Vendor Qualifications & Experience 1. What qualifications, experience, certifications, and bonding should the PUCT consider when evaluating a vendor’s ability to provide full-service consultation, design, manufacture, procurement, installation, and maintenance for turnkey TBPP for critical facilities? 2. How may the PUCT structure the solicitation to allow multiple entities of different skill sets or that offer different services to partner together under one response (e.g. Primes and Subcontractors) to serve as a single vendor for full-service delivery of TBPP systems? 3. How should the PUCT encourage and evaluate a vendor’s ability to serve different regions of Texas, especially rural or underserved areas (e.g., should the PUCT define unique service areas by county, Texas Division of Emergency Management region, or some other geographic designation)? 4. What permitting and regulatory considerations should be addressed in the solicitation? System Capabilities & Scalability 5. By statute the system size cannot serve larger than 2.5 megawatts of load and must be capable of operating for at least 48 continuous hours without refueling. What range of system sizes and configurations should vendors be expected to offer to meet the diverse needs of critical facilities? 6. How should vendors demonstrate their ability to scale operations and manage logistics for multiple installations across the state? Cost Structure & Financial Model 7. What cost components should be included in a vendor’s proposal to ensure a complete and transparent pricing structure for TBPPs (e.g., equipment, installation, site-specific infrastructure, subcontractor engagement, maintenance, permits)? 8. What is a reasonable cost per kilowatt range for the turnkey TBPP systems and what factors typically influence cost variability? Funding & Payment Arrangements 9. The PUCT intends to contract with each vendor and pay for a majority portion of the cost of TBPP with funds from the TxEF. Payments to each vendor will be based upon TBPP construction milestones. A portion of the cost of the TBPP will likely be contributed by the TBPP Applicant. What types of funding structures could a vendor provide to assist the critical facilities with cost (e.g., in-house financing, 3rd party financing, payment plans during a compliance period, other funding sources)? Compliance, Monitoring & Maintenance 10. What factors should the PUCT consider when defining the duration and requirements of a compliance and monitoring period for installed systems? 11. What methods or tools should vendors use to track and report system performance and compliance over time? 12. How should ongoing TBPP operation and maintenance be handled—what are standard industry warranty, repair, and customer service terms? Should these conditions be included in the vendor contract with the PUCT or managed through separate agreements with TBPP Applicants? 13. Upon closeout of a TBPP contract with the PUCT, what vendor capabilities should the critical facility be able to access to ensure ongoing operation and maintenance of the TBPP? Should the PUCT be involved in defining the process and cost associated with a long-term operation and maintenance agreement with the critical facility? If so, please provide relevant procedural or cost details. Risk Management & Program Integrity 14. What practices should vendors follow to ensure workforce readiness, supply chain resilience, and inclusion of local and diverse subcontractors?
