Texas Administrative Code › Title 16 - ECONOMIC REGULATION › Part 2 - PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION OF TEXAS › Chapter 25 - SUBSTANTIVE RULES APPLICABLE TO ELECTRIC SERVICE PROVIDERS › Subchapter I - TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION › Division 2 - TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION APPLICABLE TO ALL ELECTRIC UTILITIES › Section 25.211 - Interconnection of On-Site Distributed Generation (DG)

Current through Reg. 49, No. 28; July 12, 2024
(a) Application. Unless the context indicates
					 otherwise, this section and §
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					 25.212 of this title (relating to Technical
					 Requirements for Interconnection and Parallel Operation of On-Site Distributed
					 Generation) apply to an electric utility for all purposes except to the extent
					 preempted by federal law. The only part of this section that applies to
					 electric cooperatives is subsection (o) of this section.
(b) Purpose. The purpose of this section
					 includes stating the terms and conditions that govern the interconnection and
					 parallel operation of both on-site distributed generation in order to implement
					 Public Utility Regulatory Act (PURA) §39.101(b)(3) and a natural gas
					 distributed generation facility in order to implement PURA §35.036. Sales
					 of power by on-site distributed generation and natural gas distributed
					 generation in the intrastate wholesale market are subject to §§
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					 25.191-RSA
					 25.203 of this title (relating to Open-Access
					 Comparable Transmission Service for Electrical Utilities in the Electric
					 Reliability Council of Texas).
(c)
					 Definitions. The following words and terms when used in this section and §
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					 25.212 of this title shall have the following
					 meanings, unless the context indicates otherwise:
(1) Application for interconnection and
					 parallel operation or application--The form of application prescribed in
					 subsection (q) of this section.
(2)
					 Company--An electric utility operating a distribution system.
(3) Customer--Any entity interconnected to
					 the company's utility system for the purpose of receiving or exporting electric
					 power from or to the company's utility system.
(4) Distributed natural gas generation
					 facility--A facility installed on the customer's side of the meter that uses
					 natural gas to generate not more than 2,000 kilowatts of electricity.
(5) Facility--An electrical generating
					 installation consisting of one or more on-site distributed generation units,
					 including a distributed natural gas generation facility. The total capacity of
					 the installation's on-site distributed generation units may exceed ten
					 megawatts (MW); however, no more than ten MW of the installation's capacity
					 will be interconnected at any point in time at the point of common coupling
					 under this section.
(6)
					 Interconnection--The physical connection of distributed generation to the
					 utility system in accordance with the requirements of this section so that
					 parallel operation can occur.
(7)
					 Interconnection agreement--The form of agreement prescribed in subsection (p)
					 of this section. The interconnection agreement sets forth the contractual
					 conditions under which a company and a customer agree that one or more
					 facilities may be interconnected with the company's utility system.
(8) Inverter-based protective function--A
					 function of an inverter system, carried out using hardware and software, that
					 is designed to prevent unsafe operating conditions from occurring before,
					 during, and after the interconnection of an inverter-based static power
					 converter unit with a utility system. For purposes of this definition, unsafe
					 operating conditions are conditions that, if left uncorrected, would result in
					 harm to personnel, damage to equipment, unacceptable system instability or
					 operation outside legally established parameters affecting the quality of
					 service to other customers connected to the utility system.
(9) Network service--Network service consists
					 of two or more utility primary distribution feeder sources electrically tied
					 together on the secondary (or low voltage) side to form one power source for
					 one or more customers. The service is designed to maintain service to the
					 customers even after the loss of one of these primary distribution feeder
					 sources.
(10) On-site distributed
					 generation (or distributed generation)--An electrical generating facility
					 located at a customer's point of delivery (point of common coupling) of ten
					 megawatts (MW) or less and connected at a voltage less than 60 kilovolts (kV)
					 which may be connected in parallel operation to the utility system.
(11) Parallel operation--The operation of
					 on-site distributed generation while the customer is connected to the company's
					 utility system.
(12) Point of
					 common coupling--The point where the electrical conductors of the company
					 utility system are connected to the customer's conductors and where any
					 transfer of electric power between the customer and the utility system takes
					 place, such as switchgear near the meter.
(13) Pre-certified equipment--A specific
					 generating and protective equipment system or systems that have been certified
					 as meeting the applicable parts of this section relating to safety and
					 reliability by an entity approved by the commission.
(14) Pre-interconnection study--A study or
					 studies that may be undertaken by a company in response to its receipt of a
					 completed application for interconnection and parallel operation with the
					 utility system. Pre-interconnection studies may include, but are not limited
					 to, service studies, coordination studies and utility system impact
					 studies.
(15) Stabilized--A company
					 utility system is considered stabilized when, following a disturbance, the
					 system returns to the normal range of voltage and frequency for a duration of
					 two minutes or a shorter time as mutually agreed to by the company and
					 customer.
(16) Tariff for
					 interconnection and parallel operation of distributed generation--The tariff
					 for interconnection and parallel operation of distributed generation prescribed
					 in subsection (q) of this section.
(17) Unit--A power generator.
(18) Utility system--A company's distribution
					 system below 60 kV to which the generation equipment is
					 interconnected.