Note from the Editor

Interconnection: A Foundational Policy for Solar Market Expansion

Here at IREC, we work on the foundational issues that facilitate solar market growth.  These issues, such as interconnection procedures, net metering and permitting guidelines, may not be the latest “hot topics” but they are nonetheless crucial to a thriving solar market. It’s akin to renovating an old house – you can install granite countertops and new appliances but if you don’t maintain the foundation, people probably won’t want to move in.

To increase our impact on these foundational policies, IREC spends a lot of time researching best practices and forming them into model language that can be widely used and adopted. Policymakers can’t be experts in every subject, so models provide a much-needed roadmap to help them navigate and understand the complexities of solar policy, especially in such a technically dense subject as distributed generation (DG) interconnection.

[Continued in Newsletter]

State News in Detail

Northeast States        

Maine Commission seeks comments on interconnection

Massachusetts seeks to reconcile net metering and interconnection conflict; Reaches solar milestone

Mid-Atlantic States    

Delaware and Maryland co-ops increase their solar footprint

Southern States         

San Antonio’s CPS energy delays changes to net metering program

Western States         

Arizona Commission considers expanding net metering discussion to state’s other utilities

Idaho Power seeks an end to annual cash payments for net excess generation

Other States                

Hawaii set to surpass 2015 solar goal

Federal government provides renewable energy support for Native communities in Alaska

Upcoming Events

Miscellaneous News

FERC Chairman Calls for New Valuation Method for DG

Download the full newsletter as a PDF:  May 2013 Connecting to the Grid Newsletter

FORMAT

While customer-sited net metering and interconnection policies are primarily addressed at the state level, they are also becoming important on a regional basis. This newsletter has been designed to provide state-level policy updates and capture emerging regional trends. Connecting to the Grid is a free, electronic newsletter published each month by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, Inc. (IREC). Click here to subscribe.

Editor: Laurel Passera

To increase our impact on these foundational policies, IREC spends a lot of time researching best practices and forming them into model language that can be widely used and adopted. Policymakers can’t be experts in every subject, so models provide a much-needed roadmap to help them navigate and understand the complexities of solar policy, especially in such a technically dense subject as distributed generation (DG) interconnection.

Last month IREC issued an update to its Model Interconnection Procedures, which were last updated in 2009.  Since then, we have seen incredible growth in the market, which has triggered interconnection reform in several high growth states. In fact, the Solar Electric Power Association recently reported that California’s Pacific Gas and Electric alone interconnected more than 17,500 net-metered systems in 2012. IREC based this updated model on evolving best practices that have developed from recent state rulemakings across the country, particularly in California, Hawaii and Massachusetts.

These updated procedures contain a number of important changes that provide more transparency and certainty in the interconnection process, without compromising safety, reliability or power quality.  For example, in higher-penetration areas, finding high-value locations for DG can become more difficult.  For example, in the updated model, IREC has incorporated the option of a pre-application report, which can reduce unnecessary interconnection applications for a utility by providing information about grid conditions at a proposed location.

Also of particular significance, the procedures include more sophisticated sizing criteria for expedited interconnections, which include a consideration of the line voltage at the proposed location.  This change allows for a more nuanced approach to determining whether a generator will cause adverse impact on the system.  For example, larger generators may pose a lower likelihood of impact when located close to the substation and on a main feeder line, and would therefore be able to avoid a lengthy study process.

For more information on the updates in our model procedures, please refer to IREC’s brand new website, which has been redesigned to provide you with more intuitive access to IREC’s news, tools and publications.

As the solar market continues to evolve across the country, forward-thinking states and utilities will need to implement interconnection procedures that allow for higher penetrations of solar while maintaining a safe and reliable grid. This model provides states and utilities with a practical next step, one that allows the solar market to support the incredible forecasted growth that we hope to see in the near future.

Note from the Editor

Distributed Energy Storage, coming soon to a grid near you

Energy storage technologies have existed as long as the grid itself. As a result of several recent advancements in smart grid communications and material sciences, however, distributed energy storage is primed to become a much bigger player in the next few years. As the crucial link between variable renewable energy resources and a stable utility load, it has the potential to add considerable value to many renewable energy applications. Why focus on distributed, rather than utility-scale storage? While both are important, distributed storage is often smaller in size so it can be placed along multiple different points on the utility grid, making it a more flexible option than many utility-scale facilities.

