(1) If an electrical company demonstrates that the small generator interconnection provisions will impair service adequacy, reliability or safety or will otherwise be incompatible with its electric system, the electrical company may file no later than January 31, 2008, an alternative to the interconnection service tariff required in WAC
480-108-080.
(2) An interconnection service tariff filed under this section must meet the following requirements.
(a) All interconnection customers with generating facilities with nameplate capacity greater than 300 kW but no more than 20 MW must be treated equally without undue discrimination or preference.
(b) Electrical companies must ensure that interconnection service will not impair safe, adequate and reliable electric service to its retail electric customers.
(c) Technical requirements for all interconnections must comply with IEEE, NESC, NEC, North American Electric Reliability Corporation, Western Electric Coordinating Council and other applicable safety and reliability standards.
(d) Charges by the electrical company to the interconnection customer in addition to the application fee, if any, must be cost-based and consistent with generally accepted engineering practices. Unless an electrical company demonstrates by reference to its integrated resource plan prepared pursuant to WAC
480-100-238, its conservation targets pursuant to RCW
19.285.040, the studies it performs under WAC
480-108-120, or other evidence that an interconnection will provide quantifiable benefits to the electrical company's other customers, an interconnecting customer must pay all costs made necessary by the requested interconnection service. Such costs include, but are not limited to, the cost of engineering studies, upgrades to utility facilities made necessary by the interconnection, metering and insurance. If an electrical company demonstrates that an interconnection will produce quantifiable benefits for the electrical company's other customers, it may incur a portion of these costs for commission consideration for recovery in its general rates commensurate with such benefits. If after consideration of any costs approved by the commission for recovery in general rates the remaining costs are less than any amounts paid by the interconnection customer, the electrical company must refund the excess to the interconnection customer.
(e) Interconnection customers must be responsible for all operation, maintenance and code compliance for facilities and equipment on the customer's side of the point of common coupling.
(f) Interconnection service tariffs must describe:
(i) The process, timelines and cost of feasibility and facility impact studies the electrical company may require before allowing interconnection.
(ii) The prioritization or other processes by which the electrical company will manage multiple requests for interconnection service.
(g) Interconnection service tariffs must state:
(i) Specific time frames for electrical companies to respond to interconnection applications.
(ii) Specific time frames for interconnection customers to respond to study and interconnection agreements offered by the electrical company. Time frames must be adequate for the electrical company and the interconnection customer to have adequate opportunity to examine engineering studies and project design options.
(h) The electrical company must make knowledgeable personnel available to answer questions regarding applicability of the interconnection service tariff and otherwise provide assistance to a customer seeking interconnection service. The electrical company must comply with reasonable requests for information including relevant system studies, interconnection studies, and other materials useful for an interconnection customer to understand the circumstances of an interconnection at a particular point on the electrical company's electric system, to the extent provision of such information does not violate confidentiality provisions of prior electrical company agreements.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 80.01.040 and 80.04.160. 07-20-059 (Docket UE-060649, General Order 545), § 480-108-090, filed 9/27/07, effective 10/28/07.]