OWNER’S ENGINEER SERVICES

INDEPENDENT TECHNICAL OVERSIGHT THROUGH EVERY PHASE

Power generation and grid infrastructure projects are among the most capital-intensive investments an owner can make. A single gap in technical oversight during development, procurement, or construction can result in cost overruns, schedule delays, performance shortfalls, or long-term reliability problems that far exceed the cost of experienced Owner’s Engineer representation. Tangibl Group provides Owner’s Engineer services that give project owners independent technical authority at every critical decision point — from EPC contractor selection through construction completion and commissioning.

Tangibl serves independent power producers, data center developers, private equity-backed developers and co-developers, utilities, public power entities, and large industrial customers. Our experience spans natural-gas-fired reciprocating engine plants, battery energy storage systems, and electric transmission substations, across project scales ranging from 20 MW to 500 MW of generation capacity and 50 MWh to 250 MWh of battery energy storage, representing capital investments from $300 million to $2.5 billion.

Unlike firms that treat Owner’s Engineer as an administrative function, Tangibl’s engineers are registered professional engineers with direct utility and generation industry experience. We bring the same hands-on, on-site engagement that defines our utility engineering practice to every Owner’s Engineer assignment — present when decisions are made, accountable for technical outcomes, and aligned with the owner’s interests throughout.

EPC CONTRACTOR RFI DEVELOPMENT

The Request for Information phase establishes the competitive landscape before formal procurement begins. Tangibl’s Owner’s Engineer team develops technically rigorous RFI documents that gather the information owners need to evaluate contractor capability, financial standing, project experience, and supply chain depth — without telegraphing project scope in ways that limit competitive tension.

An RFI developed without engineering expertise typically asks the wrong questions, receives incomplete responses, and produces a short list that reflects administrative filtering rather than genuine technical differentiation. Tangibl structures each RFI around the specific technical requirements of the project, the procurement risk profile, and the owner’s evaluation priorities. We typically distribute RFIs to 8–12 qualified contractors, recognizing that not all will advance to the RFP stage, and we manage that selection process with the rigor it deserves.

Our RFI services include:

- - Development of technically specific scope descriptions that attract qualified contractors without over-specifying procurement requirements
  - Identification of evaluation criteria aligned with project-specific risk, schedule, and performance requirements
  - Distribution management and response tracking across the full contractor list
  - Systematic evaluation of RFI responses and preparation of a written short-list recommendation with supporting technical rationale

EPC CONTRACTOR RFP DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION

The Request for Proposal process is where project risk is allocated, performance standards are established, and the commercial framework for construction is set. Errors or omissions in the RFP translate directly into change orders, disputes, and cost growth during construction. Tangibl’s Owner’s Engineer team develops EPC RFP documents that are technically complete, commercially defensible, and structured to produce binding, comparable proposals from qualified contractors.

Our RFP development process begins with a thorough review of the project’s preliminary engineering, permitting status, interconnection requirements, and schedule constraints. We translate these inputs into RFP technical specifications, performance guarantees, and liquidated damages frameworks that protect the owner’s interests without creating procurement terms that suppress competition or inflate pricing.

Tangibl evaluates EPC proposals using a weighted scoring methodology with the following typical weighting: Safety record 20%, Contractor availability and schedule 20%, Relevant experience 30%, Price 30%. Weightings are calibrated to each project’s specific risk profile and owner priorities.

Our RFP services include:

- - Preparation of technical specifications covering civil, structural, electrical, mechanical, and control systems scope
  - Development of performance guarantee requirements, testing protocols, and acceptance criteria
  - Commercial terms review in coordination with the owner’s legal counsel
  - Proposal evaluation against weighted technical and commercial criteria
  - Clarification management, addenda issuance, and pre-proposal conference facilitation
  - Final proposal evaluation report with contractor ranking and award recommendation

Where the owner’s organization has the in-house procurement and contract management capability to lead EPC contract negotiation, Tangibl’s role concludes at selection recommendation. Where the owner requires additional support, Tangibl can remain engaged through contract negotiation and award to ensure that the technical terms of the RFP are properly reflected in the executed EPC agreement.

EPC CONTRACTOR CONSTRUCTION OVERSIGHT

Construction oversight is where Owner’s Engineer representation has the highest leverage and the highest consequence. Decisions made in the field — materials substitutions, design interpretations, installation sequences, commissioning test procedures — can have permanent effects on plant performance, reliability, and regulatory compliance. Tangibl’s Owner’s Engineer team provides construction oversight that is present, technical, and independent.

For larger projects, Tangibl assigns a dedicated engineer to be on-site throughout construction. For smaller projects, our team conducts structured site visits with a cadence of no less than weekly, supplemented by milestone-based hold points for critical installation activities. In both cases, our field teams include not only licensed engineers but also experienced field team leaders whose practical construction knowledge is essential to identifying real-world issues that paper-based reviews alone cannot catch.