Energy storage facilities can generally be categorized based on the amount of time they can store energy and the types of applications for which they are best suited. For example, the type of energy storage facility needed for long-term bulk energy storage will differ greatly from one needed for shorter-term storage to maintain the power quality of a distributed generation facility. The technologies that have been developed also vary wildly in their complexity, from low-tech pumped hydro or compressed air, to high-tech superconducting magnetic energy storage. For a quick overview of the main energy storage technologies, their various uses and relative costs, see tables 1, 2 and 4 in this Sandia report: Energy Storage Systems Cost Update.

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State News in Detail

Northeast States

New York Power Authority seeks solar cost reductions

Mid-Atlantic States

Virginia SCC announces hearing for utility community solar program

Pennsylvania PUC clarifies ownership status issue for net metering eligibility

Midwestern States

Indiana IURC notes success of net metering program

Southern States

Florida municipality dabbles in PACE financing

Western States

California stakeholders reach momentous Interconnection Rule 21 Settlement; PUC seeks to clarify the net metering cap calculation

Washington UTC directs collaborative process to update state’s interconnection standards

Other States

Hawaii PUC directs renewables-related initiative for reliability standards

Upcoming Events

Miscellaneous News

NREL releases Impact of Treasury Grant 1603 Report

Department of Energy investing in Energy Storage

Download the full newsletter as a PDF: April Connecting to the Grid Newsletter

FORMAT

While customer-sited net metering and interconnection policies are primarily addressed at the state level, they are also becoming important on a regional basis. This newsletter has been designed to provide state-level policy updates and capture emerging regional trends. Connecting to the Grid is a free, electronic newsletter published each month by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, Inc. (IREC). Click here to subscribe.

Editor: Laurel Varnado

Note from the Editor

Solar Amplified, Benefits Maximized

Cloud cover and inconsistent winds are natural assumptions when it comes to integrating renewable energy. Their variable and non-dispatchable nature requires utilities to take a number of precautions when integrating some types of renewable energy. Utilities take precautions because they are required to ensure the safety, reliability and power quality of the grid, and thankfully, they take this responsibility seriously.  Many utilities have recently gained considerable experience integrating renewables and have started to allow higher penetrations of solar on the distribution grid than previously allowed. Distribution-level interconnection can save a lot of money for developers, compared to transmission interconnections, and substantially lower the cost of the developing new renewable generating capacity.

[Continued in Newsletter]

State News in Detail

Northeast States

Connecticut agency releases comprehensive state energy strategy

Massachusetts updates its interconnection rules

Mid-Atlantic States

New Jersey solicits answers for aggregated net metering development

Midwestern States

Michigan sees major benefits from renewable energy adoption

Southern States

North Carolina report measures economic impact of renewable energy

Gainesville, FL selects 50 projects for Feed-in Tariff

Western States

Idaho PUC continues to examine net metering issues

Other States

Hawaiian Electric offers competitive bidding waiver for large solar projects; Hawaiian Electric adds remaining DG capacity feature to its website

Upcoming Events

Miscellaneous News

PJM plans for major grid updates

IREC releases DG Blueprint for California

Download the full newsletter as a PDF:  March 2013 Connecting to the Grid Newsletter

FORMAT

While customer-sited net metering and interconnection policies are primarily addressed at the state level, they are also becoming important on a regional basis. This newsletter has been designed to provide state-level policy updates and capture emerging regional trends. Connecting to the Grid is a free, electronic newsletter published each month by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, Inc. (IREC). Click here to subscribe.

Editor: Laurel Passera

Note from the Editor

The FERC SGIP: Time for a tune up

The average size of distributed photovoltaic systems is on the rise.  In fact, the average size of all PV systems installed in 2011 grew by 64% over 2010. In addition to larger system sizes, penetration of solar on the grid is increasing in many states. In Hawaii, for example, 20 percent of the distribution circuits are already above 15 percent of peak load, a common benchmark for high penetration. These trends, coupled with the growing interest and declining costs in distributed generation (DG), are causing utilities across the nation to propose lengthy studies to determine the potential grid impact of increased DG capacity.

