| (4) Routine maintenance, repairs, and modifications.
A utility may disconnect a customer or a customer’s facility
with seven business days prior written notice of a service interruption
for routine maintenance, repairs, and utility system modifications.
The utility shall reconnect the customer as quickly as reasonably
possible following any such service interruption.
(5) Lack of approved application and interconnection
agreement. In order to interconnect distributed generation to a utility
system, a customer must first submit to the utility an application
for interconnection and parallel operation with the utility system
and execute an interconnection agreement on the forms prescribed by
the commission. The utility may refuse to connect or may disconnect
the customer’s facility if such application has not been received
and approved.
(f) Incremental demand charges. During the term of
an interconnection agreement a utility may require that a customer
disconnect its distributed generation unit and/or take it off-line
as a result of utility system conditions described in subsection (e)(3)
and (4) of this section. Incremental demand charges arising from disconnecting
the distributed generator as directed by company during such periods
shall not be assessed by company to the customer.
(g) Pre-interconnection studies for non-network interconnection
of distributed generation. A utility may conduct a service study,
coordination study or utility system impact study prior to interconnection
of a distributed generation facility. In instances where such studies
are deemed necessary, the scope of such studies shall be based on
the characteristics of the particular distributed generation facility
to be interconnected and the utility’s system at the specific
proposed location. By agreement between the utility and its customer,
studies related to interconnection of on-site distributed generation
on the customer’s premises may be conducted by a qualified third
party.
(1) Distributed generation facilities for which no
pre-interconnection study fees may be charged. A utility may not charge
a customer a fee to conduct a pre-interconnection study for pre-certified
distributed generation units up to 500 kW that export not more than
15% of the total load on a single radial feeder and contribute not
more than 25% of the maximum potential short circuit current on a
single radial feeder.
(2) Distributed generation facilities for which pre-interconnection
study fees may be charged. Prior to the interconnection of a distributed
generation facility not described in paragraph (1) of this subsection,
a utility may charge a customer a fee to offset its costs incurred
in the conduct of a pre-interconnection study. In those instances
where a utility conducts an interconnection study the following shall
apply:
(A) The conduct of such pre-interconnection study shall
take no more than four weeks;
(B) A utility shall prepare written reports of the
study findings and make them available to the customer;
(C) The study shall consider both the costs incurred
and the benefits realized as a result of the interconnection of distributed
generation to the company’s utility system; and
(D) The customer shall receive an estimate of the study
cost before the utility initiates the study.
(h) Network interconnection of distributed generation.
Certain aspects of secondary network systems create technical difficulties
that may make interconnection more costly to implement. In instances
where customers request interconnection to a secondary network system,
the utility and the customer shall use best reasonable efforts to
complete the interconnection and the utility shall utilize the following
guidelines:
(1) A utility shall approve applications for distributed
generation facilities that use inverter-based protective functions
unless total distributed generation (including the new facility) on
affected feeders represents more than 25% of the total load of the
secondary network under consideration.
(2) A utility shall approve applications for other
on-site generation facilities whose total generation is less than
the local customer’s load unless total distributed generation
(including the new facility) on affected feeders represents more than
25% of the total load of the secondary network under consideration.
(3) A utility may postpone processing an application
for an individual distributed generation facility under this section
if the total existing distributed generation on the targeted feeder
represents more than 25% of the total load of the secondary network
under consideration. If that is the case, the utility should conduct
interconnection and network studies to determine whether, and in what
amount, additional distributed generation facilities can be safely
added to the feeder or accommodated in some other fashion. These studies
should be completed within six weeks, and application processing should
then resume.
(4) A utility may reject applications for a distributed
generation facility under this section if the utility can demonstrate
specific reliability or safety reasons why the distributed generation
should not be interconnected at the requested site. However, in such
cases the utility shall work with the customer to attempt to resolve
such problems to their mutual satisfaction.
(5) A utility shall make all reasonable efforts to
seek methods to safely and reliably interconnect distributed generation
facilities that will export power. This may include switching service
to a radial feed if practical and if acceptable to the customer.
(i) Pre-Interconnection studies for network interconnection
of distributed generation. Prior to charging a pre-interconnection
study fee for a network interconnection of distributed generation,
a utility shall first advise the customer of the potential problems
associated with interconnection of distributed generation with its
network system. For potential interconnections to network systems
there shall be no pre-interconnection study fee assessed for a facility
with inverter systems under 20 kW. For all other facilities the utility
may charge the customer a fee to offset its costs incurred in the
conduct of the pre-interconnection study. In those instances where
a utility conducts an interconnection study, the following shall apply:
(1) The conduct of such pre-interconnection studies
shall take no more than four weeks;
(2) A utility shall prepare written reports of the
study findings and make them available to the customer;
(3) The studies shall consider both the costs incurred
and the benefits realized as a result of the interconnection of distributed
generation to the utility’s system; and
(4) The customer shall receive an estimate of the study
cost before the utility initiates the study.
(j) Communications concerning proposed distributed
generation projects. In the course of processing applications for
interconnection and parallel operation and in the conduct of pre-interconnection
studies, customers shall provide the utility detailed information
concerning proposed distributed generation facilities. Such communications
concerning the nature of proposed distributed generation facilities
shall be made subject to the terms of §25.84 of this title (relating
to Annual Reporting of Affiliate Transactions for Electric Utilities), §25.272
of this title (relating to Code of Conduct for Electric Utilities
and their Affiliates), and §25.273 of this title (relating to
Contracts between Electric Utilities and their Competitive Affiliates).
A utility and its affiliates shall not use such knowledge of proposed
distributed generation projects submitted to it for interconnection
or study to prepare competing proposals to the customer that offer
either discounted rates in return for not installing the distributed
generation, or offer competing distributed generation projects.
(k) Equipment pre-certification.
(1) Entities performing pre-certification. The commission
may approve one or more entities that shall pre-certify equipment
as defined pursuant to this section.
(2) Standards for entities performing pre-certification.
Testing organizations and/or facilities capable of analyzing the function,
control, and protective systems of distributed generation units may
request to be certified as testing organizations.
(3) Effect of pre-certification. Distributed generation
units which are certified to be in compliance by an approved testing
facility or organization as described in this subsection shall be
installed on a company utility system in accordance with an approved
interconnection control and protection scheme without further review
of their design by the utility.
(l) Designation of utility contact persons for matters
relating to distributed generation interconnection.
(1) Each electric utility shall designate a person
or persons who will serve as the utility’s contact for all matters
related to distributed generation interconnection.
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