings from appliance and building standards at the state and federal levels.

• Analyzing the impacts of changes in CPUC-regulated EE and other decarbonization programs resulting from CPUC’s recent policy decisions, including, but not limited to, targeted electrification pilots, phasing out of gas EE, and elimination of line extension subsidies.

• Assessing the current programmatic hourly analysis and offering recommendations to incorporate improved load shapes, customer meter/billing data, and program data. Improvements may include greater geographical or technology level disaggregation, and long-term climate projections, as well as short-term weather variability.

• Assessing the long-term outlook for building and appliance standards beyond a 2030 time horizon, including energy savings decay and technology replacement.

• Analyze and compare data sets obtained from decarbonization program installations or other available sources with individual customer billing and metered data to inform the development of equipment installation detection algorithms for tracking purposes and for assessing program participation and naturally occurring market adoption.

Task 3: Electrification Potential and GHG Emissions Analysis

Expected General Classifications: Analyst, Scientist, Engineer, Project Manager, Director

The Contractor shall assist with ongoing research and energy forecasting efforts in support of long-term decarbonization goals established by legislation and executive orders. In a 2022 letter to CARB, Governor Newsom established a state goal of installing six million heat pumps by 2030. The cost, energy, and emission impacts from such decarbonization measures must be examined, particularly with a focus on equity. The contractor will leverage existing analytical tools and supplementary reports listed in the reference documents section.

The software used for this work is primarily Microsoft Excel and scripts compiled in the R programming language. Staff expect to continue to work with this software, although there is an openness to migrating tools to a different environment where productivity could be significantly enhanced.

The Contractor shall provide technical assistance in the following areas, including but not limited to:

• Identify methods to improve the current CEC Fuel Substitution Scenario Analysis Tool (FSSAT) and make the necessary updates to the FSSAT. These improvements include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Generating inputs at greater levels of disaggregation and carrying that level of granularity throughout the FSSAT calculations where possible

• Tracking and differentiating vintages of newly constructed buildings

• Accounting for multiple cycles of equipment turnover; updating residential equipment stock

• Updating characterization assumptions for residential and commercial equipment

• Updating housing numbers

• Improving modeling of propane and wood fuel substitution

• Improving accounting for removed and installed equipment stock

• Improving the characterization of the decarbonization potential, including hydrogen fuel substitution potential, across various non-residential subsectors, including but not limited to panel upgrades, equipment, and labor

• Incorporating variable electricity generation emissions factors

• Detail the combined saturation of electrification measures, particularly the number of heat pumps installed, from Programs and incremental Codes and Standards (PiCS) Additional Achievable Fuel Substitution (AAFS) scenarios (see Task 2) and FSSAT scenarios. Produce detailed analysis using the best available data that combines outputs resulting from PiCS, and FSSAT-generated fuel substitution scenarios emulating naturally occurring market adoption or compliance with zero-emission appliance regulations.

• Propose performance improvements to staff's decarbonization modeling tools, products, and analyses using the CEC's Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) data. For example, use such data for model calibration, detail the efficient and equitable targeting of potential customers and communities, and develop more accurate and recent hourly load profiles.

• Identify the implications of the costs of decarbonization when considering the near- and long-term impacts from decarbonization efforts on electric and (renewable) gas rates and the infrastructure costs occurring at and outside the scope of a building. Produce a tool that allows for detailed comparisons of energy cost impacts using various gas and hourly electric tariffs, including different rate designs.

• Identify improvements in understanding electrification measure impacts with additional geographic granularity amenable to substation allocation and gas and electric infrastructure transmission and distribution (avoided) costs.

• Incorporate any proposed changes to energy demand forecasting practices within the CEC that can be made to consider enhanced consideration of consumer behavior or historical electrification experience. Consider the use of backup fossil-gas technologies for electrified buildings.

• Review and propose methods to quantify the benefits of decarbonization, with a focus on equity indicators, using existing models and comparing them with existing marginal abatement cost estimates.

• Identify methods to enhance the analysis and characterization of electrification policies on new and existing buildings in the near and long term. For example, consider and identify the market impact of power-efficient appliances for specific end-use load profiles. Also, explore and implement methods that can characterize targeted electrification or strategic gas decommissioning policies.

• Identify and implement methods to improve the ability to observe hourly load impacts from electrification and the potential of load management strategies. Implement methods that improve the analysis of using different hourly emission factors. Implement analytical improvement to FSSAT’s hourly module to help further align with other forecast tools and products.

• Prepare a modeling structure that improves the analysis of the long-term costs of electrification and considers efficiency and cost improvements stemming from market transformation.

