John Day Dam Powerhouse HVAC Upgrades

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Portland District (NWP) has a requirement for HVAC upgrades at the John Day Dam (JDA) Powerhouse. 

JDA is approximately 109 miles east of Portland, Oregon, and 275 miles from Seattle, Washington. JDA spans two states, with Units 1–14 located in Sherman County, Oregon, and Units 15–16 in Klickitat County, Washington.

Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). This solicitation requires the contractor and/or subcontractor(s) information system to process, store, or transmit Federal Contract Information (FCI) or Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), and requires the contractor and/or subcontractor(s) to comply with CMMC requirements.  The CMMC level required by this solicitation is: CMMC Level 2 (Self). This CMMC level, or higher, is a condition of award. Prior to award, the apparent successful offeror must have a current CMMC status at Level 2 (Self), or higher, posted in SPRS for each relevant CMMC UID in order to remain eligible for award; failure to meet this requirement will render the offeror ineligible for contract award.

CMMC requirements apply to prime contractors and subcontractors throughout the supply chain at all tiers that will process, store, or transmit any FCI or CUI on contractor information systems in the performance of this DoD contract or subcontract. Prime contractors shall comply and shall require subcontractors to comply with and to flow down CMMC requirements, such that compliance will be required throughout the supply chain at all tiers with the applicable CMMC level and assessment type for each subcontract as follows:

If a subcontractor will only process, store, or transmit FCI (and not CUI) in performance of the subcontract, then a CMMC status of Level 1 (Self) is required for that subcontractor.

If a subcontractor will process, store, or transmit CUI in performance of the subcontract, then a CMMC status of Level 2 (Self), or higher, is required for that subcontractor, and must be current in SPRS prior to subcontract award.

Prime contractors are responsible for ensuring that all covered subcontractors obtain and maintain the appropriate CMMC level and assessment type for the information they will process, store, or transmit during performance.

For this solicitation, contractors requesting access to documents containing FCI or CUI must have an active SAM registration and a current NIST SP 800‑171 assessment with at least a Basic confidence level recorded in SPRS.

Summary of Work:  Work includes but is not limited to the following: 

1. Complete replacement of the primary and installation of secondary chillers on two chilled water loops serving the majority of the Powerhouse galleries.
2. Demolition and removal of the existing system and installation of four new chiller skid packages totaling approximately 600 tons of refrigeration capacity.
3. New electrical feeds, chilled water pumps, piping, and air handler units, with selective reuse of existing components.
4. Systems must be integrated into a new automated digital HVAC control system.
5. Half of the new systems will be water-cooled; half will be converted to air-cooled. For the air-cooled units, roof-mounted air-cooled condensers will be installed, requiring roof penetrations, piping, and building modifications.
6. HVAC upgrades include new intake and exhaust ducting to prevent smoke propagation through the building in the event of fire, and fire protection measures at all penetrations.
7. HVAC and the building fire protection systems must be fully integrated, replacing all existing pneumatic controls with an integrated digital control system which is capable of functioning to selectively shut down the HVAC to isolate sectors in the event of a fire or smoke event.
8. The work includes mechanical and controls provisions for free cooling using passive outside air during cold nights and modifications to existing intakes, louvers, and penetrations to support smoke ventilation.
9. Localized HVAC units such as mini-splits will be installed for specific spaces, with new electrical supplies, piping, insulation, penetrations, and data reporting to the central HVAC control system.
10. Work will be performed in an active, operational Powerhouse with 6000A, 13.8kV busbars and other heavy electrical equipment, including areas below headwater with nuisance water intrusion risks.
11. Certain pumps must remain operational throughout construction, presenting noise and safety hazards that must be managed.
12. The existing fire suppression system must remain active during construction and be recommissioned upon project completion.
13. Work includes ductwork installation and protection of floor penetrations in close proximity to operational high-voltage electrical busbars, emphasizing strict delineation and safety control of work areas.
14. New systems to be installed must not use refrigerants subject to future refrigerant phase-out schedules (no refrigerant subject to phase-out at any point in the future may be used).
15. Work includes extensive structural penetrations and modifications to support permanent equipment installation including piping, ductwork and new condensing systems.
16. Asbestos abatement and lead mitigation may be required. 

The anticipated completion date for physical construction is 1,004 calendar days after receiving the Notice to Proceed.    

The solicitation will be issued as an Invitation for Bids (IFB). This acquisition will result in a single firm-fixed-price contract.

The estimated magnitude of construction is between $25M and $100M.

This procurement is unrestricted/full and open competition. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this action is 238220; Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors with a small business size standard of $19M. 

One or more of the items under this acquisition is subject to the World Trade Organization Government Procurement Agreement and Free Trade Agreements.

This synopsis is not a request for quotes (RFQ), proposals (RFP), or in an invitation for bids (IFB). This is a pre-solicitation notice indicating that a solicitation for a competitive acquisition for the award of one firm-fixed-price contract is intended to be issued via Contract Opportunities at SAM.gov.  The tentative solicitation issuance date is mid-September 2026.  The solicitation will not be issued less than 15 days from the date of this notice.   The specifications and drawings will be included with the solicitation once issued.

This announcement is for information and planning purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government, implied or otherwise, to issue a solicitation or award a contract.

Bids will be due not less than 30 days from the date the solicitation is issued.  The definitive bid due date and time will be stated in the solicitation and any associated amendments that may be issued.

Contractors are responsible for checking this page for any update(s) to this notice.

Pursuant to Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Overhaul (RFO) 4.203-1 (b), firms must be System for Award Management (SAM) registered at the time their bid is submitted.  Bids from firms that have not registered or completed their online representations and certifications may be rejected.  The initial registration process in SAM may take several weeks.  Registration instructions may be obtained, and online registration may be accomplished, at www.SAM.gov