NC NEVI Request for Information
NC NEVI Request for Information
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has issued this Request for Information (RFI) to solicit input from potential market participants across varying sectors regarding the planning, deployment, operation, and maintenance of Direct Current Fast Charging (DCFC) Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) in the State of North Carolina. North Carolina’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plan (EVIDP or Plan) was approved on September 27, 2022 by the Joint Office of the U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Department of Energy (Joint Office). The EVIDP was developed in response to the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program Guidance authorized under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). North Carolina’s EVIDP plan and a summary of the NEVI program as it relates to North Carolina are available through NCDOT’s NEVI Program web page, where respondents may also sign up for updates. Respondents are encouraged to read the EVIDP and Part 680 National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Standards and Requirements of the Federal Register Vol. 88, No. 39 (pages 29-34) before responding to this survey.
This RFI is intended to help NCDOT develop an implementation strategy for deploying privately owned and operated DCFC stations using NEVI formula funding to reimburse participants for up to 80% of eligible project costs directly related to EVSE deployment, operations and maintenance. NCDOT expects the feedback from this RFI to inform a process of solicitation and contracting. In parallel with this effort, NCDOT is continuing to engage with stakeholders across the state.
SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
The requested information must be received by 5 pm (EST) on May 12, 2023.
PLEASE NOTE:
- Respondents should only provide one response per entity.
- Respondents may choose to skip questions that are not applicable to them.
- Respondents should not provide proposals or marketing materials in response to this RFI; rather, they should focus on providing detailed answers to as many questions as possible.
- Responses will be reviewed by the NCDOT for informational purposes and will not be considered as offers to be accepted by the NCDOT to form a binding contract. No contracts will result from this RFI.
- The NCDOT may contact respondents to discuss information in further detail.
- Information obtained in response to and related to this RFI will be treated as public record pursuant to North Carolina Code Chapter 132.1.
- NCDOT is not responsible for any costs incurred by respondents in answering this RFI.
- Information obtained in response to this RFI may be used to develop scope and solicitation documents for future procurements at the discretion of the NCDOT.
CONTACT FOR QUESTIONS OR CLARIFICATION
Please email Paula Hemmer at pmhemmer@ncdot.gov with submission related questions.
INFORMATION REQUESTED (Please submit all answers in the online survey. You may skip questions that are not applicable to your industry or expertise.)
General
Organization Name
Organization Industry
If you selected Site Host from the industry list above, please specify via the options below.
If you selected Site Developer from the industry list above, please specify via the options below.
If you selected EVSE Provider from the industry list above, please specify via the options below.
If you selected Government Entity from the industry list above, please specify via the options below.
Mailing Address:
Primary Contact Name:
Primary Contact Email:
Primary Contact Phone Number:
Give a short description of your organization's involvement and experience with EVSE and DCFC infrastructure. Please describe any experience contracting with government entities for installation of and/or extended operations and maintenance of EV chargers.
If you have experience in responding to RFPs for the NEVI program in other states, what components or considerations should NCDOT emulate or avoid?
Siting and Infrastructure Network Deployment
Please describe your process in determining and developing a DCFC site location, including an estimated timeframe. How could the NCDOT assist with achieving and/or accelerating your process?
Please describe what you believe makes an ideal DCFC location, including amenities and any risk factors that should be considered.
What information about electrical service at a proposed site could you provide during the application process? How do you plan to coordinate with utility providers to evaluate electric service at a proposed site in advance of an application?
If you are an existing EVSE operator along an Alternative Fuel Corridor (AFC), would your organization be interested in the potential to upgrade existing DCFC charging stations to meet NEVI requirements?
Risks, Challenges, and Opportunities
What risks and challenges in the implementation of DCFC EVSE should NCDOT consider? Please provide any suggestions to overcome these risks and challenges.
How could program requirements ensure the end-users of funded charging stations have the most convenient and reliable charging experience? Please include how power outages and site resiliency should be addressed.
Where does your organization see the biggest opportunities for the utilization of NEVI funds? This could be in terms of innovative technology solutions, partnerships, community benefits, energy resilience, and/or targeting geographic locations.
What strategies or innovative solutions should NCDOT consider addressing resiliency?
Justice40 and Small Businesses
NCDOT is committed to meeting the intent of the Justice40 Initiative*, which states that 40 percent of the benefits of this program should go to underserved communities. What strategies can NCDOT utilize to meet this intent? What are the ways these benefits can be realized? How may they be different in different contexts (rural vs. urban) or areas of the state? When answering please include information on motivating factors, such as a specific number of projects for economies of scale, NEVI funds for capital costs, and NEVI funds for operations and maintenance costs.
How can this program be structured to ensure North Carolina's small and disadvantaged businesses have a role in the development and ongoing operations and maintenance of this infrastructure?
In accordance with Federal regulations, the program will be a reimbursement program with a 20 percent match requirement. Do you anticipate any challenges with the reimbursement and match model and, if so, how do you plan to address them?
What types of funding maximums, if any, should be used in the NCDOT program to support efficient use of federal funding?
Contracting and Delivery Methods
Describe your organization's preferred business model or contracting method to engage with NCDOT on this project. Provide your organization's view of the opportunities and constraints offered by the contracting methods and structures referenced in North Carolina's EVIDP.
Many potential participants in this program have never obtained or managed a state government contract tied to federal requirements. How can NCDOT lower the barriers to participation for newcomers to this process?
Operations and Maintenance
Describe the typical operations and maintenance (O&M) and associated costs for your organization's DCFC stations. To what extent could NEVI funding be needed for O&M costs for grant funded projects? What do you recommend for O&M requirements of the NCDOT program, in addition to compliance with federal requirements?
Do you believe North Carolina has the workforce required to install, operate and maintain DCFC charging sites? Does your organization have experience providing workforce training? If not, please describe what you think is required to develop this expertise.
Partnerships