RFI - City of Seattle Utilities Customer Service System

Released: October 9, 2026 12:00 AM PDT Questions due (Deadline for Questions): October 23, 2026 12:00 AM PDT Responses due (Responses Due to the City): November 6, 2026 12:00 AM PST

The City of Seattle is seeking responses for RFI - City of Seattle Utilities Customer Service System , to be submitted through the Procurement Portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/seattle , no later than 12:00 am on Friday, November 6, 2026 .

Seattle City Light (SCL) and Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) are seeking information from qualified vendors regarding modern, secure, and customer‑centric Customer Portal solutions for utility customers. The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to solicit feedback from utility customer service systems Vendors to gather details on available technologies, architectures, implementation approaches, and capabilities that may support future procurement strategies for both utilities. This is not a Request for Proposal (RFP) nor a Request for Quotation (RFQ).

No contract will be awarded as a result of this RFI.

The information gathered through this RFI may be used to refine capabilities for a potential future RFP covering both SCL and SPU customer portal needs. This effort is viewed as one facet of an over-arching continuous customer experience and increased satisfaction improvement strategy.

About Seattle City Light (SCL)

Seattle City Light (SCL) is the publicly owned electric utility serving the City of Seattle and neighboring communities. Established as a municipal utility in 1910 , SCL is governed by the City of Seattle and overseen by the Seattle City Council. SCL is one of the largest public power utilities in the United States, providing electric service to approximately 503,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers across a 131-square-mile service area.

SCL owns and operates one of the nation's largest municipally owned hydroelectric generation portfolios, with approximately 2,000 megawatts of generating capacity, and has been a recognized leader in renewable energy, environmental stewardship, energy efficiency, and carbon-neutral operations.

SCL's annual operating revenues exceed $1 billion and support a growing portfolio of investments in grid modernization, electrification, cybersecurity, reliability, customer experience, and clean energy initiatives. Through its approved 2027-2032 Strategic Plan, SCL is focused on delivering a reliable, affordable, safe, and environmentally responsible energy future while addressing increasing electricity demand, evolving customer expectations, infrastructure modernization, and technology transformation. Strategic priorities include enhancing customer service, strengthening cybersecurity, leveraging data and technology, modernizing utility operations, and improving digital customer engagement.

About Seattle Public Utilities (SPU)

Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) is a community‑centered, municipally owned utility that delivers essential services to Seattle residents and businesses, including drinking water, drainage and wastewater, and garbage, recycling, and compost collection. SPU also supplies drinking water to 1.5 million people across the region. More than 1,500 employees work alongside the community to maintain reliable systems, support environmental health, and ensure the responsible, equitable stewardship of our water and waste resources for future generations.

SPU owns and operates two waste transfer and sorting facilities and manages programs that advance recycling, composting, environmental stewardship, and resource recovery. The utility’s annual budget of over $1.7 billion supports investments in infrastructure reliability, customer service modernization, environmental sustainability, climate resilience, data‑driven decision‑making, and technology transformation. Guided by its Strategic Business Plan, SPU is focused on delivering equitable, dependable utility services; strengthening business practices; improving customer experiences; and modernizing systems and processes to meet the evolving needs of customers, employees, and communities.

Formed in 1997 by consolidating the City’s water, solid waste, drainage, and wastewater utilities, along with select engineering and customer service functions, SPU now operates three major lines of business: Water, Drainage and Wastewater, and Solid Waste. Together, these services protect public health, support environmental quality, and advance regional sustainability.

Together Seattle City Light and Seattle Public Utilities serve hundreds of thousands of customer accounts across electric, water, wastewater, drainage, and solid waste services. The Utilities are exploring opportunities to modernize and enhance customer-facing digital experiences, customer service capabilities, operational efficiency, and enterprise integration. The Utilities seek solutions that support customer-centric service delivery, regulatory compliance, operational excellence, cybersecurity, accessibility, scalability, and future business growth while aligning with City of Seattle technology, security, privacy, and governance standards.

The objective of this Request for Information (RFI) is to better understand the capabilities, approaches, implementation considerations, and innovation opportunities available in the marketplace for modern Utility customer engagement and management solutions.

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