Special DistrictCA
Posted
Oct 23, 2026
Nov 20, 2026
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) FOR DEMAND RESPONSE PROGRAM SERVICES
Pioneer Community Energy is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking a qualified firm (Consultant / Offeror) to provide implementation and management services for its Demand Response (DR) Program, PowerShift Rewards, for program delivery for 2027 through 2029. The RFP was issued on October 23, 2026 and proposals are due November 20, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time. Submit Questions and RFP Responses to: Programs@PioneerCommunityEnergy.org. TABLE OF CONTENTS (high level) I. INTRODUCTION II. SCOPE OF WORK III. REQUIRED CONTENT OF OFFERS IV. EVALUATION CRITERIA V. KEY DEADLINES AND SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS VI. GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS Attachments: Consultant Service Agreement I. INTRODUCTION a. Invitation and Tentative Timeline Pioneer Community Energy (Pioneer), a California Joint Powers Authority, is seeking a qualified firm to provide implementation and management services for its Demand Response (DR) Program, "PowerShift Rewards." Pioneer will offer the PowerShift Rewards Program to residential customers to participate in behavioral demand response events for program years 2027 through 2029. The contract term will end upon successful completion of the program term, with opportunities for extension while funds last. Pioneer may elect more than one Implementation Partner upon conclusion of this RFP. Key Dates (as stated in RFP) - RFP Issuance: October 23, 2026 - Deadline for Questions and Notices of Interest: November 6, 2026 - Pioneer Responses to Questions: November 13, 2026 - Submission Deadline: November 20, 2026 at 5:00pm PDT - Implementation Partner Notification and Selection: December 7, 2026 - Target Contract Approval Date: January 8, 2026 (note: as printed in document) By participating, Offerors acknowledge they have read and agree to terms and conditions. Pioneer may modify, extend, suspend, or terminate this RFP and is not obligated to award a contract. Background Pioneer was established in 2017 as a locally owned Community Choice Aggregator (CCA). Pioneer serves approximately 170,000+ residential and business accounts across multiple cities and counties (including Auburn, Colfax, Grass Valley, Lincoln, Nevada City, Placerville, Rocklin, Town of Loomis, and portions of Placer and El Dorado Counties), and is projected to expand. Pioneer currently offers a third-party administered Behavioral Demand Response (BDR) program (PowerShift Rewards) to residential customers with qualifying technology. The program was initiated in 2024 with a third-party implementer; that contract expires at the end of 2026. Currently over 3,000 customers participate; participants are registered through the CAISO Demand Response Registration System (DRRS). PowerShift Rewards is registered in DRRS for compliance/administrative purposes but Pioneer is not actively bidding in CAISO wholesale markets. Evaluation of CAISO market integration feasibility and potential transition to active market participation may be requested if Automated Demand Response (ADR) is pursued. II. SCOPE OF WORK Overview The Consultant is required to perform all tasks necessary per Pioneer's requirements. The BDR program allows customers to voluntarily reduce demand manually in response to event notifications. Primary goals: make DR easy and voluntary for customers; reduce electricity during peak periods; measure customer response and issue performance-based incentives; maintain reliable year-round enrollment, seasonal event operations, customer support, incentive fulfillment, and reporting. Pioneer seeks to expand participation rates for the BDR program; the selected firm should have capability and experience with ADR if future expansion is requested (smart thermostats, EVs, batteries). Pioneer welcomes suggestions on program expansion, marketing, dispatch monetization, and performance strategies. RFP Objectives Contract will be a 3-year term covering 2027–2029 program seasons. PowerShift Rewards offers year-round enrollment and seasonal participation through events between May 1 and October 31 each program season. The Base Program (minimum required capabilities) is BDR-only; Expanded Program capabilities describe potential ADR expansion (not part of base scope). Base Program requirements include: maintain and operate existing PowerShift Rewards BDR Program (including >3,000 participants); transition existing participants to the selected Proposer's platform while minimizing disruption; maintain year-round enrollment and enroll eligible residential customers; support customer communications, event notifications, incentive administration, customer service, M&V, and reporting; manage existing