PUC rejects bids for ground-line pole inspection; staff will rebid for clearer scope

The Hibbing Public Utilities Commission on Aug. 12 voted to reject all bids received for public bid PB25-06, the electrical distribution ground-line pole inspection project, citing wide price discrepancies among respondents. Staff said the request-for-bids produced inconsistent proposals and recommended rebidding with a clarified scope so the utility can compare bids on an apples-to-apples basis. "Our recommendation is to not take any action to approve that today, but just to reject that and rebid," staff said. The commission approved the staff recommendation to reject the bids and directed staff to rebid the project. Why this matters: Pole-grounding inspection is part of electrical distribution safety and maintenance; getting consistent bids ensures the utility obtains the right mix of price and scope for an inspection program. Next steps: Staff will update the bid specifications and issue a rebid of PB25-06.