The Evaluation Team is providing the following notice regarding the Section 83CIV Request for Proposals (RFP) issued August 30, 2023:  On October 18, 2023, the U.S. Department of Energy announced a first round of project awards under the Grid Innovation Program (GIP), which is outlined in Section 40103(b) of the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. As outlined in Section 2.2.1.10 of the Section 83CIV RFP, DOER submitted, individually and in coordination with other states, applications to the GIP program which were not selected for these initial funding awards. The Section 83CIV RFP describes “GIP Alternative Bids” which bidders could propose to leverage the transmission upgrades submitted by DOER for GIP funding. Following the award announcement, and to provide timely notice to bidders, the Evaluation Team is notifying prospective bidders that GIP Alternative Bids will no longer be considered under the Section 83CIV RFP. Further details will be provided in forthcoming responses to Prospective Bidder Questions received on October 17, 2023. Additionally, consistent with RFP Section 2.2.1.4 (h), Bidders must address in their proposals how they would consider the Distribution Companies’ customers in the event of the availability or receipt of any tax credit or other government grant or subsidy not contemplated in their proposals.

Eligible Bidders are welcome to contact transmission owners as they develop interconnection proposals for their projects. Eligible Bidders who are interested in receiving confidential information about the technical characteristics of the Distribution Companies’ transmission system upgrades, associated high-level non-binding cost estimates, and/or landfall and routing information for proposed points of interconnection for Offshore Wind Energy Generation may contact Carissa Sedlacek, Director of Transmission Interconnections and Solutions at carissa.sedlacek@eversource.com (for Eversource) and Barry Ahern, Director of Transmission Planning, at barry.ahern@nationalgrid.com (for National Grid). Execution of a Non-Disclosure Agreement and CEII clearance in accordance with ISO-NE policy may be required.