Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 18, September 24, 2024
A.
Application: An interconnection customer must submit an
interconnection application, pursuant to Subsection B of
17.9.568.13 NMAC, using the
interconnection application form for fast track and detailed study provided in
Appendix 1C, which may be sent electronically to a recipient designated by the
utility. The application fee specified in Subsection A of
17.9.568.23 NMAC shall be
submitted along with the application. An applicant who was unable to proceed
through the simplified or fast track process application due to failure of the
screening process may request that the utility treat that existing
interconnection application as a new detailed study application.
B.
Scoping meeting:
(1) A scoping meeting will be held within 10
business days after the interconnection application is deemed complete., or the
applicant agrees to proceed to detailed study after simplified or fast track
review or as otherwise mutually agreed to by the parties. By mutual agreement
of the parties, the scoping meeting, system impact study or facilities study
may be waived. The utility and the applicant will bring to the meeting
personnel, including system engineers and other resources as may be reasonably
required to accomplish the purpose of the meeting.
(2) The purpose of the scoping meeting is to
discuss the interconnection application, the reference point of applicability,
and review existing studies relevant to the interconnection application. The
parties shall further discuss whether the utility should perform a feasibility
study (at the customer's option) or proceed directly to a system impact study,
or a facilities study, or an interconnection agreement. If the parties agree
that a feasibility study should be performed, the utility shall provide the
applicant, as soon as possible, but not later than five business days after the
scoping meeting, a feasibility study agreement, provided by the utility,
including an outline of the scope of the study and a non-binding, good- faith
estimate of the cost to perform the study.
(a)
the feasibility study will provide a preliminary review of short circuit
currents, including contribution from the proposed generation facility, and
coordination and potential overloading of distribution circuit protection
devices. If the interconnection applicant agrees to the feasibility study, the
interconnection applicant shall provide an executed agreement and a deposit for
the estimated costs provided by the utility;
(b) the scope of the feasibility study can be
modified by the parties upon mutual agreement.
(3) In order to remain in consideration for
interconnection, an applicant who has requested a feasibility study must return
the executed feasibility study agreement and any required deposit within 15
business days. If the parties agree not to perform a feasibility study, the
utility shall provide the applicant, no later than five business days after the
scoping meeting, a system impact study agreement provided by the utility
including an outline of the scope of the study and a non-binding, good faith
estimate of the cost to perform the study.
C.
Feasibility study: A
feasibility study shall identify any potential adverse system impacts that
would result from interconnection of the generating facility.
(1) A deposit of the lesser of fifty percent
of the good faith estimated feasibility study cost, or earnest money of
$1,000.00 may be required by the utility.
(2) Once the feasibility study is completed,
a feasibility study report shall be prepared and transmitted to the applicant.
Barring unusual circumstances, the feasibility study must be completed and the
feasibility study report transmitted within 30 business days of the applicant's
agreement to conduct a feasibility study.
(3) If the feasibility study shows no
potential for adverse system impacts, but facilities are required, the utility
shall send the applicant a facilities study agreement, including an outline of
the scope of the study and a non-binding, good faith estimate of the cost to
perform the study.
(4) If no
additional facilities are required, the utility shall provide the applicant an
executable interconnection agreement within five business days.
D.
System impact
study: A system impact study shall identify and detail the electric
system impacts that would result if the proposed generating facility were
interconnected without project modifications or electric system modifications.
A system impact study shall consist of a short circuit analysis, a stability
analysis, a power flow analysis, voltage drop and flicker studies, protection
and set point coordination studies, and grounding reviews, as necessary. A
system impact study shall state the impact of assumptions upon which it is
based, state the results of the analyses, and provide the requirement or
potential impediments to providing the requested interconnection service,
including a preliminary indication of the cost and length of time that would be
necessary to correct any problems identified in those analyses and implement
the interconnection. A system impact study shall provide a list of facilities
that are required as a result of the interconnection application and
non-binding good faith estimates of cost responsibility and time to construct.
The system impact study must take into account the proposed generating
facility's design and operating characteristics, including but not limited to
the proposed operating profile, and study the generating facility according to
how it is proposed to be operated. If the generating facility limits export
pursuant to
17.9.568.12 NMAC, the system
impact study must use export capacity instead of the nameplate rating, except
when assessing fault current contribution. To assess fault current
contribution, the system impact study must use the rated fault current; for
example, the customer may provide manufacturer test data (pursuant to the fault
current test described in IEEE 1547.1-2020 clause 5.18) showing that the fault
current is independent of the nameplate rating.
(1) The utility shall provide the applicant a
system impact study agreement within five business days if:
(a) a feasibility study is conducted and
indicates adverse impacts on either the transmission system or the distribution
system;
(b) the parties agree at
the scoping meeting to proceed directly to a system impact study;
(c) the scoping meeting is omitted by mutual
agreement; or
(d) the simplified
process or fast track process has been completed and the applicant has elected
to continue with the study process, and a system impact study is
required.