• Identify leakage components in the natural gas system that should be considered volumetric, constant, and thus predicted by fuel combustion in buildings connected to the natural gas distribution system. Devise methods for projecting each type of leakage component as part of demand forecast.

• Analyze how measures that mitigate non-combustion GHG sources reduce GHG emissions and change energy demand impacts.

• Identify improvements in the modeling of added cooling load for heat pumps installed in buildings without prior access to air conditioning. Apply these modeling assumptions across the non-residential sectors, with a focus on commercial buildings.

• Prepare a comprehensive review of existing energy demand models, including FSSAT, that can model building electrification in California to compare the methodologies, data assumptions, and outputs used for data tracking, costs and GHG accounting, annual and hourly energy demand forecasting, and load bus allocation analysis.

Task 4: Demand Flexibility Potential And Scenarios Analysis

Expected General Classifications: Analyst, Scientist, Engineer, Project Manager, Director

Demand flexibility programs have been identified as an important source of electricity reliability, as well as cost and GHG emission reductions. The SB 846 (Dodd, Chapter 239, Statutes of 2022) Load-Shift Goal Report established a 2030 statewide 7,000 MW load-flexibility goal. Recent pending legislation, for example, Assembly Bill (AB) 44 (Schultz, Reg. Ses. 2025) and SB 541 (Becker, Reg. Ses. 2025), also seeks further analysis regarding the state’s demand flexibility potential. The CEC seeks to further explore how various load-modifying and event-based programs can support increased renewable energy consumption, distributed energy resource adoption, utility and customer cost reductions, and help the state meet mid-century climate targets.

The software used for this work is primarily Microsoft Excel and scripts compiled in the R programming language. Staff expect to continue to work with this software, although there is an openness to migrating tools to a different environment where productivity could be significantly enhanced.

The Contractor shall provide technical assistance to the CEC staff on topics including, but not limited to:

• Enhance existing demand flexibility scenario analysis tools. The tools should continue to use inputs that include hourly end-use load profiles, different weather scenarios, other CEC tool outputs such as the FSSAT (see Task 3) and the programmatic SB 350 EE and FS data integration being updated and enhanced in Task 2 and sector-based baseline consumption models.

• Continue developing and improving the iterative interaction of demand flexibility tools with CEC supply modeling tools.

• Develop new or enhance existing demand flexibility scenario tools as needed to incorporate consideration of various time-varying rates, such as those developed pursuant to the CEC’s Load Management Standards or the CPUC’s California Flexible Unified Signal for Energy (CALFUSE; R.22-07-005) framework.

• Develop end-use load shapes informed by possible load-shifting and -shedding in the future.

• Develop additional functionality for the demand flexibility tool based upon lessons learned since the SB 846 Load-Shift Goal Report and recent tracking efforts.

• Update the demand flexibility tool and input assumptions to enable setting localized load shift goals as may be required by SB 541.

• Explore the applicability and further develop the demand flexibility tool for use in the California Energy Demand Forecast and for other CEC products as may be needed pursuant to AB 44.

• Improve tool outputs that could be leveraged by other CEC forecasting and scenario analysis efforts, which can support policymaking decisions and program development.

• Update the calculation of end-user operational costs using hourly outputs, time-of-use rates, and additional emerging rate designs as they are developed.

• Pilot the use of interval meter data to create control groups for third-party demand response programs.

Task 5: Common Platform Implementation Support

Expected General Classifications: Analyst, Scientist, Engineer, Project Manager, Director

The CEC’s Common Platform is a general-purpose tool built using an ontology-based knowledge framework. It facilitates collaboration and provides unified, transparent access to various data sources that can be queried by staff to complete demand forecast analytical workflows. This task will support the CEC’s analytical efforts to investigate options and costs to achieve California’s energy policy goals and GHG emission reduction targets established through SB 350, SB 32, SB 1383, AB 3232, SB 100, SB 846, and various Executive Orders.

The Common Platform is built on the Resource Description Framework (RDF) and Web Ontology Language (OWL) using a webpage front-end user interface. The primary coding language used is SPARQL. Staff expect to continue to work with this configuration, although there is an openness to migrating methods where productivity could be significantly enhanced.

The Contractor shall work with CEC staff to scale, enhance, and automate the functionality and capability of the Common Platform, including, but not limited to, the following tasks:

• Organize, manage, and integrate data

o Enhance the Common Platform’s Ontology and Knowledge Base with inference rules that will improve staff efficiency and enforce quality standards by applying logical rules that leverage historical patterns.

o Integrate unstructured data sources (e.g., memos, reports, audio, etc.) to provide a holistic view of an entire case study (e.g., automate the ingestion of pending Legislation regarding new policies and their potential impact on the CEC’s Ontology, Knowledge Base, and staff’s workflow).

