HSR26-20 Cal CLEAN Partnership Agreement

The Authority is responsible for planning, designing, building, and operating the first high-speed rail system in the nation. California high-speed rail will connect the mega-regions of the state, contribute to economic development and a cleaner environment, create jobs, and preserve agricultural and protected lands. To pursue this goal, the California High-Speed Rail Authority has issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for a private-sector development partner (Developer) to enter into a partnership with the California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) to identify and propose corridor-wide, long-term energy resiliency and asset commercialization network (CLEAN) Projects. Under the contemplated Cal CLEAN Partnership, the Authority will initially enter into a Project Identification Agreement (PIA) to serve as an initial agreement under which the Developer will perform due diligence and project identification activities and submit proposals for CLEAN Projects that it wishes to develop within the high-speed rail corridor.

Pursuant to PUC Section 185036, this procurement includes up to four phases of activities contemplated as part of the Cal CLEAN Partnership, including the ability to enter into three agreements as follows: (1) RFQ Procurement Phase: from the issuance of the RFQ to the execution of the PIA; (2) Project Identification Phase: from execution of the PIA until the end of the PIA term; (3) Pre-Development Procurement Phase; and (4) Development Phase as briefly described below, and more fully described in the RFQ.

This procurement involves four phases of activities contemplated as part of the Cal CLEAN Partnership as described below.

Procurement Phase: From the issuance of the RFQ to the execution of the PIA.

Project Identification Phase: From execution of the PIA until the end of the PIA term (which is currently anticipated to be 6 months). During the Project Identification Phase, the Developers work will include identifying one or more CLEAN Projects for further advancement, including definition of CLEAN Project scope, general technical requirements, high-level costs, and proposal of Pre-Development Phase terms (e.g., regulatory support, cost reimbursement, if any, and property interests such as easements or rights of access needed to advance the proposed CLEAN Project).

Pre-Development Phase: This phase commences upon the effectiveness of a PDA entered by the Developer and the Authority and ends upon expiry of the term of the PDA (unless terminated earlier). The term of the PDA will be determined by the parties during their collaborative development of the PDA; it is expected to be of a sufficient duration to accommodate the relevant projects regulatory and permitting work, as well as negotiation of a DLA or equivalent governing implementation of the CLEAN Project.

By the end of the PDA phase, the Developer is expected to provide a binding financial proposal describing the terms for sharing project revenues with the Authority, in addition to the other financial terms of the transaction.

Development Phase: The period starting from execution of a DLA until the end of the term of such DLA. The term of the DLA will be determined by the parties during their collaborative development of the DLA; it is expected to be a long-term agreement with a sufficient duration to accommodate the relevant CLEAN Project construction, commissioning, and long-term operations and revenue generation.

The Authority anticipates that the Developer may identify and propose multiple CLEAN Projects during the Project Identification Phase, and that such projects may vary in technology type, site location, development complexity, regulatory pathway, and implementation schedule. Accordingly, the parties may enter into multiple PDAs and DLAs, each governing a discrete CLEAN Project or group of related CLEAN Projects with associated phasing, as well as terms, scope, and duration of each agreement to reflect the specific characteristics and requirements of the applicable CLEAN Project(s).

The Authority also welcomes additional input on innovative technologies, delivery approaches, or other concepts that may enhance cost efficiency, schedule acceleration, or improve system resilience.

Procurement Schedule:
- Release of RFQ: July 9, 2026
- Virtual Pre-Bid Conference Date: July 15, 2026, 1:00pm PST
- SOQ Due Date: August 17, 2026
- Identification of Selected Respondent (Notice of Proposed Award): October 2026

For more information, please visit: https://hsr.ca.gov/work-with-us/procurements/architectural-engineering-and-capital-contracts/cal-clean-partnership-agreement/

Questions regarding this procurement should be submitted to Emily Morrison at CalCLEAN@hsr.ca.gov.