(2) The system
impact study agreement shall include an outline of the scope of the study and a
non-binding good-faith estimate of the cost to perform the study. If
applicable, the agreement shall list any additional and reasonable technical
data on the generating facility needed to perform the system impact study. The
scope of and cost responsibilities for a system impact study must be described
in the system impact study agreement. A deposit of the good faith estimated
costs for each system impact study shall be provided by the applicant when it
returns the study agreements. The additional and reasonable technical data, if
applicable, shall be returned with the system impact agreement. In order to
remain under consideration for interconnection, the applicant must return the
executed system impact study agreements and a deposit for the good-faith
estimates of the studies within 20 business days.
(3) If the feasibility study shows no
potential for adverse impacts on either the transmission or distribution
systems, (or the parties agree to proceed straight to a facilities study), the
utility shall send the applicant a facilities study agreement, including an
outline of the scope of the study and a non-binding, good faith estimate of the
cost to perform the study, or an executable interconnection agreement, as
applicable.
(4) A system impact
study shall be completed within 40 business days after the system impact study
agreement is signed by the parties and delivered with deposit to the utility.
The results and, if necessary, facilities study agreement shall be delivered to
the applicant within five business days of completion of the system impact
study. Upon request, the utility shall provide the applicant supporting
documentation and workpapers developed in the preparation of the system impact
study.
(5) In instances where the
system impact study shows potential for transmission system adverse system
impacts, within five business days following the identification of such impacts
by the utility, the utility shall coordinate with the appropriate transmission
provider to have the necessary studies completed to determine if the DER causes
any adverse transmission impacts. If the utility's transmission service
agreement requires that the transmission provider be notified of an
interconnection, it shall provide that notice, regardless of whether the system
impact study shows potential for transmission system adverse system impacts,
and coordinate with the transmission provider on any studies it may determine
are necessary.
(6) In order to
remain in consideration for interconnection, an applicant must return the
executed transmission system impact study agreement within 15 business days of
receipt of the agreement.
(7) A
transmission system impact study, if required, shall be completed and the
results transmitted to the applicant in as timely a manner as possible after
the transmission system impact study agreement is signed by the parties. The
utility shall be responsible for coordination with the transmission provider as
needed. Affected systems shall participate in the study and provide all
information necessary to prepare the study.
(8) A one-time modification of the
interconnection application is allowed as a result of information from the
system impact study report.
(a) if the
applicant chooses to amend the interconnection application to address the
specific system impacts, the applicant must submit an updated interconnection
application demonstrating the redesign within 15 business days after receiving
the system impact study results from the utility. The redesign shall only
include changes designed to address the specific system impacts or identified
upgrades (which could include, for example, the addition of DC-coupled or
AC-coupled energy storage). This redesign option to mitigate impacts shall only
be available one time during the detailed study process. Increases in export
capacity or changes in point of interconnection are not permitted and shall
require the interconnection application to be withdrawn and
resubmitted;
(b) the utility shall
notify the interconnecting customer within ten business days of receipt of the
modified interconnection application if any additional information is needed.
If additional information is needed or document corrections are required, the
applicant shall provide the required information or corrections within 10
business days from receipt of the utility notice;
(c) the actual costs to the utility for any
necessary restudies as a result of a modification described above shall be paid
by the applicant. Such restudies should be limited to the impacts of the
modification and shall be billed to the applicant at cost and not for work
previously completed. The utility shall use reasonable efforts to limit the
scope of such restudies to what is necessary. The revised impact study shall be
completed within 15 business days.
E.
Facilities study: Once the
required system impact study/studies are completed, a system impact report
shall be prepared and transmitted to the applicant along with a facilities
study agreement within five business days.
(1)
The report and agreement shall provide an outline and non-binding, good faith
estimate of the cost of the facilities study.
(2) In order to remain under consideration
for interconnection, the applicant must return the executed facilities
agreement, and a deposit for the good-faith estimates of the studies, within 15
business days. The facilities study shall specify and estimate the cost of the
equipment, engineering, procurement and construction work (including overheads)
needed to implement the conclusions of the system impact study(s).
(3) Design for any required interconnection
facilities or upgrades shall be performed under the facilities study agreement.
The utility may contract with consultants to perform activities required under
the study agreement.
(4) The
applicant and the utility may agree to allow the applicant to arrange for the
design of some of the interconnection facilities, but the proposed deign will
be reviewed subject to modification by the utility prior to
acceptance.
(5) In cases where
upgrades are required, the facilities study must be completed within 45
business days of the receipt of the executed facilities study agreement and
deposit. In cases where no upgrades are necessary, and the required facilities
are limited to interconnection facilities, the facilities study must be
completed within 30 business days of the receipt of the executed facilities
study agreement and deposit.
(6)
Once the facilities study is completed, a facilities study report shall be
prepared and transmitted to the applicant. Upon request, the utility shall
provide applicant supporting documentation and workpapers developed in the
preparation of the interconnection facilities study.
(7) Upon completion of the facilities study,
and with the agreement of the interconnection applicant to pay for
interconnection facilities or upgrades identified in the study, the utility
shall provide the interconnection applicant with an executable interconnection
agreement within five business days.
F.
Payment for study costs: For
each of the studies conducted, any study fees shall be based on the utility's
actual costs and will be invoiced to the applicant after the study is completed
and delivered and will include a summary of professional time. The applicant
must pay any study costs that exceed the deposit without interest within 30
calendar days on receipt of the invoice or resolution of any dispute. If the
deposit exceeds the invoiced fees, the utility shall refund such excess within
30 calendar days of the invoice without interest.
