Request for Proposals - Energy Performance Services (ESCO) for Wastewater Master Plan Implementation

The City of Sierra Vista is soliciting proposals from Energy Services Companies (ESCOs) to provide energy service and improvements on the existing Wastewater infrastructure, primarily housed at the City's Environmental Operations Park, located at 7201 State Route 90, Sierra Vista, AZ 85635 and other improvements at the plant that can generate energy and other cost savings. For the purpose of this RFP, “ESCO” refers to any entity that is qualified to provide a turn-key utility conservation program that includes the services and requirements set forth in this RFP. The District intends to select an ESCO to perform an energy efficiency project as allowed under Arizona Revised Statutes 34-105. This RFP will be the basis of the City’s selection of an ESCO partner to take the project from preliminary feasibility study to project development, design, construction, commissioning, and performance guarantee.

The objective of this project is to implement as many of the wastewater master plan recommendations as possible, select and install energy and operationally-efficient equipment that require minimal capital expenditure by the City. Energy and operational savings over time will be expected to fund the project. The selected ESCO will perform a detailed feasibility analysis (i.e., an Investment Grade Audit, IGA) of the Master Plan and will propose a project that will provide:

• Project funding through a combination of guaranteed reduction in utility costs, procurement of utility incentives and/or energy grants and/or capital investment by the City, which delivers a net positive cash flow each year of the 25-year project term;
• Research and promote potential utility partnerships;
• Recommend potential for the energy savings through implementation of a solar array farm at the EOP;
• Reduction of energy consumption;
• Reduction of peak energy demands;
• Reductions in maintenance and other operations costs;
• Positive public recognition

Should the City move forward from this initial phase into subsequent phases, the ESCO shall be responsible for the overall design, construction, construction management, and coordination with the City to complete a fully functional system that incorporates both the energy savings improvements and the required wastewater improvements. The ESCO shall arrange procurement of the equipment and material to provide a complete system as designed. The ESCO shall provide all necessary submittals, including but not limited to all electrical and mechanical equipment submittals to the City for approval. In addition, the ESCO shall provide construction support services, including meetings with contractors and City staff, design clarification, inspection of installation, review of change orders, final operations, and maintenance manuals, and drafting as-built record drawings. The ESCO, with the City’s input and concurrence, will be responsible for, but not limited to, the following:

• Managing the selection of qualified contractors.
• Managing and administering the contract.
• Providing onsite construction management and coordination with the City’s project staff.
• Obtaining all necessary permits and assist in identifying and obtaining any applicable energy grants, rebates and/or incentives.
• Direct equipment testing, commissioning, and monitoring to verify cost savings.
• Manage the schedule to coordinate and plan all activities and deliver a completed project expeditiously.

The City of Sierra Vista (COSV or City) is located in Cochise County, Arizona. It includes within its incorporated limits the Ft. Huachuca military base and has a population of over 45,000 (2022) including the population on-base. Ft. Huachuca is served by its own wastewater collection system and wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The City is served by a gravity collection system comprised of 200 miles of pipe ranging from 4 inches to 30 inches which conveys flow to the Environmental Operations Park (EOP) WWTP in the northeast portion of the City (Figure ES - 1). The City does not operate a municipal drinking water system. Several private water companies have service territories covering the City and surrounding areas. The EOP WWTP operates under the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) Aquifer Protection Permit (APP) No. 101489 and has an annual average effluent discharge limit of 4.0 million gallons per day (mgd). The plant’s influent flow meters were recently calibrated and currently measure flows above 75 percent of the permitted capacity for extended periods of time.

The City of Sierra Vista contracted with Hazen and Sawyer to conduct a Wastewater Master Plan to make recommendations for our system. Their final report and recommendations are included in Attachments A & B. It is the City's intent to implement as much of the masterplan as feasible with the priorities as outlined in Attachment A, which includes a Cost Reduction Report of the original Master Plan document (Attachment B).