Network Interconnection Activity in US States

This web page is intended to provide links to current/recent activities in several states on the issue of interconnection to distribution company networks (not limited to renewable energy).  Since the goal is to keep these links current on a topic where technical and regulatory developments are moving quickly, please forward additional items to Fran Cummings at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC), who will make best efforts to post them here.

The information below includes resources from several states to date: 

• California
• New York
• PJM, MADRI, New Jersey
• Illinois
• info is also being sought from other jurisdictions.

State Data Monitoring Sites

• NYSERDA: operating data on NY CHP projects
• California: FOCUS monitoring -- CEC DG Interconnection Monitoring Program
• California: DUIT (Distributed Utility Integration Test) Results Page

Sources of Other State Information

Other websites that track the changing interconnection standards in the US include:

• http://www.dsireusa.org/
• http://www.newrules.org/dgtariff/
• http://www.irecusa.org/connect/enewsletter.html
• http://www.eere.energy.gov/distributedpower/interconnection_state.html
• June 2006 -- Survey of Interconnection Rules, Prepared for the Oregon Public Service Commission, Workshop on Interconnection of DG

IEEE 1547.6 Recommended Practice for Interconnecting Distributed Resources with Electric Power Systems Distribution Networks

• Introduction from IEEE website (web)
• IEEE 1547.6 Meetings: Presentations & Summaries (web)

California

• Rule 21 Working Group (Interconnection)
  • Main Web Page
  • CA: Rule 21 (web page)
  • March 30, 2006 -- Rule 21 Working Group Report to the CEC and the CPUC (including guidelines for network interconnection)
  • February 16, 2006 version -- Rule 21 Draft Report: Interconnection of DR on Secondary Network Distribution Systems (except see Chapter 6 below)
  • February 16, 2006 version -- Issues Related to Network Interconnection, Chapter 6 of Rule 21 Draft Report -- including material developed by the MA DG Collaborative (including Bill Feero's May 2005 Report)
  • Index of technical issues -- Network (web page)
  • September 26-27, 2005 -- QUESTIONS Raised About Massachusetts DG Collaborative’s “Technical Challenges” Section during a meeting of the Rule 21 Technical Workgroup, San Diego, CA (pdf)
• Rule 21 Technical Working Group Meeting Notes:
  • March 21, 2006
  • February 16, 2006 (including comments about IEEE meeting on networks)
• August 25, 2005 -- CA PUC INTERIM OPINION ADOPTING CHANGES IN INTERCONNECTION RULES (Decision 05-08-013)
• DUIT Network Interconnection Report (PDF)
• FOCUS monitoring -- CEC DG Interconnection Monitoring Program

PG&E

• March 2006 -- Proposed Initial Review Process Screen for Grid (Area) Networks (Trailblazer), from March 30 Rule 21 Working Group Report to the CEC and the CPUC
• September 2004 -- PG&E Information Bulletin: Secondary Spot Network System Requirements For Distributed Generation Interconnection (Word, 4 pages)
• PG&E Network Description: San Francisco (Word)
• PG&E Network Description: East Bay/Oakland (Word)

 

New York

• December 22, 2005 -- "Industry Practices for Installing On-Site Synchronous Generation on Primary Distribution," which is Chapter 4 of: Fault Current Review Study submitted to ConEd by ABB Inc.
• NY PSC: DG Information (website for SIR, Standardized Interconnection Requirements)
• New York SIR Requirements:
  • November 2004 -- New York SIR Requirements (PDF)
  • November 2004 -- NYPSC Case 02-E1282: Order Modifying Standardized Interconnection Requirements (network interconnection discussed on pp. 11-12) (PDF)
  • November 2004 -- New York PSC Network Interconnection Announcement (Word)
• June 2004 -- NYSERDA Distributed Generation Funding List (Web, including "First Demonstration of Synchronous Generators Interconnected with Con Edison's Manhattan Secondary Network," WHGA Fifth Avenue Investors/Real Energy, Inc.)
• April 2004 --  Distributed Generation in Con Edison Territory (PowerPoint)

