| (2) Each electric utility shall identify to the commission
its distributed generation contact person.
(3) Each electric utility shall provide convenient
access through its internet web site to the names, telephone numbers,
mailing addresses and electronic mail addresses for its distributed
generation contact person.
(m) Time periods for processing applications for interconnection
and parallel operation. In order to apply for interconnection the
customer shall provide the utility a completed application for interconnection
and parallel operation. The interconnection of distributed generation
shall take place within the following schedule:
(1) For a facility with pre-certified equipment, interconnection
shall take place within four weeks of the utility’s receipt
of a completed application.
(2) For other facilities, interconnection shall take
place within six weeks of the utility’s receipt of a completed
application.
(3) If interconnection of a particular facility will
require substantial capital upgrades to the utility system, the company
shall provide the customer an estimate of the schedule and customer’s
cost for the upgrade. If the customer desires to proceed with the
upgrade, the customer and the company will enter into a contract for
the completion of the upgrade. The interconnection shall take place
no later than two weeks following the completion of such upgrades,
except in situations in which a customer is not able to connect within
two weeks following the completion of such upgrades, this time may
be extended by agreement of the electric utility and the customer.
The utility shall employ best reasonable efforts to complete such
system upgrades in the shortest time reasonably practical.
(4) A utility shall use best reasonable efforts to
interconnect facilities within the time frames described in this subsection.
If in a particular instance, a utility determines that it cannot interconnect
a facility within the time frames stated in this subsection, it will
notify the applicant in writing of that fact. The notification will
identify the reason or reasons interconnection could not be performed
in accordance with the schedule and provide an estimated date for
interconnection.
(5) All applications for interconnection and parallel
operation shall be processed by the utility in a non-discriminatory
manner. Applications shall be processed in the order that they are
received. It is recognized that certain applications may require minor
modifications while they are being reviewed by the utility. Such minor
modifications to a pending application shall not require that it be
considered incomplete and treated as a new or separate application.
(n) Reporting requirements. Each electric utility shall
maintain records concerning applications received for interconnection
and parallel operation of distributed generation. Such records will
include the name of the applicant, the business address of the applicant,
and the location of the proposed facility by county, the capacity
rating of the facility in kilowatts, whether the facility is a renewable
energy resource as defined in §25.173 of this title (relating
to Goal for Renewable Energy), the date each application is received,
documents generated in the course of processing each application,
correspondence regarding each application, and the final disposition
of each application. The owner of a distributed generation facility
that is interconnected under this section shall report to the utility
any change in ownership of the facility and the cessation of operations
of a facility within 14 days of such change. By March 30 of each year,
every electric utility shall file with the commission a distributed
generation interconnection report for the preceding calendar year
that identifies each distributed generation facility interconnected
with the utility’s distribution system. The report shall list
the new distributed generation facilities interconnected with the
system since the previous year’ report, any change in ownership
or the cessation of operations of any distributed generation that
has been reported to the electric utility and not included in the
previous report, the capacity of each facility and whether it is a
renewable energy resource, and the feeder or other point on the company’s
utility system where the facility is connected. The annual report
shall also identify all applications for interconnection received
during the previous one-year period, and the disposition of such applications.
(o) Distributed natural gas generation facility. This
subsection, as well as the other subsections of this section, apply
to a distributed natural gas generation facility. This subsection
does not require an electric cooperative to transmit electricity to
a retail point of delivery in the certificated area of the electric
cooperative if the electric cooperative has not adopted customer choice.
If there is a conflict between this subsection and another subsection
of this section, this subsection controls.
(1) Transmission.
(A) Electric utilities. At the request of the owner
or operator of a distributed natural gas generation facility, an electric
utility shall allow the owner or operator of the facility to interconnect
with and use transmission and distribution facilities to transmit
electricity to another entity that is acceptable to the owner or operator
in accordance with this section and the commission’s rules for
open-access comparable transmission service for electric utilities
in ERCOT, §§25.191 - 25.203 of this title, or a tariff approved
by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
(B) Electric cooperatives. At the request of the owner
or operator of a distributed natural gas generation facility, an electric
cooperative shall allow the owner or operator of the facility to use
transmission and distribution facilities to transmit the electric
power to another entity that is acceptable to the owner or operator
in accordance with the commission’s rules for open-access comparable
transmission service for electric utilities in ERCOT, §§25.191
- 25.203 of this title, or a tariff approved by FERC.
(2) Interconnection Disputes. If an electric utility
or electric cooperative seeks to recover from the owner or operator
of a distributed natural gas generation facility an amount that exceeds
the amount in the estimate provided under PURA §35.036(e) by
more than 5%, the commission shall resolve the dispute at the request
of the owner or operator of the facility.
(p) Agreement for Interconnection and Parallel Operation
of Distributed Generation.
Attached Graphic
(q) Tariff for Interconnection and Parallel Operation
of Distributed Generation.
Attached Graphic
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| Source Note: The provisions of this §25.211 adopted to be effective December 21, 1999, 24 TexReg 11300; amended to be effective January 8, 2001, 26 TexReg 93; amended to be effective June 11, 2012, 37 TexReg 4195; amended to be effective March 26, 2014, 39 TexReg 2067; amended to be effective January 5, 2017, 41 TexReg 10600 |
