Interconnection is recognized by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) as a significant barrier in developing distributed energy resources (DER) and achieving statewide energy and emission goals. While interconnection of net energy metered (NEM) facilities has realized efficiencies, identically sized and similarly sited wholesale distributed generation (WDG), also known as front-of-meter (FOM), projects in investor-owned utility service territories suffer from interconnection processes that:
- Cost significantly more
- Take much longer
- Are far less predictable
Interconnection processes serve two fundamental purposes:
- They provide a transparent and efficient means to interconnect generators to the electric grid.
- They maintain the safety, reliability and power quality of the electric grid.
Federal and state regulators are faced with the challenge of keeping interconnection procedures updated against a backdrop of evolving technology, new codes and standards, and considerably transformed market conditions.
The WDG Interconnection Pilot has the goal of facilitating interconnection for WDG/FOM projects.
