Department of General Services Announces SCI Dallas Energy Improvement Contract Opportunity

Project will be first to use new Guaranteed Energy Savings Contracting process

HARRISBURG, Pa., April 12, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The state Department of General Services Secretary Sheri Phillips today announced the department is now accepting proposals for an energy efficiency project to be conducted at the State Correctional Institution Dallas located in Luzerne County.

"We are very excited to issue this project to assist our state Department of Corrections with their efforts to reduce energy and operations costs at SCI Dallas," Secretary Phillips said. "This is also the first time the department will use the revised process for evaluating and awarding a Guaranteed Energy Savings Contract."

Under Pennsylvania's Guaranteed Energy Savings Act, or GESA, all Pennsylvania government entities are able to enter into Guaranteed Energy Savings Contracts with a prequalified list of Energy Service Companies, or ESCOs. Among the types of projects under GESA are the installation of energy-efficient lighting and other equipment, water conservation measures and weatherization activities.

The new GESA process opens the bidding to all contractors and lets proposers know how the RFP will be scored, so they can focus their submissions on better meeting the needs of the commonwealth.  Once the Notice of Selection is issued, scores for all proposals will be posted on the DGS website.  Prior to the start of the project, a review of the construction portion of the contract will be made to ensure improvements will be installed in accordance with approved plans and specifications. 

In terms of financing, the revised process includes measures to ensure the guaranteed energy savings are, in fact, verifiable.  This will guarantee the commonwealth will not incur any expenses until one year after completion of construction, with costs to be paid from savings accrued during the one-year period and each subsequent year of a defined payback period.

All projects under the new process must also have a return on investment period of less than 20 years, reduce real energy consumption and must be fully funded by the savings generated under the contract.

"As part of our efforts to be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars, the Department of General Services is committed to finding ways to reduce energy consumption when it is economically feasible to do so," Phillips said. "The new Guaranteed Energy Savings Contracts ensure a transparent procurement process that will deliver energy savings for the commonwealth, renewed job opportunities for Pennsylvanians and the ability to update our facilities while achieving cost savings."

The new Guaranteed Energy Savings Contracts are an innovative financing technique that uses cost savings from reduced energy consumption to repay the cost of installing energy conservation measures. The process allows owners to achieve energy savings without up-front capital expenses. The costs of the energy improvements are covered by the performance contractor and reimbursed from the energy savings over a defined time period.

Proposals are due on Tuesday, May 7, 2013 at 2 p.m.

For more information, view the Notice to Proposers at www.dgs.state.pa.us, in the left hand navigation bar, click on "Construction and Public Works" followed by "Guaranteed Energy Savings."

Media contact: Troy Thompson, 717-787-3197

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of General Services