Last month, however, we heard an important announcement that could smooth the path of further DG development, enabling larger and greater numbers of DG systems to connect to the grid in a more expeditious manner. On January 17, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a proposed rule that contains a number of important changes to its Small Generator Interconnection Procedures (SGIP). In the proposed rules, FERC notes that the proposed reforms are “intended to ensure that the time and cost to process small generator interconnect requests will be just and reasonable and not unduly discriminatory.”  This is welcome news for the renewable energy community, especially considering that FERC’s original intent was to re-evaluate the rules two years after they were first published and six years have now past since FERC has had an opportunity to consider possible modifications.

[Continued in Newsletter]

State News in Detail

Northeast States          

Massachusetts launches net metering system of assurance

Vermont finds net metering to be a net benefit to ratepayers

Mid-Atlantic States    

New Jersey solar market stabilizes in early 2013

Midwestern States     

Michigan officials begin to consider updates to renewable energy policies

Southern States        

North Carolina utility petitions to cut solar rebate

New ERCOT report shows wind and solar to be competitive with natural gas in Texas

Western States          

California PUC requires 50MW of energy storage for local capacity requirements

Idaho Power seeks major cuts to net metering program

Washington UTC seeks comments on interconnection

Other States               

Hawaiian utilities begin innovative proactive distribution planning approach

Upcoming Events

Miscellaneous News

Midwest grid operator expanding south, to ‘last frontier’ for renewables

Download the full newsletter as a PDF:  February 2013 Connecting to the Grid Newsletter

FORMAT

While customer-sited net metering and interconnection policies are primarily addressed at the state level, they are also becoming important on a regional basis. This newsletter has been designed to provide state-level policy updates and capture emerging regional trends. Connecting to the Grid is a free, electronic newsletter published each month by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, Inc. (IREC). Click here to subscribe.

Editor: Laurel Passera

Note from the Editor

2012: The Year Solar Turned the Corner?

I think we can proclaim that 2012 was the year we turned the corner and caught a glimpse of what high-penetration solar looks like. Defined from an engineering perspective, a circuit has reached “high penetration” when utility engineers determine that upgrades need to be made to the circuit before additional generation can be installed.

If we look closely at the policy actions that were taken last year, we can see solar leaders focusing less on incentives and more on technical and procedural issues to accommodate higher levels of growth.  And it’s no surprise why.  Total distributed solar installations, not counting big utility projects connecting to transmission lines, have nearly quadrupled in just the past three years, climbing from 1143 MW in 2009 to roughly 4300 MW in 2012. Here’s a quick recap of some of 2012’s trends.

[Continued in Newsletter]

State News in Detail

Northeast States      

Massachusetts DPU begins work on grid modernization

Mid-Atlantic States   

MADRI takes a fresh look at distributed generation policies

Midwestern States     

Minnesota co-op embarks on crowd-funded solar project

Southern States     

DOE and TVA work to develop clean power transmission line

Western States       

Arizona utility-commissioned study finds net metering a negative impact for ratepayers

California incentive celebrates 1 GW milestone; Los Angeles approves Feed-in Tariff

Idaho regulators restrict availability to solar and wind projects

Washington UTC continues to work on interconnection, third-party issues

Other States                           

Hawaii PUC and FERC form info-sharing partnership around renewable energy data

Upcoming Events

Miscellaneous News

NREL releases interconnection reform report

Wind and Solar Power Paired With Storage Could Power Grid 99.9 Percent of the Time

IREC Announces New Training Program Certificate Standard

Download the full newsletter as a PDF:  January 2013 Connecting to the Grid Newsletter

FORMAT

While customer-sited net metering and interconnection policies are primarily addressed at the state level, they are also becoming important on a regional basis. This newsletter has been designed to provide state-level policy updates and capture emerging regional trends. Connecting to the Grid is a free, electronic newsletter published each month by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, Inc. (IREC). Click here to subscribe.

