status of effort to improve the interconnection...
TRANSCRIPT
Status of Effort to Improve the
Interconnection Process
Gerry Bingham
Senior Coordinator / Distributed Generation
Massachusetts Department of Energy
Resources
Environmental Business Council of New England
Energy Environment Economy
Creating A Cleaner Energy Future For the Commonwealth
Status and Challenges of DG Interconnection
Gerry Bingham, MBA
Sr. Coordinator / Distributed Generation
EBC Renewable Energy Program Boston, MA
4/29/14
Creating A Cleaner Energy Future For the Commonwealth
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Implementing Incentives and Improving Interconnection
Incentive Implementation Interconnection Improvement
7/2/08: Green Communities Act
3/15/09: DG Website created / DG Workshops / Reporting
Jan 2010: SREC launched
8/18/11: DOER Petitioned DPU for interconnection reform
1/23/12: DPU Order 11-175 created a DG Working Group
2/17/12: Virtual Net Metering Regs
9/14/12: DGWG Report Filed
11/1/12: Net Metering Caps Revised
3/13/13: DPU Order 11-75-E
5/1/13: SRECI 400 MW Goal met; new goal of 1.6 GW announced
5/2/13: New Interconnection Tariff in Effect
10/2/13: Enforcement Proposal Filed
2/27/14: TSRG Penetration Screen Revision filed
4/17/14: Final Tariff to stakeholders (Group Study)
4/25/14: SRECII Regs in Effect
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Interconnection: Aggregate Trends
Incentive Implementation Interconnection Improvement
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Application Process Times (Calendar Days by MW)
Year >2MW 1-2MW <1MW
2009 125 25
2010 100 212 37
2011 337 200 25
2012 325 287 65 2013 (partial) 350 325 50
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Application Process Times Expedited Process Projects
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Application Process Times Standard Process Projects
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DPU 11-75-E Order = The Road Map
• Approves Work Plan in the DGWG Report • Pre-Application Reports • Technical Standards Review Group created • Ombudsperson: Trial period of 12 months • Continued Monthly Workshops and Reporting • Interim Penetration Screen • Interim Enforcement: Refund Policy • Withdrawal Process approved • New Timeframe for “Complex” projects • Circuits in Reporting • Compliance: Tariff changes • Compliance: Final Enforcement Mechanism • Compliance: Penetration Screen; Group Study
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Proposed Performance Metric
Statewide Performance on Expedited Projects without Supplemental Review (2009-Nov '13)*
* The interconnection timeline Enforcement Mechanism is not in effect. Slides portraying the impact of the enforcement metrics are for demonstration purposes and do not take into account delays due to (a) customer responses; (b) high volume applications; (c) increased complexity, and (d) clogged circuits.
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Proposed Performance Metric
Statewide Performance on Projects in the Metric (2009-Nov '13)
*Early ISA EXP projects are not identified. Est. assumes no early ISA's and all marked "TBD" did not require upgrades. **COMPLEX project types are not identified. Est. assumes all STD projects with modifications required substation mods and >$200k.
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What’s next? It’s key to watch for …
• DPU Order on Timeline Enforcement
Will the metric include all projects or limited sets?
• New Tariff
Group Study (1-yr trial)
Penetration Screen (100%)
Enforceable Timelines
• Continued Interconnection Progress
• Net Metering Legislation?
Creating A Cleaner Energy Future For the Commonwealth
DOER’s New Improved DG Website
• Interactive Interconnection Charts Aggregate Trends Application Process Time
• Dispute Resolution
• Workshops
• Hosts Grid Modernization and DG Integration
• Hosts Technical Standards Review Group
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http://www.bit.ly/MADGIC
Creating A Cleaner Energy Future For the Commonwealth
Helpful Links / Contacts
• DG Interconnection
DG Website: http://bit.ly/MADGIC [email protected]
• Solar Carve-Out
DOER Solar Website: www.mass.gov/energy/solar
Contact: [email protected] [email protected]
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Additional Material (not presented)
DPU 11-75-E Order (w/ notations)
• Approves Work Plan in the DGWG Report • Pre-Application Reports (to limit the # of speculative applications) • TSRG created (to allow non-utility engineer review and response) • Ombudsperson: Trial period of 12 months, now permanent (4/1/14) • Continued Monthly Workshops and Reporting (to track performance) • Interim Penetration Screen (67%; being revised to 100%) • Interim Enforcement: Refund Policy (Penalties proposed 10/2/13) • Withdrawal Process approved (streamlines utility work) • New Timeframe for “Complex” projects • Circuits in Reporting (to address clogged circuits)
Compliance: • Tariff changes (due w/in 30 days, effective 5/2/13) • Final Enforcement Mechanism (due 10/1/13, on schedule) • Penetration Screen; Group Study (due 2/28/14, on schedule)
Impact Study: 55>>75 days Detailed Study: 30>>75 days