• Develop models and scenario framework

o Enhance predictive capabilities and automate complex modules by incorporating approved Machine Learning (ML) and Large Language Models (LLMs) to generate actionable recommendations.

o Incorporate collaborative quality assurance and quality control processes to confirm a model's quality.

o Investigate how to leverage data from the Common Platform to generate dynamic scenarios, context-specific situations that adapt based on conditions, that would inform layered decision logic.

o Create opportunities to enhance productivity and collaboration by optimizing the user experience and promoting data accessibility, especially when linking or producing a multivariate forecasting model.

III. Proposal Format, Required Documents, and Delivery

About This Section

This section contains the format requirements and instructions on how to submit a proposal. The format is prescribed to assist the Bidder in meeting State bidding requirements and to enable the Commission to evaluate each proposal uniformly and fairly. Bidders must follow all Proposal format instructions, answer all questions, and supply all requested data.

Required Format for a Proposal

All proposals submitted under this RFP must be typed using a standard 11-point font, singled-spaced and a blank line between paragraphs. Pages must be numbered and sections titled.

Method for Delivery

The method of delivery for this solicitation is the CEC Grant Solicitation System, available at: https://gss.energy.ca.gov/ . This online tool allows applicants to submit their electronic documents to the CEC prior to the date and time specified in this solicitation. Electronic files must be in Microsoft Word and Excel Office Suite formats unless originally provided in the solicitation in another format. Attachments requiring signatures may be scanned and submitted in PDF format. Completed Budget Forms, Attachment 7, must be in Excel format.

The deadline to submit applications through the CEC’s GSS is 11:59 p.m. The GSS system automatically closes at 11:59 p.m. If the full submittal process has not been completed before 11:59 p.m., your application will not be considered. NO EXCEPTIONS will be entertained.

The CEC strongly encourages Applicants to upload and submit all applications by 5:00 p.m. because CEC staff will not be available after 5:00 p.m. or on weekends to assist with the upload process. And please note that while we endeavor to assist all would-be Applicants, we can’t guarantee staff will be available for in-person consultation on the due date, so please plan accordingly.

Please give yourself ample time to complete all steps of the submission process: do not wait until right before the deadline to begin the process. Due to factors outside the CEC’s control and unrelated to the GSS system, upload times may be much longer than expected. For example, some past Applicants experienced unexpected issues on their end, causing long delays that prevented timely submission. They spent significant time and resources on applications the CEC will not consider. Please plan accordingly. For instructions on how to apply using the GSS system, please see the How to Apply document available on the CEC website at: https://www.energy.ca.gov/media/1654 .

First time users must register as a new user to access the system. Applicants will receive a confirmation email after all required documents have been successfully uploaded. A tutorial of the system is available on the Energy Commission website under General Funding Resources. You may contact the Commission Agreement Officer identified in the Contact Information section of this solicitation for more assistance.

Hard copies or submissions via email or fax will not be accepted for this solicitation.

Organize Your Proposal As Follows

SECTION 1, Administrative Response

Cover Letter

Table of Contents

Contractor Status Form Attachment 1

Darfur Contracting Act Form Attachment 2

Small Business Certification If applicable

Completed DVBE Declarations Form (Std. 843) Attachment 3

Bidder Declaration Form (GSPD-05-105) Attachment 4

Contractor Certification Clauses Attachment 5

TACPA Forms If applicable

Iran Contracting Act Form Attachment 9

CA Civil Rights Laws Certification Attachment 10

SECTION 2, Technical and Cost Proposal

Approach to Tasks in Scope of Work

Organizational Structure

Relevant Experience and Qualifications

Labor Hours by Personnel and Task

Client References Attachment 6

Previous Work Products (Optional)

Budget Forms Attachment 7.

See also G below.

Contract Manager may modify sections A-F (Make sure that these items tie into the Evaluation Criteria):

A. Approach to tasks in Scope of Work

Describe the Bidder’s approach to providing services listed in the Scope of Work, highlighting any outstanding features, qualifications, and experience.

B. Organizational Structure

1. Describe the organizational structure of the Bidder, including providing an organizational chart of the entire contract team.

2. Provide a short description of each firm and key members on the team. Describe the relationship between the Contractor and Subcontractors on your team.

3. Identify the location of the Bidder’s and Subcontractor’s headquarters and satellite office(s) and proposed methods of minimizing costs to the State.

4. Describe Bidder’s professional awards.

5. Describe the organization, composition, and functions to be performed by staff members of the Bidder and any Subcontractors and how the staff pertains to this contract.

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