Curtis J. Richter

Curtis J. Richter serves as the primary contracting lead for the Western-Upper Great Plains Region of the Department of Energy, overseeing the acquisition of critical energy infrastructure projects across remote and rural territories. His role centers on ensuring the reliability and resilience of power transmission and distribution systems through the procurement of construction, engineering, and specialized electrical services. Richter manages a diverse portfolio of contracts aligned with the agency’s mission to modernize aging grid assets, including substations, transmission lines, and supporting hardware, with a strong emphasis on mission-critical, long-term infrastructure upgrades. He maintains consistent working relationships with key contractors including L1 Enterprises Incorporated, McKenzie Construction & Site Development LLC, Energy by Native American Design Corp, Leskca Incorporated, and Nassau Electrical Supply Corp, reflecting a preference for firms with proven expertise in field-based electrical construction and regional operational experience. Richter’s contracting patterns favor partners capable of executing complex, geographically dispersed projects under challenging environmental conditions, often requiring coordination with tribal lands and federal land management agencies. Richter demonstrates a pronounced commitment to socioeconomic inclusion, with 88.5% of his acquisitions structured as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, reflecting a strategic prioritization of small business participation. He regularly awards contracts to HUBZone and Native-owned firms, aligning with the region’s demographic and economic context, and occasionally utilizes service-disabled veteran-owned small business set-asides to support veteran entrepreneurship. His procurement focus is concentrated in NAICS 237130 (Power and Communication Line Construction), which accounts for over half of his portfolio, alongside significant activity in engineering services (541330) and specialty trade contracting (238990). Richter specializes in procuring turnkey solutions for high-voltage transmission upgrades, substation modernization, and grid resilience enhancements, demonstrating deep technical familiarity with NERC standards, utility-scale electrical systems, and field-deployed infrastructure technologies.