Comprehensive Utility Rate Charge Study Service

The City of Hood River, Oregon, is seeking professional services for a comprehensive utility rate study. The agency needs an objective and transparent long-term fee design that promotes financial stability, accounts for future capital requirements and cost-of-service, considers ratepayer ability to pay, and promotes housing affordability. This project aims to solve the challenge of funding ongoing operations, maintenance, administration, and other cash obligations while balancing economic factors like customer growth and cost inflation. The scope of work covers identifying project objectives, deliverables, and key milestones, as well as identifying specific options for each utility based on city financial objectives and best practices. The selected contractor must coordinate data collection, compile customer billing statistics, and forecast future utility costs. Additionally, the project requires reviewing City Financial Policies and utility assistance programs, assessing the sufficiency of current rates, analyzing rate structure update options, and determining annual rate adjustments with revenue allocations across customer classes. Eligible bidders must be onshore organizations based in the United States. The agency allows the performance of the work to occur offsite. Bidders must submit any questions regarding the opportunity no later than June 19, 2026, and proposals may be submitted digitally via email or online. The agency is looking for proposals to determine the budget and intends to award a contract with a term of five years.