City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: OCTOBER 21, 2025 FROM: PUBLIC UTILITIES DEPARTMENT WARDS: ALL
SUBJECT: PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANT SERVICES AGREEMENT FROM RFP NO. 2472 FOR ENERGY PLANNING SERVICES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY PLAN WITH ENERGEIA USA OF DAVIS, CA FOR A TERM UNTIL OCTOBER 22, 2026 IN A NOT-TO-EXCEED AMOUNT OF $312,921 ISSUE:
Approve a Professional Consultant Services Agreement from RFP No. 2472 for Energy Planning Services for the Development of a Comprehensive Energy Plan with Energeia USA of Davis, CA for a term until October 22, 2026, in a not-to-exceed amount of $312,921.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the City Council:
Approve a Professional Consultant Services Agreement from RFP No. 2472 for Energy Planning Services for the Development of a Comprehensive Energy Plan with Energeia USA of Davis, CA for a term until October 22, 2026 in a not-to-exceed amount of $312,921; and Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute the Professional Consultant Services Agreement and any other documents necessary to effectuate the project described herein, as well as the ability to make minor non-substantive changes in accordance with all purchasing policies.
BOARD RECOMMENDATION:
On September 22, 2025, the Board of Public Utilities voted unanimously with Chair Goldware absent, recommending that the City Council take the actions recommended in this staff report to approve the Agreement between the City and Energeia USA.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
On December 19, 2007, Public Law No: 110-140 was signed into law as the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. In Title V, Subtitle E, the law defined, established, allocated funds, use of funds, requirements for eligible entities, competitive grants, review and evaluation, and funding criteria for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program.
On November 15, 2021, Public Law No: 117-58 was signed into law as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Under Sec. 40552, the law amended the EECBG Program criteria on the use of funds and authorized appropriations for Five-Hundred Fifty Million Dollars ($550,000,000), to remain available until expended.
The Department of Energy (DOE) will distribute funds as formula grants and competitive grants in the EECBG Program funding to eligible entities of local governments, states, and Indian tribes. Under the criteria specified in the two Public Laws, the City of Riverside (City) was allocated Three Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Seventy Dollars ($325,070). No matching funds are required for this grant though Riverside Public Utilities (RPU) anticipates using this funding to expand on the efforts it is already undertaking.
BACKGROUND:
The purpose of the DOE EECBG Program is to assist eligible state, local, and tribal governments in implementing strategies to:
Reduce fossil fuel emissions in a manner that is environmentally sustainable and, to the maximum extent practicable, maximizes benefits for local and regional communities; Reduce the total energy use of the eligible entities;
Improve energy efficiency in the transportation sector, the building sector, and other appropriate sectors; and Build a clean and equitable energy economy that prioritizes disadvantaged communities and promotes equity and inclusion in workforce opportunities and deployment activities.
The DOE provided EECBG Program Blueprints (Blueprint) as model projects and programs designed to help applicants achieve high impact results with limited grant dollars. Each blueprint contains key activities to serve as a step-by-step guide for communities to follow. The City applied and was awarded grant funds utilizing Blueprint #1: Energy Planning.
The DOE awarded grant funding to the City effective October 1, 2024. On November 19, 2024, the City Council authorized acceptance of the grant fund awards in the amount of $325,070. It is anticipated the grant funding will fully fund the development of the Comprehensive Energy Plan. RPU staff will coordinate with the DOE Contracting Officer throughout the project life cycle. RPU will have a two-year period, from the effective award date, to spend EECBG program funds. RPU may request a no-cost time extension for the grant if one is needed.
DISCUSSION:
Staff is seeking the services of a qualified vendor to perform technical, administrative, and project management aspects of energy analytical methods and expertise in the energy planning to support developing baseline energy use models, including emissions data, and develop scenarios based on different levels of technology adoption. This information will help guide RPU in determining future needs assessment for the electric utility and the community to transition to increasing energy efficiency and electrification requirements. The data-gathering, analysis, and modeling will be used to assess the City’s energy systems and trends, providing information for decision-makers and the public that produce policies that balance the need for adequate resources with economic, public health, safety, and environmental goals.
Staff is also seeking services to support development and publishing of a comprehensive energy plan. Public feedback is an important opportunity to assess the community’s needs and will be a key part of developing the energy plan. Public outreach and education of the energy plan will be a part of this service.
Solicitation Process and Vendor Selection
Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 2472 was posted on the City’s online bidding system, Planet Bids, on May 8, 2025, seeking prospective consultants to support the development and publishing of a comprehensive energy plan.
The solicitation notification is summarized in the table below:
Action
Number of Vendors
External Vendors Notified
500
City of Riverside Vendors Notified
524
Vendors who downloaded the RFP
47 Proposals received
4 RFP No. 2472 closed on May 30, 2025, with a total of four (4) responses. All responses were found to be responsive and responsible. Under the guidance of the purchasing department, three (3) City staff members evaluated the proposals, which resulted in Energeia USA ranking number one. The evaluation criteria, total points and rankings for each evaluation round are summarized in the table below.
Evaluation Criteria
Total Points
Project Understanding
20%
Qualifications and Experience
30%
Approach and Methodology
20%
Professional References
5%
Pricing
25%
Evaluation results:
Vendor
Location
Total Cost
Total Points
Rank
Energeia USA
Davis, CA
$312,921
2314.36
1 Energy and Environmental Economics, Inc. (E3)
San Francisco, CA
$310,000
2257.96
2 Blue Strike Environmental
Monterey, CA
$160,360
2130.00
3 Kilowatt Engineering, Inc.
Long Beach, CA
$400,000
1850.69
4 Purchasing Resolution 24101, Section 508 Awards states, “Contracts procured through Formal Procurement shall be awarded by the Awarding Entity to the Lowest Responsive and Responsible, except that… (c) Contracts procured through Formal Procurement for Services or Professional Services, where a Request for Proposals or Request for Qualifications was used to solicit Bids, shall be awarded by the Awarding Entity in accordance with the evaluation criteria set forth in the Request for Proposals or Request for Qualifications.” The Purchasing Manager concurs that the recommended actions are in accordance with Purchasing Resolution 24101.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total fiscal impact is $312,921. Sufficient funds are available in the Grants & Restricted Programs Fund, Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block project account number 6900120-440110 with budget carryover from Fiscal Year 2024/25. Grant funds will be reimbursed by the DOE for allowable costs into account 6900120-331100 up to the awarded amount of $325,070.
Fund
Program
Account
Amount
Revenue
Grants & Restricted Programs
Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Project
6009000-331100
$325,070
Expenditures
Grants & Restricted Programs
Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Project
6009000-440110
$325,070
Prepared by: Tracy Sato, Utilities Assistant General Manager/Strategic Initiatives Approved by: David A. Garcia, Utilities General Manager Certified as to
availability of funds: Kristie Thomas, Finance Director/Assistant Chief Financial Officer Approved by: Rafael Guzman, Assistant City Manager Approved as to form: Rebecca McKee-Reimbold, Interim City Attorney Attachments:
Award Recommendation – RFP No. 2472
Professional Consultant Services Agreement
Presentation
RFP No. 2472 – Professional Consultant Services for the Development of a Comprehensive Energy Plan ● Page 2