I 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5082 
To amend the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to establish 
uniform national standards for the interconnection of certain small power 
production facilities. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 20, 2010 
Mr. LUJA´N (for himself, Ms. GIFFORDS, Mr. POLIS of Colorado, and Mr. 
HEINRICH) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 
to establish uniform national standards for the inter-
connection of certain small power production facilities. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. UNIFORM NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR INTER-
CONNECTION OF CERTAIN SMALL POWER 
PRODUCTION FACILITIES. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Section 2 of the Public Utility Regu-
latory Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2601) is amend-
ed— 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
16:43 Apr 21, 2010
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5082.IH
H5082
srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with BILLS
(1) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(2) in paragraph (6), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘, and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(7) uniform national standards for the inter-
connection of certain small power production facili-
ties.’’. 
(b) STANDARDS FOR INTERCONNECTION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle B of title I of the 
Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (16 
U.S.C. 2621 et seq.) is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 118. INTERCONNECTION OF CERTAIN SMALL POWER 
PRODUCTION FACILITIES. 
‘‘(a) STANDARD
FOR FACILITIES THAT HAVE
A 
POWER PRODUCTION CAPACITY OF NOT MORE THAN 2 
MEGAWATTS.—The Commission shall establish a standard 
by which each electric utility shall make available, on re-
quest, interconnection service to any electric consumer 
that the electric utility serves with respect to any facility 
on the premises of the electric consumer that has a power 
production capacity of not more than 2 megawatts. 
‘‘(b) ENFORCEMENT.— 
‘‘(1) BY THE COMMISSION.— 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
16:43 Apr 21, 2010
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5082.IH
H5082
srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with BILLS
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
paragraph (2), the Commission may enforce the 
standard established under subsection (a) 
against any electric utility. 
‘‘(B) 
ADMINISTRATION.—The 
require-
ments of the standard established under sub-
section (a) shall be treated as a rule enforceable 
under the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 791a 
et seq.). 
‘‘(2) BY A STATE REGULATORY AUTHORITY.— 
The Commission may enter into an agreement with 
a State regulatory authority to discontinue the en-
forcement of this section in the State by the Com-
mission if the Commission finds that the State or 
the State regulatory authority has adopted and is 
enforcing a standard for interconnection services 
that is consistent with or exceeds the standard es-
tablished under subsection (a). 
‘‘(3) RESUMPTION OF COMMISSION ENFORCE-
MENT.—The Commission may rescind an agreement 
under paragraph (2) and resume enforcement of the 
standard established under subsection (a) if, as de-
termined by the Commission, the State or the State 
regulatory authority has failed to enforce a con-
sistent State standard. 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
16:43 Apr 21, 2010
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5082.IH
H5082
srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with BILLS
‘‘(c) CONSIDERATIONS.—In establishing the standard 
under subsection (a), the Commission shall consider the 
standards developed by the Institute of Electrical and 
Electronics Engineers: IEEE Standard 1547 for Inter-
connecting Distributed Resources with Electric Power 
Systems, as they may be amended from time to time. The 
standard established under subsection (a) shall promote 
current best practices of interconnection for distributed 
generation, including practices stipulated in model codes 
from State best practices. The standard established under 
subsection (a) shall be just and reasonable, and not unduly 
discriminatory or preferential. 
‘‘(d) MODEL STANDARD FOR FACILITIES OF UP TO 
20 MEGAWATTS.—The Commission shall establish a 
model standard for the interconnection of small power pro-
duction facilities that have a power production capacity 
of more than 2 megawatts, but not more than 20 
megawatts, for the consideration of State regulatory au-
thorities under section 111(d)(15).’’. 
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of 
contents in section 1(b) of the Public Utility Regu-
latory Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. prec. 2601) 
is amended by adding at the end of the items relat-
ing to subtitle B of title I the following: 
‘‘Sec. 118. Interconnection of certain small power production facilities.’’. 
Æ 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
16:43 Apr 21, 2010
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H5082.IH
H5082
srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with BILLS