No. RFI Question
EAST ORANGE SCHOOL DISTRICT RFP RESPONSES TO RFIS FEBRUARY 12, 2026
RFI Response
1 Due to the number of sites included in this RFP, can the bid submission deadline be extended?
It is not currently anticipated that the deadline will be extended by
the District
2 Is tree trimming/removal permitted?
Yes, selected provider will request approval from the District,
which will not be unreasonably withheld. The District and PPA
provider will have to comply with City requirements as well.
Please consider it permissable to trim or remove trees subject to
approval of the District and the City.
The roof work is to be completed by the awarded provider.
Roofing contractors participated in site visits and can collaborate
with project teams, including EPCs and PPA providers. The
Please confirm that all planned roof work specified in Exhibit A of the RFP will be the responsibility of roofwork is a priority for the District and should be included in the
3 the District, and that bidders are not responsible for any roof work.
propsed project scope and pricing.
4 Are bidders required to include all 21 sites in their proposal?
It is encouraged that bidders include all sites in their proposal.
However, it is understood that some sites may be less energy
productive or cost effective. It is acceptable and will be
considered for bidders to submit a proposal which includes the
most cost effective options for the district.
Since the DC fast charger funding is through the State, do the $580,000 BPU grant funds need to be The grant funds will need to comply with requirements of the
applied directly to the purchase/installation of the EV charging infrastructure (i.e., paid to the winning BPU’s NJ Clean Fleet initiative grant. The funds will be applied to
5 contractor), as described in Alternate Bid No. 2?
chargers, as well as electrical infrastructure.
Yes, that is correct. The grant funds will be paid to the contractor
If yes, will the $580,000 be paid directly to the awarded contractor, with any costs not covered by either directly from the BPU or by the Distict and any costs not
5A
the grant to be included under the PPA?
covered by the grant will be included under the PPA.
6 For the Level 2 chargers to be installed at strategic locations and open to the public:
Yes, showing projected charging revenue will be a benefit to the
District but is not a requirement of the RFP in case a bidder
6A
Should bidders include projected charging revenue in the financial model?
proposes other financial structures for Alternate Bid No.1
The District does not have a target number of sites or chargers.
Therre has been insufficient charging infrastructure within the City
and the District would like to see chargers placed as part of the
Is there a target number of Level 2 chargers and/or number of locations you want included (even a project. It is up to the bidders to propose quantity and locations
6B
rough range)?
that are near primary thoroughfares.
Who will retain the SRECs under the PPA structure—the financing entity underwriting the PPA or the The PPA provider or their financiers will retain the SRECs and other
7 School District?
environmental attributes, tax credits and incentives.
The RFP does not containt a domestic content or buy American
provision. FEOC compliance and other compliance to ensure ITC
Are there any requirements or preferences regarding FEOC compliance and/or domestic content is maintained for the Project is strictly the responsibility of the PPA
8 (e.g., Buy American/IRA domestic content)?
provider.
Hard copies are required as stated in Section 3.4 of the RFP. Bids
shall be submitted, via mail or hand-delivery, by 12:00 PM on
February 26, 2026 at the Division of Business Services, East
Orange Board of Education, 199 4th Avenue, East Orange, NJ
07017. Bids shall be submitted in a sealed envelope addressed
to the District's Purchasing Agent, Rochelle Gabriel, MPA, QPA, at
the above address. Bid envelopes shall be marked with the title
“East Orange School District Solar Project,” and shall clearly
To confirm: is electronic submission via email by 12:00 PM on February 26 sufficient, or is hand- indicate the name and address of the bidder. Bidders shall submit
9 delivery of hard copies also required (or preferred)?
one (1) original and two (2) copies of all bid materials.
Level 2 chargers typically require 4-6 hours for a full charge, which makes them well-suited as an
amenity for staff, administrators, and other employees who are parked on-site throughout the day. The District leaves it to the bidders to provide EV charging
Many school districts take this approach successfully. However, in our pre-bid meeting, it was
solutions that the bidder believes to be most beneficial to the
mentioned placing Level 2 chargers in high-traffic locations to drive revenue. For public-facing
District, the Provider and the public. The District's primary goal is
revenue generation, Level 2 charge times generally don't align with the short dwell times of visitors or to provide EV accessability to the Public. There is not sufficient
the general public. DC fast chargers (Level 3) are typically the better fit for revenue-driven
charging infrastructure in the City and the District would like to
applications, as they can deliver a full charge in 30-40 minutes, though they do come with higher make chargers accessible to the Public. There are also major
equipment and infrastructure costs. Could the district clarify whether the primary goal is:
highways and primary thoroughfares that run near the District.
'- Providing a charging amenity to district staff and employees, or…
Taking this into account, the bidder should propose charging
- Generating revenue from public use
infrastructure that makes sense and will collaborate with the
10 This will help us recommend the right equipment, infrastructure, and cost analysis. We're happy to District for final approval of locations.