Our construction oversight services include:

- - Submittal and shop drawing review for compliance with technical specifications and applicable standards
  - RFI management and technical clarification issuance
  - Construction progress monitoring against contract schedule milestones
  - Material and equipment inspection at the point of delivery and installation
  - Non-conformance identification, documentation, and resolution tracking
  - Commissioning and startup oversight, including witness testing of performance guarantees in accordance with NETA testing standards
  - Punch-list development and closeout management

Standard written deliverables produced during construction oversight include weekly construction reports, meeting minutes, third-party and factory representative inspection reports, NETA testing and system integrator commissioning reports, safety and incident reports, witness testing reports, and project-specific deliverables determined by the scope and nature of each engagement.

Tangibl’s construction oversight takes into account all major industry standards specified in the project’s design and construction specifications, along with any additional standards required by interconnecting transmission owners, gas pipeline operators, and applicable local codes and authorities having jurisdiction.

WHY TANGIBL AS OWNER’S ENGINEER

The value of Owner’s Engineer representation is directly proportional to the depth and independence of the engineers providing it. Tangibl’s Owner’s Engineer team brings registered professional engineering credentials, direct utility and generation industry experience, and a track record of on-site engagement that distinguishes our practice from firms that staff Owner’s Engineer roles with project management generalists.

Tangibl combines field experience with engineering know-how, and the technical depth of Technical Program Managers who support Project and Senior Engineers, as well as field Team Leaders who are not necessarily engineers but whose practical construction knowledge is essential to effective oversight.

Jeff Fleeman, Technical Program Manager, Tangibl Group

This structure — Technical Program Managers, Project Engineers, Senior Engineers, and field Team Leaders working in coordination — means that Tangibl’s Owner’s Engineer engagements are staffed with the right expertise at every level of the oversight function, not just at the top. It is the combination of engineering rigor and practical field knowledge that makes the difference between oversight that identifies problems early and oversight that documents them after they become expensive.

OWNER’S ENGINEER CASE STUDIES

Tangibl has provided Owner’s Engineer and technical oversight services on generation and grid infrastructure projects across the PJM footprint and beyond. Representative engagements include:

Natural Gas Reciprocating Engine Array — Marcellus Shale Region, PJM

Tangibl served as Owner’s Engineer for an array of 20 MW natural-gas-fired reciprocating engine plants in the Marcellus Shale region of PJM, developed by IMG Midstream. Tangibl was responsible for overseeing the medium- and high-voltage electrical scope of the EPC contractor, including the interconnecting switchyard for each plant. Tangibl’s oversight ensured that each plant’s electrical systems were designed and constructed in compliance with PJM interconnection requirements and the transmission owner’s technical standards.

138-25kV Municipal Electric Substation — Owner’s Engineer and Program Manager

Tangibl is currently serving as Owner’s Engineer for a municipal electric system undertaking the design and construction of a new 138-25kV substation. The facility’s ultimate layout includes four power transformers, a metal-clad integrated switchgear and control house assembly, and interconnection with the investor-owned utility’s existing 138kV ring bus substation. Tangibl oversees all subcontractors and subconsultants, manages major equipment procurement including RFI and RFP development, and provides selection and oversight of the construction contractor throughout the project.

REQUEST INFORMATION

If you have a project that you believe is a good fit for our capabilities, please contact us. We can schedule an exploratory conversation to better understand your needs and together determine how best to serve you.

OWNER’S ENGINEER SERVICES — FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is an Owner’s Engineer and why do power project owners need one?

An Owner’s Engineer is an independent technical advisor retained by the project owner to provide engineering oversight and representation during EPC contractor procurement and construction. Because EPC contractors are commercially motivated to minimize cost and maximize margin, owners need an independent engineer whose interests are aligned with theirs — not the contractor’s. The Owner’s Engineer reviews contractor submittals, monitors construction quality, identifies technical deficiencies, and ensures the project is built to specification. On complex power generation and grid infrastructure projects, the cost of Owner’s Engineer representation is typically recovered many times over in avoided change orders, warranty disputes, and performance shortfalls.

When in the project lifecycle should an Owner’s Engineer be engaged?

The earlier, the better. The highest-value Owner’s Engineer engagement begins during EPC procurement — developing the RFI and RFP, evaluating contractor proposals, and structuring contract terms that protect the owner. An Owner’s Engineer engaged only at the start of construction cannot correct procurement errors or performance specification gaps. Tangibl recommends engaging Owner’s Engineer representation no later than the RFP development phase, and ideally during preliminary engineering when project scope and specifications are still being defined.

How does Tangibl’s Owner’s Engineer practice differ from a large engineering firm?

Tangibl’s engineers are present and engaged on-site in ways that larger, more distant firms are not. Our project managers are active participants in daily construction coordination, not periodic visitors. Because our team has worked in technical and management roles at energy utilities, we bring practitioner-level knowledge of how power plants and grid infrastructure are designed, built, and operated — not just project management process knowledge. That direct industry experience translates into more effective oversight, faster issue resolution, and better outcomes for project owners.