Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 38, September 21, 2024
(a) Each EDC shall adopt the Level 3
interconnection review procedure in this section. An EDC shall use the Level 3
review procedure to evaluate interconnection requests that meet the following
criteria and for interconnection requests considered but not approved under a
Level 2 or a Level 4 review if the interconnection customer submits a new
interconnection request for consideration under Level 3:
(1) The small generator facility has an
electric nameplate capacity that is 5 MW or less.
(2) The small generator facility is less than
5 MW and not certified.
(3) The
small generator facility is less than 5 MW and noninverter based.
(b) The Level 3 interconnection
review process shall consist of the following:
(1) By mutual agreement of the parties, the
scoping meeting, interconnection feasibility study, interconnection impact
study or interconnection facilities studies under Level 3 procedures may be
waived.
(2) Within 10 business days
from receipt of an interconnection request, the EDC shall notify the
interconnection customer whether the request is complete. When the
interconnection request is not complete, the EDC shall provide the
interconnection customer a written list detailing information that shall be
provided to complete the interconnection request. The interconnection customer
shall have 10 business days to provide appropriate data to complete the
interconnection request or the interconnection request will be considered
withdrawn. The parties may agree to extend the time for receipt of the
additional information. The interconnection request shall be deemed complete
when the required information has been provided by the interconnection
customer, or the parties have agreed that the interconnection customer may
provide additional information at a later time.
(3) When an interconnection request is
complete, the EDC shall assign a queue position. The queue position of an
interconnection request shall be used to determine the cost responsibility
necessary for the facilities to accommodate the interconnection. The EDC shall
notify the interconnection customer at the scoping meeting about other
higher-queued interconnection customers.
(4) A scoping meeting will be held within 10
business days, or as agreed to by the parties, after the EDC has notified the
interconnection customer that the interconnection request is deemed complete,
or the interconnection customer has requested that its interconnection request
proceed after failing the requirements of a Level 2 review or Level 4 review.
The purpose of the meeting must be to review the interconnection request,
existing studies relevant to the interconnection request, and the results of
the Level 1, Level 2 or Level 4 screening criteria.
(5) When the parties agree at a scoping
meeting that an interconnection feasibility study shall be performed, the EDC
shall provide to the interconnection customer, no later than 5 business days
after the scoping meeting, an interconnection feasibility study agreement,
including an outline of the scope of the study and a nonbinding good faith
estimate of the cost to perform the study.
(6) When the parties agree at a scoping
meeting that an interconnection feasibility study is not required, the EDC
shall provide to the interconnection customer, no later than 5 business days
after the scoping meeting, an interconnection system impact study agreement,
including an outline of the scope of the study and a nonbinding good faith
estimate of the cost to perform the study.
(7) When the parties agree at the scoping
meeting that an interconnection feasibility study and system impact study are
not required, the EDC shall provide to the interconnection customer, no later
than 5 business days after the scoping meeting, an interconnection facilities
study agreement including an outline of the scope of the study and a nonbinding
good faith estimate of the cost to perform the study.
(c) An interconnection feasibility study must
include the following analyses for the purpose of identifying a potential
adverse system impact to the EDC's electric distribution system that would
result from the interconnection:
(1) Initial
identification of any circuit breaker short circuit capability limits exceeded
as a result of the interconnection.
(2) Initial identification of any thermal
overload or voltage limit violations resulting from the
interconnection.
(3) Initial review
of grounding requirements and system protection.
(4) Description and nonbinding estimated cost
of facilities required to interconnect the small generator facility to the
EDC's electric distribution system in a safe and reliable manner.
(5) When an interconnection customer requests
that the interconnection feasibility study evaluate multiple potential points
of interconnection, additional evaluations may be required. Additional
evaluations shall be paid by the interconnection customer.
(6) An interconnection system impact study is
not required when the interconnection feasibility study concludes there is no
adverse system impact, or when the study identifies an adverse system impact,
but the EDC is able to identify a remedy without the need for an
interconnection system impact study.
(7) The parties shall use a form of
interconnection feasibility study agreement approved by the
Commission.
(d) An
interconnection system impact study must evaluate the impact of the proposed
interconnection on the safety and reliability of the EDC's electric
distribution system. The study must identify and detail the system impacts that
result when a small generator facility is interconnected without project or
system modifications, focusing on the adverse system impacts identified in the
interconnection feasibility study; or potential impacts including those
identified in the scoping meeting. The study must consider all generating
facilities that, on the date the interconnection system impact study is
commenced, are directly interconnected with the EDC's system, have a pending
higher queue position to interconnect to the system, or have a signed
interconnection agreement.
(1) An
interconnection system impact study must:
(i)
Consider the following criteria:
(A) A short
circuit analysis.
(B) A stability
analysis.
(C) Voltage drop and
flicker studies.