and future customers registered in CAISO DRRS under Pioneer's DRP ID; register new eligible customer resources; update registrations; identify and manage duplicate registrations, disputes, and enrollment conflicts; provide affected customers with notification and steps to resolve registration conflicts. Expanded Program Potential (Automated Demand Response) Pioneer may elect during the contract term to expand beyond BDR to ADR (subject to Pioneer approval, scope, budget, program design). Expanded capabilities include enabling enrollment of controllable technologies (smart thermostats, EV/charging equipment, residential batteries, other controllable technologies), developing ADR participation requirements and incentives, providing a scalable ADR management platform for device enrollment/management, integrating with device manufacturers/technology providers, scheduling and dispatching automated events, tracking device availability and performance, and allowing customer override. Proposers should demonstrate existing experience and capability to support expansion; these services are not part of the base BDR scope and Pioneer makes no commitment to implement them. Tasks and Requirements (selected highlights) - Task 1 — Program Transition and Launch: migrate existing participants to new platform preserving enrollment status, avoid re-enrollment where practicable, transfer participant records and CAISO DRRS registrations, complete data exchange, testing, customer support readiness, and Pioneer staff training before launch. Program Implementer shall be fully operational and capable of accepting enrollment by March 1, 2027. Primary seasonal marketing expected to begin April 1, 2027; DR event season begins May 1, 2027. Proposers must provide a transition schedule. - Task 2 — Recruitment, Validation, Enrollment, and DRRS Administration: Implementer supports marketing content and provides Pioneer-branded enrollment interface, collects necessary enrollment info (customer name, service account number, service address, email, phone, communication preference, acceptance of terms/privacy), validates eligibility using Pioneer data, registers verified participants in CAISO DRRS, manage DRRS statuses (pending, duplicate, disputed, inactive, active), notify applicants of conflicts and provide next steps. - Task 3 — Customer Support, Events, and Dispatches: Provide live telephone support 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. PT on weekdays plus email support. Establish escalation procedures with Pioneer. Train representatives on program processes. BDR event parameters: maximum 20 events per season; event season May 1–Oct 31; event duration 1–3 hours; no more than one event per day; no more than two consecutive days unless grid emergency; no more than three events in one week (Mon–Sun). Events scheduled generally 2–24 hours ahead; Pioneer may request same-day events. Pioneer will call events with Implementer; Implementer schedules and dispatches events on Pioneer’s behalf using Pioneer-approved criteria and sends event communications to enrolled customers via email/SMS per preferences; customer-facing content to be approved by Pioneer. - Task 4 — Interval Meter Data, M&V, Customer Incentives, and Reporting: Pioneer will provide interval meter data. Implementer must securely receive/process data, determine participant and program performance, provide Pioneer with list of participating accounts after each event, implementer to propose M&V methodology covering baselines, data sufficiency, missing data, weather adjustments, participant-level and aggregate calculations, quality control consistent with CAISO or accepted DR M&V practices (Pioneer will approve final methodology). Incentives: existing incentive structure remains at program launch — $25 enrollment incentive for eligible new participants (issued monthly) and $2 per kWh of verified load reduction during events. Performance incentives calculated seasonally and paid no later than ~three weeks after seasonal M&V results finalized. Incentives may be fulfilled via bill credits, mailed checks, or digital gift cards at Pioneer’s discretion. Pioneer reserves right to modify incentive amounts, eligibility, timing, or structure. Reporting requirements include monthly and event reporting of number of enrollments, DRRS registration statuses, enrollment and DRRS status on request, total enrollment and incentives issued/outstanding, event-level details (date, times, number notified/dispatched, participant-level results, average load reduction per participant, aggregate kWh/kW reduction), customer service activity and recurring issues. - Task 5 — Program Platform and Pioneer Administrative Access: Provide a secure program platform or equivalent technology supporting enrollment, communications, event scheduling, M&V, incentive calculations, reporting, and