The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District, is conducting a market survey to gather input from the construction community regarding the potential use of a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) for a major microgrid construction project at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. The project is planned as a Design–Bid–Build effort, involving the construction of a power generation and smart microgrid system with a base scope of a 10.3 MW natural gas reciprocating internal combustion engine (RICE) power plant. Key components include a compressed air starting system, distribution feeders, switchgear, transformer, relays, load bank, medium voltage circuit breakers, a SCADA system, reclosers, and microgrid controls.

The microgrid will deliver energy resilience for at least fourteen days to mission-critical operations, with the ability to operate independently from the utility grid as needed. The installation will serve critical facilities, and options include expanding generation capacity to 18 MW and integrating battery energy storage systems (BESS). The project also involves installing a six-inch natural gas branch line to support the new generation facility, with all construction occurring on a weather-proof, elevated site.

This notice invites industry stakeholders to provide feedback on the potential application of PLAs for this large-scale project, particularly relating to local precedent, labor availability, and impacts on project execution. The Government is especially interested in understanding any previous use of PLAs on similar projects in the area and any skilled labor shortages for required crafts. Responses will inform the Government's approach to labor agreements in alignment with Federal guidelines for efficiency, labor-management stability, and regulatory compliance.