[Protest of DOE Cancellation of Solicitation for Natural Gas]

A firm protested the Department of Energy's (DOE) cancellation of a line item after bid opening, under a solicitation for natural gas, contending that: (1) DOE lacked any compelling reason to cancel the line item; (2) DOE should have awarded it the contract as the low bidder; and (3) it was entitled to reimbursement for its bid and protest preparation costs. GAO held that: (1) DOE properly cancelled the solicitation, since it determined that the evaluation criteria were incomplete; (2) the protester failed to show that the DOE determination was unreasonable; and (3) the protester was not entitled to reimbursement for its bid and protest preparation costs. Accordingly, the protest was denied.