The Department of Energy, apparently not quite ready to make a decision on an award, is asking bidders for a new $6.4-billion cleanup contract at the Idaho National Laboratory to extend the expiration dates on their proposals, sources said this week.
Other than asking teams to extend their bids on the Idaho Cleanup Project, apparently by 45 days, no other changes are being sought by DOE, an industry source told Weapons Complex Monitor late Thursday.
Two sources said Tuesday they understand DOE’s Office of Environmental Management wanted to extend the expiration dates on the bids, which were due last July. A third source said he had not heard of the request by DOE but would not be at all surprised by it given that such requests are occasionally sought when the agency is not ready to pull the trigger on an award.
The DOE Office of Environmental Management declined comment Friday.
Government contractors often stipulate their offers will expire on a certain date. In addition to having to pay key personnel whose names have been submitted to run a project, prices on everything from fuel to steel and equipment components change over time.
The DOE published its final request for proposals about 11 months ago, in May 2020. The new long-term contract would replace two incumbents. Fluor Idaho has the five-year, $2.2-billion cleanup contract and Spectra Tech has a $53-million agreement for spent fuel management for roughly the same period. The DOE recently extended both agreements by four months, making for a Sept. 30 expiration.
In addition to Fluor, other names mentioned in connection with the contract bidding including Bechtel, Jacobs, and Huntington Ingalls Industries.