ConEd

• ConEd's DG Home Page (with alot of detailed info)
• December 22, 2005 -- Fault Current Review Study Final Report, submitted to ConEd by ABB Inc. of Raleigh NC
  • See Section 4 "Task 2 - Industry practices for installing on-site synchronous generation on primary distribution"
• ConEd Distributed Generation Handbook (PDF):
  • June 2004 -- Revision 6
  • March 2005 -- Revision 7
• Maps of Syncronous Availability on Network (Word, 6 pages)
• List of Secondary Networks (Word, 1 page)
• ConEd Network Review: Response to LF-28 (Word, 7 pages)

PJM, MADRI States

• PJM Small Generation Interconnection Working Group
  • March 2005 -- Network Interconnection Info from PJM
• MADRI -- Mid-Atlantic Distributed Resources Initiative Working Group
• Aug 18, 2005 -- MADRI Model Small Generator Interconnection Procedures
• June 2005 -- Introduction to Secondary Network
• November 2005 -- PA PUC Proposed Rulemaking Re Interconnection Standards for Customer-generators (word)

New Jersey

• New Jersey Net Metering and Interconnection Rules (PDF), which include the following provisions in section L under Level 2 Review (page 12):

(l) If a customer-generator facility’s proposed point of common coupling is on a spot orarea network, the interconnection shall meet the following requirements, in addition to the requirements in (c) through (k) above:

1. For a customer-generator facility that will be connected to a spot network circuit, the aggregate generation capacity connected to that spot network fromcustomer-generator facilities, including the customer-generator facility, shall not exceed 5% of the spot network’s maximum load;

2. For a customer-generator facility that utilizes inverter based protective functions, which will be connected to an area network, the customer-generator facility, combined with other exporting customer-generator facilitieson the load side of network protective devices, shall not exceed 10% of the minimum annual load on the network, or 500 kW, whichever is less. For the purposes of this paragraph, the percent of minimum load for solar electric generation customer-generator facility shall be calculated based on the minimum load occurring during an offpeak daylight period;

3. For a customer-generator facility that will be connected to a spot or an areanetwork that does not utilize inverter based protective functions, or for an inverter based customer-generator facility that does not meet the requirements of 1 or 2 above, the customer-generator facility shall utilize reverse power relays or other protection devices that ensure no export of power from the customer-generator facility, including inadvertent export (under fault conditions) that could adversely affect protective devices on the network.

Massachusetts

• Uniform Standards for Interconnecting Distributed Generation (Model Tariff), D.T.E. 02-38:
  • initially approved April 2004,
  • revised January 2006,
  • changes recommended June 2006
• 2006 Report of DG Collaborative was filed with the Massachusetts DTE on June 30, 2006: word file | pdf file (52 pages, 691 KB)
• Redline of Model Tariff, Attachment A (word file, June 2006)
• For spot networks, the DG Collaborative proposed to increase the size for the Simplified process from 10 kW to 15 kW for certain projects with Listed inverters, and use daytime load in the case of solar for calculation of the limit of 1/15 of the customer’s minimum load.
• Relaying and Control Technology Development for Spot Networks, Attachment F, 2006 Report
• Other MA info

Illinois

• December 2004 -- ComEd Spot Network Comments (pdf)
• October 2004 -- redline version of draft IL interconnection rules (pdf)

• 2001 -- ComEd DG Book (pdf)
• ComEd Interconnection Services (website, transmission-oriented)
• ComEd Interconnection Guidelines (DSIRE website)
• Small Wind in Illinois (AWEA website)

Other state 1...

Other state 2...

•  

---

This site is maintained by MTC through informal cooperation with agencies in the other states listed above. Comments and questions about activities in Massachusetts, or about this web page, should be directed to Fran Cummings, Policy Director, Renewable Energy Trust, at the MTC.