ECA Staff | 8/30/23
This morning DOE released the first Cleanup to Clean Energy Request for Information at the Hanford site. We look forward to discussing this exciting initiative at the National Cleanup Workshop on September 11-13.
This is the first of many RFI and RFPs that will be released by DOE on reusing portions of DOE sites for “clean” energy development. Hanford is the perfect site to start the initiative.
We look forward to hearing about the meetings that DOE will host at the Hanford site with the state, tribal and local governments to discuss the project. Key questions that ECA has asked about the initiative still
have to be answered including:
When will the land be available for development? What is the process that DOE will use to lease the land? What is the term of the lease? Have the CERCLA and NEPA reviews occurred at the site and how long will that take? Who will be purchasing
the power? How is DOE ensuring the local community and DOE can both benefit from the project?
ECA communities are looking
forward to the projects.
The link to the site is at GENERATING CARBON POLLUTION-FREE ELECTRICITY ON THE HANFORD SITE, RICHLAND, WASHINGTON
The RFI is copied below for those of you do not have SAM access:
Why the Request for Information?
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) to identify potentially capable parties having an interest in leasing land from the federal government to develop utility-scale carbon pollution-free electricity (CFE) projects. The federal land that may be considered for leasing is located on the Hanford Site, lying directly north of the city limits of the city of Richland, Washington (see attached map, Potentially Available Lands for Lease).
America’s energy security, economic resilience and climate leadership require the nation to dramatically increase clean-energy production over the
next several decades. DOE is playing a critical leadership role in achieving this goal, not only through policy implementation but also the strategic use of DOE federal facilities and lands.
In accordance with the President’s Executive Order (EO) 14057, Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and
Jobs Through Federal Sustainability, agencies are seeking to reduce carbon emissions across federal operations. As defined in the EO, CFE includes: “electrical energy produced from resources that generate no carbon emissions, including marine energy, solar, wind, hydrokinetic (including tidal, wave, current, and thermal), geothermal, hydroelectric, nuclear, renewably sourced hydrogen, and electrical energy generation from fossil resources to the extent there is active capture and storage of
carbon dioxide emissions that meets EPA requirements.”
The EO requires federal agencies to
achieve 100 percent CFE on a net-annual basis as early as 2030, including 50 percent 24/7 CFE. In addition, agencies are directed to authorize use of their real property assets, including land for the development of new CFE generation and storage through leases, grants, permits, or other mechanisms, to the extent permitted by law. As the federal leader on clean-energy research and development and the steward of more than 2 million acres of land, DOE has both a unique opportunity and clear
responsibility to lead and identify creative solutions to achieve the President’s mandate.
On July 28, 2023, the Secretary of Energy announced DOE’s Cleanup to Clean Energy initiative where DOE will lease some of its underutilized land for the development of CFE projects. The Hanford Site, which is one of several DOE Environmental Management sites engaged in environmental cleanup across the United States, is supporting efforts to reach the CFE goals as well as supporting the local community’s vision of becoming a center of excellence in clean-energy
generation and storage. DOE recognizes the local Tri-Cities community is well suited and prepared to support these critical issues.
How much land is available for potential development?
At Hanford, DOE has identified approximately 19,000 acres of contiguous land that could potentially be used for industrial activities including CFE generation and storage. DOE may decide to lease part or all the available land for CFE, or award leases to one or multiple entities for CFE. The attached map shows the land in consideration. The features of the property are described in the Hanford Site
Comprehensive Land-Use Plan, under DOE/EIS-0222 record of decision (64FR61615; Nov. 12, 1999), and related documents at EIS-0222: Documents Available For Download. Any final decisions on potentially available lands and industrial activities, including CFE, are subject to completion of applicable regulatory processes, including applicable National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) requirements.
What’s next?
DOE is planning a Cleanup to Clean Energy Information Day in Richland, Washington, on September 22, 2023, for interested parties to ask questions and have an opportunity to see the land identified for potential CFE production. Registration is available at
https://www.energy.gov/em/events/hanford-cleanup-clean-energy-information-day.
• DOE is interested in hearing from parties who have the requisite expertise to design, permit, finance, construct, and operate utility-scale (e.g., 200 MW or larger) CFE generation plants.
• DOE is interested in hearing tribal and community perspectives on potential collaboration with industry partners towards advancement of CFE goals.
• After review of submittals to this RFI and consideration of Cleanup to Clean Energy
Information Day feedback, DOE will announce next steps to identify potential opportunities for CFE generation.
• DOE has not made any final agency decisions at this time and will continue to communicate with tribes and stakeholders on potential proposed land uses, as appropriate.
What to include in the RFI
response?
Interested parties (individual entity or teaming arrangement) are invited to submit an RFI response, which should be no longer than 20 pages and may include the following information:
Entity Profile
o Entity name, point of contact, official title, phone number, and email address.
o Entity’s socioeconomic size standard based on the North American Industry Classification
System Code 2211 (“Electric Power Generation, Transmission and
Distribution”).
o Entity’s
resources to demonstrate knowledge and ability to design, permit, finance, construct, operate, and maintain a utility-scale CFE generation project.
o Description of entity’s skills in the clean energy sector, how the entity meets the demands of clean energy and corresponding skills, as well as the
competencies, qualifications and training that are needed to meet the demands and fully realize the CFE job opportunities.
Entity Experience
o Describe the entity’s experience in developing and operating CFE projects, past performance and description of two relevant projects and include references with contact information from previously completed projects.
o Describe the entity’s
experience interfacing with the utilities to integrate with the grid and/or establish a microgrid.
o Describe the entity’s experience in compliance with state and federal regulatory reviews in permitting projects on federal land, through tribal consultation or partnering, the National
Environmental Policy Act and National Historic Preservation Act, to address such elements as ecological, environmental, and cultural consideration associated with ground-disturbing and visual-affecting activities.
o Describe the qualifications of the personnel the entity would use to
develop and operate a CFE project. Confirm that the personnel would include licensed professional engineers with experience typically required to support CFE generation, including, for example, experience in industrial engineering, chemical engineering, and computer software engineering.
o Describe
the entity’s stakeholder and Tribal engagement approach and experience.
Entity Capability
o Identify the entity’s proposed CFE technology, project size in acres and production capacity-output for electrical generation.
o Discuss the entity’s strategy and technical considerations for grid-integrated clean energy, and how project developers will interconnect and distribute CFE for acceptance of power to the transmission grid in working with DOE Bonneville Power Administration or other similar entity(s).
o Describe the entity’s vision and approach for clean energy market, including proposed life of a lease and provisions in a lease, economic development (e.g., jobs and monetary benefits) and partnering opportunities among tribal governments, private investors, investor-owned utilities, public and municipal utilities, and electric cooperatives.
o Confirmation that the entity is registered in the Hanford Vendor Portal https://vendreg.hanford.gov/.
Tribal and Community Input
o Provide any input DOE should take under consideration with this CFE initiative.
Please note, responses should not include proprietary business information. All responses must be
received no later than 4 p.m. PT on Thursday, October 12, 2023. Please send responses to EMCleanEnergy@em.doe.gov.
