Refurbish 138 KV OCB Breaker

Only questions submitted by email to [email protected] will be considered. Questions received from Offerors after 3:00 pm Mountain on June15, 2026, may not be responded to.

Contractors are highly encouraged to attend an agency organized site visit. Site visits may be scheduled with Mr.  Juan Escobar at [email protected] or Evelio Siller at [email protected]. Virtual site visits (video/photographs) are not permitted.

Site visits should be scheduled for NLT June 10, 2026.

Description: The International Boundary and Water Commission is seeking a price quote for Refurbish Breakers as per SOW attached, for the IBWC Amistad Field Office located at 670 Texas Spur 349, Del Rio, TX 78840.

The Contractor shall complete work within 180 calendar days after the contract has been awarded.

The government will award to the lowest price, technically acceptable, responsible offeror. The Contractor shall provide all labor, material, equipment, subcontract, supervision, and management to perform the requirements of this Statement of Work (SOW).      

The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible Offeror based on Lowest Price Technically Acceptable. Technical acceptability will be based on the Contractor’s Technical Approach, Expertise and Qualified Personnel to provide the services, and Past Performance.

Technical Approach - Quote must demonstrate the technical approach by providing a narrative addressing all the items in the scope. The narrative shall at a minimum include your plan of action, equipment, key team members, and schedule.

Past Performance – Quotes shall demonstrate successful past performance of at least 3 three (3) references for similar projects. The information shall include name of person, company, phone number, email address, and brief description of the project.

Offerors shall meet or exceed and specifications and scope of work of items being quoted.

Failure to submit required technical approach, past performance and Price Sheet form will deem a proposal non-responsive and no consideration for award will be given.

Offerors shall include a completed copy of the provision at 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items, with its offer. NOTE: The Offeror shall complete only paragraph (b) of this provision if the Offeror has completed the annual representations and certification electronically via the System for Award Management (SAM) website accessed through http://www.acuisition.gov.

INVOICE PROCESSING PLATFORM

The U.S. Section International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC) has transitioned to an electronic invoicing system. The Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) is a secure, web-based system provided by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service in partnership with the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. IPP is available at no cost to any commercial vendor or independent contractor doing business with a participating government agency.

Information concerning accessing the IPP system will be provided at time of award.

END of combined synopsis/solicitation.  

Attachments:

Performance Work Statement

Price Sheet

Applicable Provisions and Clauses

Wage Determination

5/28/26 Modification 001 - Submit Updated PWS, and 4 OCB attachments.

See Q&As as follows:

1. Asbestos handling responsibility. PWS § 3.4 notes approximately 30% non-friable asbestos in legacy control wiring. Please confirm: (a) is asbestos abatement included in contractor scope? (b) Is the contractor expected to provide AHERA-trained personnel and a Texas-licensed asbestos disposal facility? (c) Or does USIBWC coordinate this work through a standing abatement contract? Any Asbestos Work shall be included in your submittal, but at this time we didn’t find any material with Asbestos on this Breaker  
2. Re-energization scope. PWS § 2.1.O states IBWC personnel perform the electrical clearance and lockout-tagout. Please confirm the contractor’s scope ends at functional verification per § 2.3, and IBWC’s qualified personnel perform the final re-energization of the 138 kV OCB.. IBWC Personnel will de-energize and lock/tag out the equipment, but Contractor can install their own locks too. IBWC Personnel will energize the OCB Breaker after the project is completed.
3. Dielectric oil — volume and disposal. Approximate volume of existing dielectric oil to be drained from the OCB tank (in gallons), and any IBWC-preferred or required Texas-licensed used-oil disposal facility. Information of amount of oil gallons shall be founded in the manual,   and Oil Disposal or any material will required to be required to follow the current standards.  

Schedule

1. Outage window. The 138 kV OCB is identified as critical equipment (PWS § 3.1). What outage window does IBWC envision for the disassembly, refurbishment, and re-installation phases? Are there seasonal or Rio Grande operational constraints (e.g., irrigation demand cycle) that dictate timing? The outage time and date will be determined after the contract is awarded based on power production and maintenance schedule for the facility
2. 180-day period of performance clock. Does the 180 calendar days run from contract award / Notice to Proceed, or from a specific milestone? Given typical HV breaker refurbishment-grade parts lead times of 8–16 weeks, please clarify any flexibility around the parts-procurement phase. At this time, this project is schedule for 180 days, but we’re flexible to extend it, as necessary.