(D) Protection and
set point coordination studies.
(E)
Grounding reviews.
(ii)
State the underlying assumptions of the study.
(iii) Show the results of the
analyses.
(iv) List any potential
impediments to providing the requested interconnection service.
(v) Indicate required distribution upgrades
and provide a nonbinding good faith estimate of cost and time to construct the
upgrades.
(2) A
distribution interconnection system impact study shall be performed when a
potential distribution system adverse system impact is identified in the
interconnection feasibility study. The EDC shall send the interconnection
customer an interconnection system impact study agreement within 5 business
days of transmittal of the interconnection feasibility study report. The
agreement will include an outline of the scope of the study and a good faith
estimate of the cost to perform the study. The study must include:
(i) A load flow study.
(ii) An analysis of equipment interrupting
ratings.
(iii) A protection
coordination study.
(iv) Voltage
drop and flicker studies.
(v)
Protection and set point coordination studies.
(vi) Grounding reviews.
(vii) Impact on system operation.
(3) The parties shall use an
interconnection impact study agreement or a distribution interconnection impact
study as approved by the Commission.
(e) The interconnection facilities study
shall be conducted as follows:
(1) Within 5
business days of completion of the interconnection system impact study, a
report will be transmitted to the interconnection customer with an
interconnection facilities study agreement, which includes an outline of the
scope of the study and a nonbinding good faith estimate of the cost to perform
the study.
(2) The interconnection
facilities study shall estimate the cost of the equipment, engineering,
procurement and construction work, including overheads, needed to implement the
conclusions of the interconnection feasibility study and the interconnection
system impact study to interconnect the small generator facility. The
interconnection facilities study must identify:
(i) The electrical switching configuration of
the equipment, including transformer, switchgear, meters and other station
equipment.
(ii) The nature and
estimated cost of the EDC's interconnection facilities and distribution
upgrades necessary to accomplish the interconnection.
(iii) An estimate of the time required to
complete the construction and installation of the facilities.
(3) The parties may agree to
permit an interconnection customer to separately arrange for a third party to
design and construct the required interconnection facilities. The EDC may
review the design of the facilities under the interconnection facilities study
agreement. When the parties agree to separately arrange for design and
construction, and to comply with security and confidentiality requirements, the
EDC shall make all relevant information and required specifications available
to the interconnection customer to permit the interconnection customer to
obtain an independent design and cost estimate for the facilities, which must
be built in accordance with the specifications.
(4) Upon completion of the interconnection
facilities study, and with the agreement of the interconnection customer to pay
for the interconnection facilities and distribution upgrades identified in the
interconnection facilities study, the EDC shall provide the interconnection
customer with a standard small generator interconnection agreement within 5
business days.
(5) The parties
shall use an interconnection facility study agreement approved by the
Commission.
(f) When an
EDC determines, as a result of the studies conducted under Level 3 review, that
it is appropriate to interconnect the small generator facility, the EDC shall
provide the interconnection customer with a standard small generator
interconnection agreement. If the interconnection request is denied, the EDC
shall provide a written explanation.
(g) Upon providing notice within 10 business
days after receipt of the certificate of completion, the EDC may conduct a
witness test at a mutually convenient time. If the EDC does not conduct the
witness test within 10 business days, or within the time otherwise mutually
agreed to by the parties, the witness test is deemed waived.
(h) An interconnection customer shall have 30
business days, or another mutually agreeable time frame after receipt of the
standard small generator interconnection agreement to sign and return the
agreement. When an interconnection customer does not sign the agreement within
30 business days, the interconnection request will be deemed withdrawn unless
the interconnection customer requests to have the deadline extended. The
request for extension may not be unreasonably denied by the EDC. When
construction is required, the interconnection of the small generator facility
shall proceed according to milestones agreed to by the parties in the standard
small generator interconnection agreement. The interconnection agreement may
not be final until:
(1) The milestones agreed
to in the standard small generator interconnection agreement are
satisfied.
(2) The small generator
facility is approved by electric code officials with jurisdiction over the
interconnection.
(3) The
interconnection customer provides a certificate of completion to the EDC.
Completion of local inspections may be designated on inspection forms used by
local inspecting authorities.
(4)
There is a successful completion of the witness test, unless waived.
The provisions of this § 75.39 amended under
66 Pa.C.S. §
§
501,
1501 and
2807(e); and sections
1648.7(a) and 1648.3(e)(2) of the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act of
2004 (73 P.S. §
§
1648.7(a) and
1648.3(e)(2)).
This section cited in 52 Pa. Code §
69.2101 (relating to statement of
scope); 52 Pa. Code §
69.2102 (relating to statement of
purpose); 52 Pa. Code §
69.2103 (relting to definitions);
and 52 Pa. Code §
69.2104 (relating to
interconnection application fees).