Editor: Laurel Passera

Note from the Editor

Island in the Storm: Solar power shines when the grid goes down

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy and future superstorms that threaten to hit with increasing frequency, I want to devote some time to emergency power back up and how solar fits into that picture. Historically, large-scale emergency backup power systems have been fueled by diesel generators and designed for critical loads such as hospitals and water treatment plants.  More recently, we are seeing those critical loads, as well as schools and other large campuses, being served by microgrids that are powered by a range of fuel combinations, including solar energy and combined heat and power.

But what options are there for smaller-scale facilities, like a residence or small business? It seems counterintuitive that a residential solar system would have to be shut down in the event of a power outage. However, almost all grid-connected systems shut down in the event of a grid failure because interconnection procedures require distributed generation systems to follow IEEE 1547 rules to prevent unintentional islands. The idea is that we don’t want a generator “island” putting electricity onto an otherwise de-energized grid, putting utility line workers at risk.  The easy solution is to shut down the generators when the grid goes down.

[Continued in Newsletter]

State News in Detail

Northeast States        

Rhode Island Department proposes new rates for distributed generation program

Mid-Atlantic States    

Virginia SCC approves utility-owned distributed generation program

Midwestern States    

Michigan PSC approves Phase 2 plan for customer-owned solar program

Ohio PUC seeks comments in net metering case

Southern States         

Georgia PSC approves largest voluntarily developed IOU solar portfolio in the nation

Louisiana PSC staff issues report and recommendation to eliminate retail credit for net metering, add meter aggregation capability

Missouri town seeks to adopt net metering policy

Western States          

California utility abandons plan to increase insurance requirement for net metering and interconnection customers

Other States               

Hawaii utility seeks to add dispatchable geothermal power; State tax department weakens solar tax credit

Upcoming Events

Miscellaneous News

NREL Teams with Berkeley Lab to Analyze Solar Pricing Trends and Benchmark “Soft” Costs for PV Systems

Download the full newsletter as a PDF:  December 2012 Connecting to the Grid Newsletter

FORMAT

While customer-sited net metering and interconnection policies are primarily addressed at the state level, they are also becoming important on a regional basis. This newsletter has been designed to provide state-level policy updates and capture emerging regional trends. Connecting to the Grid is a free, electronic newsletter published each month by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, Inc. (IREC). Click here to subscribe.

Editor: Laurel Varnado

Note from the Editor

Facilitating Mass Connections in Massachusetts

Massachusetts might not get as much sun as California but, judging by interconnection queues, the Bay Staters’ interest in solar seems just as high. Not surprisingly, Massachusetts was also just placed in the top five most attractive states in the country for solar installations. According to a KEMA report prepared for the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center in 2011, the total volume of interconnection applications grew four-fold for National Grid and NSTAR between 2004 and 2010.  Additionally, for those same utilities, the number of kilowatts reviewed through the Commonwealth’s two more complex interconnection paths (Expedited and Standard) increased seven-fold between 2004 and 2010.

So, how does a state go about managing all this growth?  For Massachusetts the answer has seemingly been: through careful study and collaboration.

[Continued in Newsletter]

State News in Detail

Northeast States

New York PSC triples net metering limit for one utility; opens investigation to examine all other net metering limits

Mid-Atlantic States  

New Jersey BPU considers solar DG siting regulations

Virginia SCC schedules public hearing to consider Dominion Power solar proposals

Midwestern States      

Michigan utility expands experimental renewables program

Wisconsin utilities meeting renewable energy targets

Southern States         

Georgia utility seeks to triple investment in solar through long-term contracts

Western States          

California PUC approves utility renewable energy procurement plans

New Mexico PRC issues proposed rule amendments to state’s net metering and cogeneration rules

Other States               

Hawaii seeks to install solar on all public schools

Upcoming Events

Miscellaneous News

After Storms’ Massive Blackouts, One State Explores High-Tech Solutions

Download the full newsletter as a PDF: November 2012 Connecting to the Grid Newsletter

FORMAT

While customer-sited net metering and interconnection policies are primarily addressed at the state level, they are also becoming important on a regional basis. This newsletter has been designed to provide state-level policy updates and capture emerging regional trends. Connecting to the Grid is a free, electronic newsletter published each month by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, Inc. (IREC). Click here to subscribe.