6/4/26 M002 - Submit attachment with "close-up photographs" and see Q&As below.

1. Concerning the Air Compressor Scope referenced in PWS §1.4 and §2.1.D, please disregard the instruction in PWS §1.4, which lists "replace air compressor" as a refurbishment objective. Likewise, set aside the directive in PWS §2.1.D that instructs the Contractor to purchase and install a new air compressor within the 138 KV OCB Breaker enclosure. Instead, kindly refer to the McGraw-Edison Type AHF-54 manufacturer service literature (Instruction S290-50-1, "Type OA-3 Hydraulic Operating Mechanism"). This documentation specifies that the operating mechanism is hydraulic and utilizes a motor-driven pump alongside a nitrogen-pre-charged accumulator for storing and releasing operating energy.

2. Regarding the Scope of Work—Assessment versus Combined Assessment-and-Execution: Please disregard PWS §2.1.A through §2.1.C, which outline assessment activities such as inspection of current conditions, preparation of a maintenance plan report, and compilation of a parts list (including description, brand, lead time, manufacturer, supplier name, and location). Similarly, disregard PWS §2.1.D, E, G, & M, which pertain to execution activities including the purchase and installation of a new air compressor. Instead, proceed with PWS §2.1.F, H, I, J, K, L, & N, covering execution tasks such as removal and disposal of dielectric oil, procurement and installation of new dielectric oil, purchasing and application of sandblast media, purchasing and application of epoxy paint, and replacement of electrical components, contact boards, pneumatic and hydraulic parts, as well as mechanical parts within the OCB Control Cabinet. Please note that this does not include 138 KV bushing hardware. Regarding PWS §2.1.I, submittals and conditions for parts procurement under these execution activities should be presented for Plant Superintendent approval.

3. The Image Binder posted by the Government on May 29, 2026 includes site photographs of the three OCB tanks and the operating mechanism cabinet. Page 14 of the Binder shows the control cabinet interior with the Gould Pump motor and the Parker Hannifin nitrogen-precharged accumulator visible, but the pump and motor nameplate detail is not legible in the available image. AEEI requires the pump and motor model number, horsepower rating, voltage, RPM, and serial number to source replacement service parts (seals, bearings, drive coupling, pressure-relief assemblies) and to determine whether the Gould motor and the pump are catalog or OEM-rebuild items. Could the Government provide a close-up photograph of the OA-3 operating mechanism pump and motor nameplate (and any associated tags on the pump body or pressure-relief block)? If the nameplate is illegible or missing, a written transcription of any visible model, serial, and rating information would be acceptable.

Attached close-up photographs of the OA-3 Hydraulic Pump/Motor nameplate as requested.

4. PWS §2.1.M references replacement of control wiring runs; PWS §3.4 identifies approximately 30% non-friable asbestos content in the legacy fabric-sheath control wiring requiring AHERA-credentialed handling and abatement. The Image Binder does not provide a measured cable-run distance between the OCB local control panel at the dam apron and the main control room equipment to which the control circuits land. Could the Government provide the approximate one-way cable-run distance (in linear feet) between the OCB local control panel and the main control room termination equipment? An estimate to the nearest 25 feet is sufficient. This information is required to size the control wiring takeoff for pricing, to estimate asbestos abatement scope per PWS §3.4, and to assess whether the legacy raceways can be reused.

The cable-run distance from the OCB Control Panel to the Main Control Room Equipment is, according to the prints, 730 feet.

6/9/26 M003 - Does USIBWC have any prior testing records on PCB content of the dielectric oil inside the 138 kV OCB? If so, AEEI would appreciate a copy of the report or test results.

The reason for the ask: Our tech has expressed concern about performing work on oil that may test positive for PCBs (worker safety, OSHA exposure protocol, insurance implications). Knowing the PCB content up front would let AEEI structure the disposal pathway and crew protocols correctly at bid submission rather than carrying a PCB-positive baseline assumption.

Response:  Attached are some oil test reports from 2007 & 92 conducted on the OCB Breaker 9635.See "OCB Breaker Oil Test Report by STEC" (OCB Breaker Oil Test Report by STEC)