New Mexico Administrative Code
Title 17 - PUBLIC UTILITIES AND UTILITY SERVICES
Chapter 9 - ELECTRIC SERVICES
Part 568 - INTERCONNECTION OF GENERATING FACILITIES WITH A NAMEPLATE RATING UP TO AND INCLUDING 10 MW CONNECTING TO A UTILITY SYSTEM
Section 17.9.568.24 - GENERAL PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO UTILITIES

A. A utility shall interconnect any interconnection customer that meets the interconnection criteria set forth in this rule. A utility shall make reasonable efforts to keep the applicant informed of the status and progress.

B. Utilities shall reasonably endeavor to aid and assist interconnection customers to ensure that a proposed generating facility's interconnection design, operation, and maintenance are appropriate for connection to the utility's system. This may include consultations with the applicant and its engineer and other representatives.

C. Utilities shall make reasonable efforts to meet all time frames provided for in this rule unless a utility and an applicant agree to a different schedule. If a utility cannot meet a deadline provided herein, it shall notify the applicant in writing within one business day, explain the reason for its inability to meet the deadline, and provide an estimated time by which it will complete its activity. The utility shall keep the applicant updated of any changes in the expected completion date.

D. Utilities shall use the same reasonable efforts in processing and analyzing interconnection applications from all interconnection customers, whether the generating facility is owned or operated by the utility, its subsidiaries or affiliates, or others.

E. Utilities shall maintain records for three years of each interconnection application received, the times required to complete each interconnection application approval or disapproval, and justification for the utility's disapproval of any interconnection application. Other reporting requirements are specified in 17.9.568.23 NMAC.

F. Utilities shall maintain current, clear, and concise information regarding this rule including the name, telephone number, and email address of contact persons. The information shall be easily accessible on the utility's website beginning within one month of the effective date of this rule, or the information may be provided in bill inserts or separate mailings sent no later than one month after the effective date of this rule and no less often than once each year thereafter. Each utility shall maintain a copy of this rule at its principal office and make the same available for public inspection and copying during regular business hours.

G. A small utility that uses a consultant to review a proposal to interconnect a generating facility with the small utility's system may extend each of the time deadlines for review of the fast track process by a period not to exceed 20 business days provided that the small utility shall make a good faith effort to complete the review sooner.

H. Compliance with this interconnection process does not constitute a request for, nor provision of any transmission delivery service, or any local distribution delivery service. Interconnection under this rule does not constitute an agreement by the utility to purchase or pay for any energy, inadvertently or intentionally exported.