Tiger Natural Gas, Inc. v. United States

61 Fed. Cl. 287, 2004 U.S. Claims LEXIS 169, 2004 WL 1570152
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedJuly 9, 2004
DocketNo. 03-2201C
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 61 Fed. Cl. 287 (Tiger Natural Gas, Inc. v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Federal Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Tiger Natural Gas, Inc. v. United States, 61 Fed. Cl. 287, 2004 U.S. Claims LEXIS 169, 2004 WL 1570152 (uscfc 2004).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

LETTOW, Judge.

This contract case is before the Court on defendant’s motion to dismiss pursuant to [288]*288Rule 12(b)(6) of the Rules of the United States Court of Federal Claims (“RCFC”) for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. Plaintiff, Tiger Natural Gas, Inc. (“Tiger” or “TNG”), challenges a claim made by the General Services Administration (“GSA”) for alleged breach of a guarantee contained in a contract for installation of a propane backup system at the Fort Worth Federal Center in Ft. Worth, Texas. After the propane backup system had been fully installed and Tiger had been paid all amounts due under its contract with GSA, GSA asserted that Tiger had guaranteed that the government would realize a certain level of savings by qualifying for an interruptible rate for natural gas supplied to the Forth Worth Federal Center. Contending that the allegedly guaranteed savings had not been obtained, GSA made a claim against Tiger for damages, invoked a right of setoff, and withheld payments due Tiger under unrelated contracts between Tiger and GSA. Tiger filed a complaint contesting GSA’s claim and the setoff. Approximately six months after the complaint was filed, GSA paid Tiger the amounts that had been setoff and now contends that the repayment moots the action. GSA also asserts that, on a prudential basis, jurisdiction to award equitable relief is lacking, and that Tiger cannot now make a viable claim that it is entitled to declaratory relief. GSA further argues that Tiger is not entitled to receive interest on the amount previously offset. The motion to dismiss has been fully briefed, and a hearing was held on June 10, 2004. For the reasons set out below, the Court denies the government’s motion to dismiss and, treating the motion as one for summary judgment, denies that motion as well.

BACKGROUND1

A. The Contract, Contracting Officer’s Final Decision, Offset of Contractor’s Funds by the Government

In May 2000, GSA issued a Notice Concerning Solicitation (“Solicitation”) for the installation of a propane backup system at the Fort Worth Federal Center. Compl. ¶ 4 & Ex. A. The Solicitation described the required services as follows:

The Government requires energy conservation services at the Fort Worth Federal Center in Fort Worth[,] Texas, and seeks to obtain these services using this energy savings performance contract (FSPC) solicitation. The successful awardee will provide, at no capital cost to the Government, all labor, material, and equipment necessary to reduce utility costs at the Fort Worth Federal Center. Contracted services may also include operations and maintenance services during the contract term, as required in the technical sections of this specification and as proposed by the contractor and accepted by the Government. In return, the contractor will receive payment based on the guaranteed annual cost savings from its installed energy-conservation measures (ECMs).

Compl. Ex. A ¶ B.1. GSA estimated that a propane backup system would save it approximately $60,000 in annual costs. The local utility company, TXU Electric & Gas Corporation (“TXU”), was selling natural gas to GSA under a firm, commercial rate. Compl. ¶¶ 4-5. Upon completion of the envisioned improvements to the Forth Worth Federal Center, GSA would be able to convert to purchasing natural gas under a cheaper interruptible rate. Compl. Ex. A ¶ B.2.d. The Solicitation required that the contractor verify with TXU that $60,000 was a reasonable cost savings resulting from the installation of the proposed propane backup system. Id.

Tiger confirmed the reasonableness of this estimate with TXU, Compl. ¶ 4, and responded to the Solicitation by submitting Technical and Price Proposals in June 2000. Id. ¶ 6. Based upon the average yearly gas consumption figure of 36,946 mcf (thousand cubic feet) provided by GSA, id., Tiger concluded that GSA could save $66,438.62 by switching [289]*289to an interruptible, industrial gas rate. Compl. Ex. D at 9 (“Yearly Savings Explanation”).

In July 2000, GSA requested an explanation of Tiger’s estimated annual cost savings plan and a guarantee of savings. Compl. Ex. E (letter from Carol Lautzenheiser, GSA Contracting Officer, to Bradley Johnson, Tiger (July 27, 2000)). In August 2000, Tiger explained its plan:

TNG has reviewed past natural gas usage for your facility, thus, knowing the average annual consumption rate. The local LDC [local distribution company] rates have been established for both commercial and industrial facilities. With the backup system in place, your facility will be qualified to buy interruptable [sic ] service and the LDC rate will be negotiated from commercial to industrial. Please refer to Technical Proposal Yearly Savings explanation.

Compl. Ex. F. at 1 (Letter from Bradley Johnson to Carol Lautzenheiser (Aug. 1, 2000)). Concurrently, Tiger cited four factors that precluded providing a savings guarantee. Id. at 2.2 Tiger concluded that “with past market performance TNG is willing to accept liability of the contract and proceed with a contract if awarded.” Id.

GSA responded by asking, among other things, whether Tiger’s promise to “accept liability of the contract” amounted to a savings guarantee. Compl. Ex. G ¶ g (GSA Comments (Aug. 1, 2000)). In September 2000, Tiger replied that it could still not provide a savings guarantee “unless [GSA] can guarantee that the consumption at [its] facility will stay at the levels indicated in the 96-97 consumption records (36,946 mcf).” Compl. Ex. H at 3 (letter from Bradley Johnson to Carol Lautzenheiser (Sept. 5, 2000)). Tiger provided two further savings estimates. Under one estimate, based on the 1998-1999 consumption level for the Fort Worth Federal Center, Tiger concluded that “savings of over $44,000 per year [are] possible.” Id. Under the second estimate, based on the 1999-2000 consumption level, Tiger estimated that GSA could save $29,837.38. Id. at 6. Although Tiger’s reply in September 2000 did not expressly mention the need for conversion to an interruptible, industrial gas rate, the accompanying materials showing how its savings estimates were derived made references to use of the interruptible rate as the basis for the savings. Id. at 4-6, 9.

GSA awarded contract number GS-07P-00-HHC-0066 (“Contract”) to Tiger on October 13, 2000. Compl. Ex. I. During installation of the propane backup system, a representative from TXU inspected the installation to confirm GSA’s eligibility for the interruptible, industrial gas rate. Compl. ¶ 10. Tiger completed installation on March 21, 2001, and GSA paid Tiger under the terms of the contract. Id. On or before March 23, 2001, TXU contacted Tiger to confirm whether Tiger would supply gas to the Fort Worth Federal Center. Id. ¶ 11. At Tiger’s behest, id., TXU contacted GSA to execute a “standard gas transportation agreement used for federal agencies.” Id. ¶ 12. In July 2001, GSA refused to sign the contract with TXU for conversion to an interruptible, industrial gas rate. Id. ¶ 13.3

Absent conversion to an interruptible, industrial gas rate, GSA enjoyed no savings as a result of the Contract. In July 2002, the [290]

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Bluebook (online)
61 Fed. Cl. 287, 2004 U.S. Claims LEXIS 169, 2004 WL 1570152, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tiger-natural-gas-inc-v-united-states-uscfc-2004.