1. The project must carry out energy-related RD&D activities that will advance science or technology not adequately provided by competitive and regulated markets.

• The project must be intended to provide clearly identified benefits to California's electricity ratepayers.

• The project must primarily address one of the following 3 PIER program subject areas:
  • renewable energy
  • environmentally preferred advanced generation
  • energy-related environmental research

1. Each proposal must be limited to a single, specific project.

• The proposal must document legal compliance with either the participation or good faith efforts required pursuant to the M/W/DVBE program.

• The proposal must not be marked confidential in its entirety or it will be rejected.

• Proposals must be received by CEC by 5 p.m. March 20, 1998.
  

1. Project description - must have clear and understandable description of the proposed technology project, including the type of science or technology being addresses and the types of scientific or technical work to be accomplished.

• Key issues being addressed - must have a clear and understandable description of the key technical, economic, environmental, or other science/technology issues being addressed by the project.

• Public benefits - must have a clear and understandable description and estimated quantities of the public benefits which the applicant anticipates will result from the project.

• Goals and objectives - must have quantified goals and objectives regarding what is to be accomplished in the key technical, economic, environmental, or other science/technology areas being addressed by the project.

• Work statement - must have a clear and understandable work statement describing the specific tasks to be conducted in the project, including identification of key milestone products, and the timeframe for conducting this work.

• Budget - must contain a budget that identifies the total amount of funding being requested, the overall project costs, the amount of match funds to be provided, and how the PIER funds will be expended during the contract in relationship to the milestones and overall projects to be developed during the contract.

• Project team - must clearly identify the people making up the project team, their individual responsibilities in conducting the task work in the project, and their skill and experience in the scientific/technical area being addressed.

• Fundamental feasibility - proposed project must appear to follow known scientific principles or must contain a technically credible explanation of how the project can operate in apparent violation of these known principles.

1. Key issues - must identify key technical, economic, environmental or other issues confronting the technology or science; identifies which of these issues will be addressed by the project; and identifies how resolving the specified issues is a next necessary step along the critical path in developing the technology.

• Advancement of science/technology - the extent to which the proposed project advances science or technology not adequately addressed by the competitive or regulated markets by resolving: 
  1. key scientific uncertainties or knowledge gaps; 
  2. engineering and materials barriers; 
  3. environmental issues related to energy users in California; 
  4. resource constraints to technology deployment; and/or 
  5. any other important barriers.

1. Appropriateness of project goals and objectives - extent to which the proposal has clearly identified and quantified goals and objectives for resolving key technical, environmental, economic, or other issues confronting development of the technology or science.

• Quality of project plan - proposal should: 
  1. demonstrate a clear, appropriate, and complete plan for achieving the identified project goals and objectives; 
  2. have a work schedule that reasonably appropriates time with respect to sequence of tasks, time allocated per task, and the use of labor, equipment, and facilities; 
  3. the applicant proposes to deliver products such as test data, methodologies, hardware demonstrations, and reports; and 
  4. the budget clearly identifies the allocation of how PIER funds will be used to perform the work.

1. Skill and experience of proposer/team - 

1. demonstrate capability to perform the project's scientific and engineering technical work; 
2. demonstrate capability to administer the contract to control costs, maintain project schedule, develop the technology; 
3. has financial skills to help ensure market connectedness of the technology.

1. Level of requested funding and match funding - the appropriateness of the amount of PIER funding requested based on:

1. key issues being address by the project; 
2. the identified goals and objectives; 
3. the degree of skill and experience of the team; 
4. the proposed project plan for meeting goals and objectives; 
5. the type and magnitude of requested funding relative to the total project cost; and 
6. the commitment of the applicant's own financial resources to complete the proposed project work. 

1. Small business preference - the applicant is certified as a small business . . .

1. Costs, impacts, & reliability - proposals will be assigned a score for ONLY ONE of the following subcategories. The application MUST select one of the following to be scored on: a) energy cost/value; b) environmental and public health costs/risk impacts; c) improvement in reliability/quality (see RFP pp. 17-18 for requirements).

• Market connection - the likelihood, timing, and economic value of successful market transfer of projects, services, and/or knowledge resulting from the project, and the extent to which the proposed project has made provision to facilitate market transfer (see RFP p. 18).

• Direct impacts on local and state economies - the extent to which the proposed project will result in products, services, and/or knowledge with direct economic benefits to California's local or state economies by a) increased employment; b) increased quality of jobs; c) increased tax revenues or benefits; d) some other factor that directly increases California's gross state product.

• Appropriateness of proposed matching funds - will be evaluated based on:
  1. the types, amount, and sources of match funds; 
  2. the amount of public (vs. private) benefits that will result from the project; 
  3. the degree to which matching funds represent active participation by the applicant; 
  4. the security of match funds; and 
  5. the type of match funding proposed (e.g., cash vs. in-kind contributions).
  [Also from RFP p. 9 on Match Funding Requirements: Match funding should be provided in amounts proportional to expected private/public benefits generated by the project (e.g., projects providing a higher percentage of private benefits and lower percentage of public benefits should contribute a higher percentage of match funds . . .). On p. 10: Proposed match funding MUST BE SPENT concurrently with PIER program funds and ONLY ON THE PROJECT DESCRIBED in the proposal.]

1. Cost effectiveness of project - cost will be evaluated relative to the overall public benefits being provided.

• Other significant factors - covers other factors not addressed so far or factors that uniquely address unmet needs of California's energy marketplace (e.g., is there a need for PIER funding?).

• Small business preference - applicant is certified as a small business.
  

• Public health goal - The integrated operation of energy facilities should not cause any significant, unmitigated health impacts to people or risks of public exposure to hazardous materials.

• Air quality goal - Emissions from power plants and related energy facilities should not significantly contribute to air quality problems in California.

• Biological resources goal - Power plants, transmission/distribution lines, and related facilities should not cause significant, unmitigated impacts on sensitive biological resources. Energy facilities should attempt to maximize wildlife habitat benefits in an integrated resource/ecosystem management strategy.

• what is to be done on the project,
• the applicable subject area, 
• the technology being developed, 
• the overall goals an objectives, 
• the overall project cost, 
• the amount of PIER funding being requested, and 
• the types and estimated amounts of benefits to be provided by the project.

Describe: 

• reliability, 
• continuity, 
• professionals awards, and 
• location of the applicant.

• type of organization, 
• composition, 
• functions to be performed by employees of the applicant or subcontractor and how they pertain to the project.
  

• conduct the technical work proposed in the project,
• administer the project,
• control costs,
• maintain project schedule, and
• move the products into the marketplace in light of past experiences.