Air Force Seeks Industry Insight on Energy-as-a-Service Concept

  • Published
  • By Allison Finder
  • Air Force Installation Energy (SAF/IEE)/Office of Energy Assurance
The U.S. Air Force, in conjunction with the Defense Logistics Agency-Energy (DLA Energy), is soliciting industry feedback via a Request for Information (RFI), solicitation number SP0600-19-R-0803, on a different way to manage and procure energy at an installation. This new approach, referred to as Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS), seeks a single industry provider to comprehensively and more cost-effectively deliver reliable, resilient and efficient energy to mission owners at an Air Force installation.

“With EaaS, the Air Force will leverage the expertise of those whose business is built around energy, allowing us the ability to define when and where we need power to carry out our mission,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Environment, Safety and Infrastructure Mark Correll. “Turning to industry to generate world-class thinking around this new approach to installation energy will help ensure the readiness and resilience of our bases.”

The RFI asks for specific feedback from industry on how to implement EaaS at Hanscom Air Force Base (AFB), located outside of Boston.  

This action follows an earlier EaaS RFI, released by DLA Energy in 2017, that gathered information on industry interest and business models for the new concept. Since then, the Air Force has moved forward with EaaS implementation at a second pilot site at Altus AFB in Oklahoma by working directly with the local electric utility provider under a sole source arrangement.

To proceed with the EaaS procurement at Hanscom AFB, the Air Force is re-engaging with industry and exploring opportunities in the RFI for a competitive single, comprehensive contract to deliver holistic energy solutions that meet all energy requirements for the installation.

"Given the electrical system configuration, high cost of power and status of ongoing initiatives at Hanscom, we believe the timing is perfect for an overall integration and optimization effort like EaaS,” said Col. Chad R. Ellsworth, commander of the 66th Air Base Group at Hanscom AFB. “We look forward to proceeding to the next step."

Additional support for the Hanscom AFB EaaS pilot initiative comes from the Massachusetts Military Asset and Security Strategy Task Force, which serves to protect and expand missions, jobs and economic investments at and surrounding Massachusetts' military installations.

An EaaS Industry Day was held in Boston on May 15, 2019.

Instructions on how to register for special access to the FedBizOpps secured site, which is required to view detailed information about the energy profile at Hanscom AFB, is available here.

Responses are due by June 14 at 5 p.m. EST. For more information, please visit the EaaS RFI, solicitation number SP0600-19-R-0803, on the Federal Business Opportunities website.