customer-support administration, configured with Pioneer branding. Pioneer-authorized staff must have administrative/back-end visibility sufficient to answer routine customer questions and oversee operations (view participant contact info, enrollment/eligibility/DRRS/unenrollment status, reasons for pending/rejected/duplicate/disputed enrollment, incentive status/history, event participation/performance results, program-level reports, customer support/escalation status, ability to initiate password resets, resend verification emails, update customer contact info). Provide a Program URL or equivalent customer access point. No additional integration with Pioneer internal IT is required unless mutually agreed. Proposal Response Expectations and Minimum Qualifications Proposals must describe firm experience implementing DR or VPP programs to residential customers in California and past performance with utilities/CCAs; proposed delivery methodology; provide a not-to-exceed budget by task and year with labor hours/rates, performance payments, M&V costs, optional services, milestone payment schedule. Minimum qualifications include demonstrated experience implementing residential DR/VPP and M&V services for utilities/CCAs, ability to manage large-scale interval data sets and integrate multiple data sources/third-party systems, and ability to remain vendor neutral to support integration across OEMs and providers. III. REQUIRED CONTENT OF OFFERS Offers shall include: introduction/cover sheet summarizing firm and relevant experience; program approach and delivery methodology; price (detailed cost proposal for three program years; Pioneer may negotiate billing/fees); organization, size, structure, areas of practice and office locations; any proposed modifications to Pioneer's standard consultant service agreement (Attachment A). IV. EVALUATION CRITERIA Evaluation weights: Expertise 35 points; Program Approach 20 points; Past performance and qualifications 15 points; Price 30 points; Local Preference 5 bonus points for applicants with an office located within 50 miles of Pioneer's service territory. V. KEY DEADLINES & SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS - Notice of Interest: parties are encouraged (not required) to notify Pioneer via email of intent to submit. Notices to be sent to Programs@PioneerCommunityEnergy.org referencing "Pioneer CORE Program RFP - Notice of Interest." - Deadline for Questions: submit questions to Programs@PioneerCommunityEnergy.org by November 6, 2026. - Pioneer Responses to Questions: will be sent to all vendors on distribution list by November 13, 2026. - Submission Deadline: all offers must be submitted via email in pdf or .docx format no later than 5:00pm PDT on November 20, 2026 to Programs@PioneerCommunityEnergy.org. No oral, telephone, or facsimile proposals will be accepted. The email time/date stamp will determine timeliness. - Selection of Consultant: anticipated completion by December 7, 2026. VI. GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS (selected highlights) Pioneer is not obligated to award a contract or pay costs incurred in proposal preparation. Proposals become property of Pioneer and are subject to the California Public Records Act (CPRA); Offerors must mark proprietary information as "CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY" and identify specific lines. Offerors claiming exemption must obtain court protective orders if necessary. Confidentiality obligations for data obtained during the RFP process are described. Proposals must be emailed; amended proposals may be submitted before deadline but must be complete replacements. Offerors may withdraw proposals prior to deadline by written request. Pioneer reserves broad rights including rejecting any/all proposals, waiving defects, requesting supplements, terminating the RFP, procuring services by other means, extending deadlines, negotiating with any or none of Offerors, and other rights as listed in the RFP. Attachment A: Consultant Services Agreement Template The RFP includes a comprehensive Consultant Services Agreement template (Attachment A) with exhibits covering scope of services, payment, facilities/equipment obligations, hold harmless and insurance requirements, campaign contribution disclosure, cybersecurity/data protection, termination, indemnity, insurance limits and endorsements, privacy/cybersecurity liability insurance, and other contract terms. Insurance and cybersecurity requirements are detailed, including vendor classification tiers, minimum security controls aligned with industry frameworks, incident notification timelines, subprocessor disclosures, and data protection and offboarding obligations. Note: The original RFP text included a reference to Pioneer's website for more information; that URL has been omitted from this summary.
