Current through Register Vol. 24, December 20, 2024
(1) An EDC
shall use the Level 2 interconnection review procedure for an interconnection
request that meets the criteria in ARM
38.5.8406(1)(b).
An EDC shall not impose additional requirements for Level 2 reviews not
specifically authorized under this section unless the EDC and the applicant
mutually agree to do so.
(2) The
EDC shall evaluate the potential for adverse system impacts using the following
screens which must be satisfied:
(a) For
interconnection of a proposed small generator facility to a radial distribution
circuit, the aggregated generation on the circuit, including the proposed small
generator facility, may not exceed:
(i) 15% of
the line section annual peak load as most recently measured at the substation;
or
(ii) the annual minimum load of
the line section.
(b)
For interconnection of a proposed small generator facility to a spot network
circuit where the generator or aggregate of total generation exceeds 5% of the
spot network's maximum load, the generator must utilize a protective scheme
that will ensure that its current flow will not affect the network protective
devices, including reverse power relays or a comparable function;
(c) For interconnection of a proposed small
generator facility that utilizes inverter-based protective functions to an area
network, the generator facility, in aggregate with other exporting generator
facilities interconnected on the load side of network protective devices, will
not exceed the lesser of 10% of the minimum annual load on the network or 500
kW. For a photovoltaic generator facility without batteries, the 10% minimum
shall be determined as a function of the minimum load occurring during an
off-peak daylight period;
(d) For
interconnection of generators to area networks that do not utilize
inverter-based protective functions or inverter-based generators that do not
meet the requirements of (2)(c), the generator must utilize reverse power
relays or other protection devices and/or methods that ensure power is not
exported from the customer's site including any inadvertent export (e.g. under
fault conditions) that could adversely affect protective devices on the network
circuit;
(e) The proposed small
generator facility, in aggregation with other generation on the distribution
circuit, may not contribute more than 10% to the distribution circuit's maximum
fault current at the point on the primary line nearest the point of
interconnection;
(f) The proposed
small generator facility, in aggregate with other generation on the
distribution circuit, may not cause any distribution protective devices and
equipment (including substation breakers, fuse cutouts, and line reclosers), or
other customer equipment on the electric distribution system to be exposed to
fault currents exceeding 90% of the short circuit interrupting capability
including X/R effects;
(g) When a
customer-generator facility is to be connected to 3-phase, three wire primary
EDC distribution lines, a 3-phase or single-phase generator will be connected
phase-to-phase;
(h) When a
customer-generator facility is to be connected to 3-phase, four wire primary
EDC distribution lines, a 3-phase or single phase generator will be connected
line-to-neutral and will be effectively grounded;
(i) When the proposed small generator
facility is to be interconnected on single-phase shared secondary line, the
aggregate generation capacity on the shared secondary line, including the
proposed small generator facility, shall not exceed 20 kVA;
(j) When a proposed small generator facility
is single-phase and is to be interconnected on a center tap neutral of a 240
volt service, its addition may not create an imbalance between the two sides of
the 240 volt service of more than 20% of the nameplate rating of the service
transformer;
(k) A small generator
facility, in aggregate with other generation interconnected to the distribution
side of a substation transformer feeding the circuit where the small generator
facility proposes to interconnect, may not exceed 10 MW in an area where there
are known or posted transient stability limitations to generating units located
in the general electrical vicinity (for example, three or four distribution
busses from the point of interconnection);
(l) The generator cannot exceed the capacity
of the customer's existing electrical service; and
(m) Construction of facilities by the EDC on
its own system is not required to accommodate the small generator
facility.
(3) The Level
2 interconnection review must be conducted in accordance with the following
procedures:
(a) An EDC shall, within ten
business days after receipt of the interconnection request, inform the
applicant that the interconnection request is complete or incomplete and what
materials are missing;
(b) When an
interconnection request is complete, the EDC shall assign a line section queue
position if there is more than one interconnection request pending for the same
line section. The line section queue position of the interconnection request
shall be used to determine the potential adverse system impact of the small
generator facility based on the relevant screening criteria. The EDC shall
notify the applicant about other higher line section queued applicants on the
same line section or spot network for which interconnection is sought. Line
section queue position shall not be forfeited or otherwise impacted by any
pending dispute submitted under the provisions of ARM
38.5.8413;
(c) Within 20 business days after the EDC
notifies the applicant it has received a completed interconnection request, the
EDC shall:
(i) Evaluate the interconnection
request using the Level 2 review criteria;
(ii) Review the applicant's analysis, if
provided by applicant, using the same criteria; and
(iii) Provide the applicant with the EDC's
evaluation, including a comparison of the results of its own analyses with
those of applicant, if applicable. When an EDC does not have a record of
receipt of the interconnection request and the applicant can demonstrate that
the original interconnection request was delivered, the EDC shall expedite its
review to complete the evaluation of the interconnection request within 20
business days of the applicant's resubmission of the interconnection request;
but
(iv) The EDC shall not be
obligated to meet the timeline for reviewing the interconnection request as
provided for in (3)(c) until such time as the EDC has completed the review of
all other interconnection requests that have a higher line section queue
position.
(4)
When an EDC determines that the interconnection request passes the Level 2
screening criteria, or fails one or more of the Level 2 screening criteria but
determines that the small generator facility can be interconnected safely and
reliably, it shall provide the applicant a standard small generator
interconnection agreement within five business days after the
determination.
(5) Additional
review may be appropriate when a small generator facility has failed to meet
one or more of the Level 2 screens. An EDC shall offer to perform additional
reviews to determine whether minor modifications to the electric distribution
system would enable the interconnection to be made consistent with safety,
reliability, and power quality criteria. The EDC shall provide the applicant
with a nonbinding, good faith estimate of the costs of additional review and
minor modifications. The EDC shall undertake the additional review only after
the applicant consents to pay for the review. If the review identifies the need
for modifications, the EDC shall make the necessary modifications only if the
interconnection customer agrees to pay for them.
(6) An applicant shall have 30 business days
after receipt of an interconnection agreement to sign and return the agreement.
When an applicant does not sign the agreement within 30 business days, the
interconnection request shall be deemed withdrawn. If construction is required
under the provisions of (5), the interconnection of the small generator
facility shall proceed according to any milestones agreed to by the parties in
the standard small generator interconnection agreement. The standard small
generator interconnection agreement may not become final until:
(a) The milestones agreed to in the standard
small generator interconnection agreement are satisfied;
(b) The small generator facility is approved
by electric code officials with jurisdiction over the
interconnection;
(c) The applicant
provides a certificate of completion to the EDC. Completion of local
inspections may be designated on inspection forms used by local inspecting
authorities; and
(d) There is a
successful completion of the witness test, unless waived.
(7) If the small generator facility is not
approved under a Level 2 review, the EDC shall provide the applicant a letter
explaining its reasons for denying the interconnection request. The applicant
may submit a new interconnection request for consideration under a Level 3 or
Level 4 interconnection review; however, the line section queue position
assigned to the Level 2 interconnection request shall be retained provided the
request is made within 15 business days after notification that the current
interconnection request has not been approved.
