General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation; GSAR Implementation of Executive Order 14275, Acquisition of Utility Services
Key claim: GSA would update its own contracting rules for buying electricity, gas, water, and other utilities so they match the FAR Council’s proposed rewrite of government-wide utility contracting, except where agencies already have separate statutory purchasing authority.
Abstract
(Proposed Rule · General Services Administration) GSA is proposing to amend the General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) part 541 which outlines procedures and guidance for the procurement of utility services. GSA guidance does not apply to agencies using their special authorities listed in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) section 41.103(a)(2) and (3). This proposed rule would align the GSAR with the FAR Council’s proposed rule for FAR part 41.
Why this matters
The GSAR utility-services rewrite is a downstream conforming piece of the broader EO 14275 FAR overhaul, extending the streamlining effort into how federal agencies procure electricity, gas, water, and similar utilities. Because utility contracts are long-duration and tied to installation operations, procedural changes affect how DoD bases, GSA-managed facilities, and other federal sites negotiate and renew service agreements. The proposal preserves pre-existing statutory purchasing authorities, limiting disruption for agencies that already operate under separate utility-acquisition regimes.