BOARD MEETING DATE: January 19, 2001 AGENDA NO. 5

The Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP) is the comprehensive regional plan for attaining federal air quality standards in the South Coast Air Basin. The 1997 AQMP identifies the application of clean-burning alternative fuels (e.g., natural gas, methanol, propane) and advanced vehicle and engine technologies (e.g., fuel cells, storage batteries, flywheels) as promising ways to meet the AQMP goals. These are emission reductions that may not be achievable using conventional fuels and technologies.

Agencies such as the AQMD, the Air Resources Board (ARB), the California Energy Commission (CEC), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) play active roles in funding and promoting low- and zero-emission vehicle technologies, which are needed to meet AQMP and State Implementation Plan (SIP) goals. While there are no specific market mechanisms that can ensure the development and commercial success of such technologies, a combination of regulations, market incentives, and government outreach efforts may be needed to supplement developmental "seed" money.

AQMD staff is actively involved in promoting alternative fuel options for routine use in the region's light-, medium- and heavy-duty fleets. There are several incentive programs aimed at accelerating the introduction of advanced, low-emission heavy-duty engine technologies and light-duty zero-emission transportation technologies. Three major incentive programs are the Carl Moyer Memorial Air Quality Standards Attainment Program (Carl Moyer Program), the Lower-Emission School Bus Replacement and Retrofit Program (School Bus Program), and the ZEV Incentive Program. The AQMD anticipates receiving approximately $50 million from the state this fiscal year for these three incentive programs.

Staff recommends that the Board approve the proposed RFP for technical and management assistance for implementation of the Carl Moyer Program, the School Bus Program, and the ZEV Incentive Program in the South Coast Air Basin. The objective of the RFP is to augment staff resources by obtaining technical and management assistance for the Carl Moyer Program, the School Bus Program, and the ZEV Incentive Program, as well as assist participating fleets and operators in the development of vehicle and alternative fuel refueling infrastructure procurement specifications in support of these incentive programs as well as the AQMD's fleet rules. The RFP will solicit proposals from consultants who meet a combination of technical qualifications and demonstrate capability of providing management assistance and support to implement and monitor the incentive programs.

The selected consultant team or consultants may be required to provide services such as proposal evaluation, assistance in program implementation and monitoring, report writing, assist in developing of statements of work and deliverables/project timelines for contract execution, infrastructure scoping to assist school districts and public/private entities, and management coordination. These consultants will provide support over a variety of technologies including, but not limited to, fuel cells, electric vehicles, alternative fuels and infrastructure development, commercialization, alternative fuel vehicle applications, stationary agricultural engines and forklifts, ground support equipment, and locomotives.

In accordance with the AQMD’s consulting and contracting policies, a public notice advertising the RFP and inviting applications will be published in the following publications on two separate days:

1.	Antelope Valley Press	10.	La Opinion	19.	Precinct Reporter
2.	Black Voice News	11.	La Voz	20.	Rafu Shimpo
3.	Chinese Daily News	12.	Los Angeles Daily News	21.	Riverside Press Enterprise
4.	Eastern Group Publications	13.	Los Angeles Sentinel	22.	San Bernardino Sun
5.	El Chicano	14.	Los Angeles Times	23.	Santa Clarita Signal
6.	Excelsior, The	15.	M/W/DVBE Source	24.	State of California Contracts
7.	Inland Empire Hispanic News	16.	Orange County Register		Register
8.	Inland Valley Daily Bulletin	17.	Palm Springs Desert Sun
9.	Korea Central Daily	18.	Philippine News

Additionally, potential vendors will be notified utilizing the Los Angeles County MTA and Cal Trans Directories of Certified Minority, Women, Disadvantaged and Disabled Veterans Business Enterprises; the Inland Area Opportunity Pages Ethnic/Women Business & Professional Directory; AQMD’s own electronic listing of certified minority vendors; AQMD Purchasing’s mailing list; and various consultants from Technology Advancement's database. Notice of the RFP will be mailed to the Black and Latino Legislative Caucuses and various minority chambers of commerce and business associations; and placed on the Internet at AQMD’s Web site [http://www.aqmd.gov, "Business and Job Opportunities" icon] and AQMD’s bidder’s 24-hour telephone message line (909) 396-2724.

Submitted qualifications will be evaluated by a diverse panel of technically qualified individuals according to the criteria described in the attached RFP. Deviating from the standard criteria weighting suggested in the Procurement Policy and Procedure, this RFP criteria weighs more heavily towards technical, with 80 points for technical and 20 points for cost effectiveness. The consultant team or consultant(s) selected shall be retained by level-of-effort contracts; therefore work task orders can be issued for specific needs and projects without requiring lengthy consultant selection processes for each individual project. It is anticipated that multiple awards will be made from this solicitation.

A maximum of $475,000 is available for all contracts resulting from this RFP, as follows:

Carl Moyer Program Support	$100,000
School Bus Program Support	$150,000
ZEV Implementation Support	$ 75,000
Infrastructure Scoping Support	$150,000

If multiple awards are made, the amount of funding allocated to each contract will be dependent upon the consultant's qualifications and AQMD needs.

Sufficient funds are available from the Clean Fuels Fund, established as a special revenue fund resulting from the state-mandated Clean Fuels Program. The Clean Fuels Program, under Health and Safety Code Sections 40448.5 and 40512 and Vehicle Code Section 9250.11, establishes mechanisms to collect revenues from mobile sources and stationary sources to support projects to increase the utilization of clean fuels, including the development of the necessary advanced enabling technologies. Funds collected from motor vehicles are restricted, by statute, to be used for projects and program activities related to mobile sources that support the objectives of the Clean Fuels Program.

South Coast Air Quality Management District