Editor: Laurel Varnado

Note from the Editor

Follow the Leader: Why Everyone Should be Paying Attention to California’s Rule 21 Revision

Even if you regularly follow news about renewable energy, you might have missed a quiet but significant development out of California last month.  On September 13th, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) adopted a substantial revision to its influential Rule 21, which governs state-jurisdictional interconnection procedures.  This revision builds on Hawaii’s successful interconnection reform process in 2011 by establishing several new national best practices, removing unnecessary barriers to the state’s flourishing distributed generation (DG) market.

To get a better understanding of the implications of the new rule, I reached out to Sky Stanfield, one of my colleagues who participated in the reform process on behalf of IREC.  I asked Sky to weigh in on the following reasons we think the rule revision is worthy of some attention.

[Continued in Newsletter]

State News in Detail

Northeast States

Massachusetts interconnection working group issues final report

Vermont requests information on the costs-benefit of net metering

Mid-Atlantic States    

New Jersey BPU addresses meter aggregation and voltage drop

Midwestern States     

Michigan PSC issues opportunity to comment on interconnection forms

Southern States       

Tennessee co-op offers members a share of the sun

Western States  

California PUC approves significant interconnection revisions

Colorado city amends net metering policy

Utah PSC approves major new solar program

Other States               

Hawaiian utility streamlines interconnection for small

Upcoming Events

Miscellaneous News

IREC releases Anual Updates and Trends Report

New and Improved Distributed Wind Policy Comparison Tool released

Download the full newsletter as a PDF: October 2012 Connecting to the Grid Newsletter

FORMAT

While customer-sited net metering and interconnection policies are primarily addressed at the state level, they are also becoming important on a regional basis. This newsletter has been designed to provide state-level policy updates and capture emerging regional trends. Connecting to the Grid is a free, electronic newsletter published each month by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, Inc. (IREC). Click here to subscribe.

Editor: Laurel Varnado

Note from the Editor

The New and Updated Freeing the Grid: Policy metrics have never been more fun

For five years now, Freeing the Grid has been a staple resource for the renewable energy community.  During this time IREC has been collaborating with the Network for New Energy Choices, the Vote Solar Initiative and the North Carolina Solar Center to bring you Freeing the Grid and this year, we have made it even easier and more accessible, by putting it on the web in an interactive platform.  This month, I’m pleased to announce we have just updated the site to include the 2012 grades.

The purpose of Freeing the Grid is to grade all 50 states on two foundational policies for renewable energy – Interconnection and Net Metering– which govern how renewable energy systems are connected to the utility grid compensated for excess energy put back onto the grid.  In order to provide these grades, we break each policy down into its component provisions and measure them against an objective set of criteria. These grading criteria continue to evolve somewhat over time, to keep up with best-practice improvements seen in both policies. We have continually evaluated developments taking place across the country to ensure that our model stays relevant within the current policy landscape.

[Continued in Newsletter]

State News in Detail

Northeast States       

Massachusetts DPU clarifies net metering cap terms

Mid-Atlantic States  

New Jersey BPU examines standby charge discount for clean distributed generation

Midwestern States     

Michigan PSC announces milestone for net metering

Southern States      

Arkansas PSC proposes to add meter aggregation from IREC’s model rules

Western States  

California PUC proposes to adopt interconnection revision settlement; LADWP releases FIT progress report

Colorado Solar Gardens open up for business, sell out in 30 minutes

Other States             

Hawaii and Japan sign clean energy Memo of Understanding

Upcoming Events

Miscellaneous News

NC Solar Center releases report on solar regulations for historic buildings

New England governors push for bulk procurement of renewable energy

FERC Commissioner Backs Distributed Generation

California Regulators Push for Energy Storage on Solar Farm

Download the full newsletter as a PDF: September 2012 Connecting to the Grid Newsletter

FORMAT

While customer-sited net metering and interconnection policies are primarily addressed at the state level, they are also becoming important on a regional basis. This newsletter has been designed to provide state-level policy updates and capture emerging regional trends. Connecting to the Grid is a free, electronic newsletter published each month by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, Inc. (IREC). Click here to subscribe.

Editor: Laurel Varnado