INTRODUCTION
Pierce Transit is soliciting proposals from qualified firms to provide natural gas to the Agency, on a non-interruptible basis to City Gate.

Pierce Transit is a municipal corporation formed under authority of Chapter 36.57A of the Revised Code of Washington. The Agency operates fixed route and elderly and handicapped transportation services in urban Pierce County, from Tacoma to Olympia and Seattle. The Agency's jurisdiction includes the incorporated cities and towns of Bonney Lake, Gig Harbor, Fife, Fircrest, Lakewood, Milton, Puyallup, Ruston, Steilacoom, Sumner, South Prairie, and Tacoma, along with some unincorporated areas of Pierce County. Pierce Transit's jurisdiction covers 450 square miles containing an estimated population of 700,000.

The Agency operates a fleet of approx. 255 coaches and provides regular scheduled transit service on 46 routes using approximately 932 miles of streets, roads, and highways. Of this fleet 221 coaches are CNG dedicated.

Currently, Pierce Transit's property is served by three (3) gas lines. Two lines supply gas to Building 1, Vehicle Maintenance and Building 2, Facilities Maintenance for heat and other industrial uses. One line supplies gas to compressors for bus fueling. The fast-fill station is equipped with two (2) 450 scfm compressors and one (1) 1,000 scfm compressor, another 1,000 sqfm compressor will come on line in mid-2006.

REQUIREMENTS
Pierce Transit requires firm price natural gas supplies to be delivered at the delivery point at which Puget Sound Energy receives natural gas from Northwest Pipeline for distribution to Pierce Transit's refueling facility. During the term of this contract Pierce Transit reserves the right to purchase gas based on current index plus fees or enter into fixed price longer term agreements or such other terms as may be in the best interest of Pierce Transit throughout the contract period. While we recognize that actual gas prices may vary throughout the term of this contract, fees quoted shall remain unchanged.

Pierce Transit intends to use interruptible transportation services from Puget Sound Energy, unless otherwise stated, the rate shall not include Puget Sound Energy charges for interruptible transportation service; however, transportation charges shall be listed separately in the proposal.

Pierce Transit currently uses approximately 4,000,000 therms annually. Usage is expected to remain fairly steady throughout the contract term.

In addition to firm price gas supplies, Pierce Transit requires the following services to be included in the rate:

• Daily monitoring of natural gas usage.
• Daily balancing as required by natural gas supplier, Northwest Pipeline, and Puget Sound Energy.
• Automated telemonitoring.
• Single billing for natural gas supplies and Puget Sound Energy transportation.
• Notification of curtailments no later than 5:00 am on the date any such curtailments are in effect.

TERM OF CONTACT
The contract resulting from this request for proposals may be for any period up to five years. In order to be in a position to lock in favorable pricing during the summer, it is Pierce Transit’s goal to execute a contract in April 2006, however any firm price agreement and/or actual supply services under this contract will commence on November 1, 2006. (Pierce Transit has a current firm price agreement that expires on October 31, 2006.)