SOLICITATION NOTICE
B -- Analysis of medium- and heavy-duty vehicle
- Notice Date
- 12/22/2010
- Notice Type
- Presolicitation
- NAICS
- 541614
— Process, Physical Distribution, and Logistics Consulting Services
- Contracting Office
- CPODUS Environmental Protection AgencyCincinnati Procurement OperationsDivision26 West Martin Luther King DriveCincinnatiOH45268USA
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- PR-CI-10-11331
- Response Due
- 1/7/2011
- Archive Date
- 2/6/2011
- Point of Contact
- Samantha Fuchs
- E-Mail Address
-
Fuchs.Samantha@epa.gov
(Fuchs.Samantha@epamail.epa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ), Office Acquisition Management (OAM) Cincinnati Procurement Operations Division (CPOD), intends to negotiate, on a sole source basis, under the authority of FAR 6.302-1 (41 U.S.C. 253(c)(1)), GIFT Solutions, LLC, Pittsford, NY. The applicable NAICS code is 541614. The Transportation and Climate Division (TCD) of the U.S. EPA is responsible for understanding and analyzing current greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and energy consumption trends, in the U.S. transportation sector. Under the authority of the Clean Air Act, EPA has begun its rulemaking process to regulate emissions of GSGs from medium and heavy-duty vehicles (M/HDV). One possible source of emissions reductions is through fuel economy improvements for M/HDVs and, this issue has been the focus of recent technology and economic studies conducted by government, industry, and non-profit organizations. There are a number of complicating factors associated with regulating M/HDVs, many of which were described in a 2010 National Academies of Science study entitled Technologies and Approaches to Reducing the Fuel Consumption of Medium ? and Heavy?Duty Vehicles. One important factor to consider is the system-wide fleet and operational impacts associated with rules that on the one hand may increase the capital costs of vehicles, but on the other reduce operating costs through fuel savings. In the former case and increase in vehicle capital costs may create ?pre-buy? incentives, or may cause delays in fleet turnover, thereby diminishing the effectiveness of new standards. In the latter case, reduction in fuel use (and therefore operating costs), may create a ?rebound effect? that leads to greater vehicle miles traveled, and again diminish the standard?s effectiveness. This project will focus on this ?rebound effect.? As mentioned in the NAS Study, there is a dearth of information in the literature about the scale of the rebound effect (elasticity estimates) for HDVs. In particular, the NAS found the following: ?Finding 6-11. Elasticity estimates vary over a wide range, and it is not possible to calculate with a great deal of confidence what the magnitude of the ?rebound? effect is for heavy-duty trucks. The rebound effect measures the increase in ton-miles shipped resulting from a reducing in the cost of shipping. Estimates of fuel savings from regulatory standards will be somewhat misestimated if the ?Rebound? effect is not considered.? The NAS study did identify several studies that attempted to quantify the HDV rebound effect, but it did not go into detail on these, nor did it critically evaluate all the potential literature on this topic. This procurement requires the services of a contractor that possess the unique capability for analyzing the potential magnitude of the M/HDV rebound effect. The M/HDV rebound effect has not been well studied in the past, and very little modeling work has been done in this area to explicitly capture how the rebound effect could affect intermodal shifting. As the lead author of Indirect Effects and Externalities section of the recent National Academy of Sciences report on M/HD vehicles (which included the discussion on the rebound effect), James Winebrake and his associates at GIFT Solutions, LLC are uniquely qualified to provide this analysis to EPA. In addition, the Geospatial Intermodal Freight Transportation (GIFT) model, developed and maintained by GIFT Solutions, LLC, is the only known model that will allow TCD to explicitly analyze intermodal freight transportation. One of the main objectives of this project is to provide EPA a comprehensive review and critique of the literature related to the rebound effect for HDVs. A second major objective is to apply modeling tools, such as Geospatial Intermodal Freight Transportation (GIFT) model and/or other analytical tools to explore the economic impacts associated with fuel consumption reductions of freight transportation in the U.S. (the GIFT model is a unique, analytical tool that allows for the modeling of intermodal freight transportation. Operated in an ArcGIS environment, GIFT links highway, railway, and waterway networks into an integrated intermodal network via connectivity at ports, railyards, and other freight transfer facilities. GIFT allows users to apply network attributes [such as costs, speed, emission, or energy use] to network segments and nodes in order to conduct network optimization analysis through shortest-path algorithms. These analyses can be done for single origin-destination pair analysis or for sets of origin-destination pairs such that freight systems can be evaluated. The GIFT model has been discussed in literature and is currently the only such model designed for these types of analyses.) Such modeling could uncover the impact of fuel cost savings on operational costs and freight rates, which may then be used to evaluate potential VMT increases. Work is to consist of the following:Literature review and background search to obtain information related to the ?rebound effect? in the HDV freight sector. The Literature Reviews will include articles and reports in the academic and non-academic literature. The Goal of this review will be to identify, summarize, and critique any studies that we uncover. This review will be conducted for ?Rebound effects? that include both modal substitution effects (E.G., the role of lower cost truck transportation on rail-to-truck and ship-to-truck mode shifts) and demand effects (e.g., the role of lower cost truck transportation on increased ton-miles of truck freight movements.) The contractor will produce intermediate and final version of a Power Point presentation that highlights key aspects of the literature review. In addition, intermediate and final versions of a literature review report will be submitted in a format that may allow for potential publication in an academic journal. Perform one to five case study evaluations aimed at exploring the operational cost impacts of fuel economy improvements in a HDV and the potential impact these cost savings could have on freight rates. The focus of the case studies will be Class 8 vehicle, as these vehicles consume approximately 80% of the energy in the M/HDV freight sector. Case studies may include modeling the operational costs of a trip from an origin to a destination under pre-regulatory conditions, and comparing these costs with post-regulatory conditions (assuming certain fuel economy improvements). Results could then be used in the GIFT model or other tools to illustrate how these reduced operational costs to HDV operators could lead to mod-shifting (E.G. from rail to truck) or operational behavior changes (Such as re-routing) that lead to VMT increase. The contractor will produce intermediate and final versions of a Power Point presentation that highlights key aspects of this analysis. In addition, intermediate and final versions of a report will be submitted in a format that may allow for potential publication in an academic journal listing and briefly describing the assumptions and model modifications. This is not a request for proposal. However, any firm believing itself capable of meeting EPA's requirement may submit technical documentation to establish the potential of complying with the specifications. Such documentation must be submitted to the point of contact within 15 days of the posting of this notice. A determination not to compete the proposed requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered only for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement or to proceed on a sole source basis. The applicable NAICS code is 541614. Please submit your request in writing to: US EPA, Samantha Fuchs at 26 W. Martin Luther King Dr, Cincinnati, OH, 45268 or fax your request to (513) 487-2107, or email fuchs.samantha@epa.gov. No telephone request will be honored. Additional Info: The Environmental Protection Agency Contracting Office Address: Cincinnati Procurement Operations Division 26 W. Martin Luther King Drive Cincinnati, OH 45268 Point of Contact(s): Samantha Fuchs, Contract Specialist, Phone: 513-487-2347, E-Mail: fuchs.samantha@epa.gov
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