South Dakota Administrative Rules › Title 20 - PUBLIC SAFETY › Article 20:10 - PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION › Chapter 20:10:36 - Small generator facility interconnection › Section 20:10:36:02 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 51, page 10, July 15, 2024
Terms defined in SDCL
				  49-34A-1 have the same meaning
				  when used in this chapter. In addition, terms used in this chapter mean:
(1) "Adverse system impact," a negative
				effect caused by the proposed interconnection that may compromise the safety
				and reliability of an electric transmission and distribution system;
(2) "Affected system," an electric
				transmission and distribution system not owned or operated by the
				interconnecting public utility, which may experience an adverse system impact
				from the proposed interconnection;
(3) "Applicant," a person who has submitted
				an application to interconnect a small generator facility to a public utility's
				EDS;
(4) "Application," a request
				to interconnect a small generator facility with a public utility's EDS. An
				application shall follow the standard forms on file with the
				commission;
(5) "Area network," a
				type of electric distribution system served by multiple transformers
				interconnected in an electrical network circuit in order to provide high
				reliability of service. This term has the same meaning as the term "secondary
				grid network" as defined in IEEE 1547, section 4.1.4;
(6) "Certificate of completion," a
				certificate signed by the applicant and attesting that the small generator
				facility is complete, meets the requirements contained in this chapter, and has
				been inspected, tested, and certified as physically ready for operation. The
				certificate of completion shall follow the standard form on file with the
				commission;
(7) "Commissioning,"
				the process by which a facility is tested to verify if it functions according
				to design objectives or specifications;
(8) "Electric nameplate capacity," the net
				maximum electric output capability measured in watts, kilowatts, or megawatts
				of a generator facility as designated by the facility's manufacturer;
(9) "Electrical service agreement," the
				agreement between a public utility and a customer providing for electricity and
				ancillary services according to provisions of a tariff;
(10) "Electric distribution system (EDS),"
				the facilities and equipment used to transmit electricity to ultimate usage
				points;
(11) "Fault current,"
				electrical current that flows through a circuit and is produced by an
				electrical fault, such as to ground, double-phase to ground, three-phase to
				ground, phase-to-phase, and three-phase;
(12) "FERC," the Federal Energy Regulatory
				Commission;
(13) "Field tested
				equipment," interconnection equipment that is identical to equipment that was
				approved, by the public utility that interconnection is being requested from,
				for another interconnection under a tier 4 study review and has successfully
				completed a witness test within 36 months from the date of the submission of
				the current application;
(14) "Good
				utility practice," a practice, method, policy, or action engaged in or accepted
				by a significant portion of the electric industry in a region which a
				reasonable utility official would expect, in light of the facts reasonably
				discernable at the time, to accomplish the desired result reliably, safely, and
				expeditiously;
(15) "IEEE 1547,"
				standard 1547 published July 28, 2003, by the Institute of Electrical and
				Electronics Engineers (IEEE) entitled "Standard for Interconnecting Distributed
				Resources with Electric Power Systems";
(16) "IEEE 1547.1," standard l547.1 published
				July 1, 2005, by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
				entitled "Standard for Conformance Test Procedures for Equipment
				Interconnecting Distributed Resources with Electric Power Systems";
(17) "Interconnection agreement," an
				agreement between an applicant or interconnection customer and the
				interconnecting public utility that governs the connection of the small
				generator facility to the public utility's EDS and the ongoing operation of the
				small generator facility after it is connected to the system. An
				interconnection agreement shall follow the standard form on file with the
				commission;
(18) "Interconnection
				customer," a person with a small generator facility that is interconnected to a
				public utility in accordance with this chapter;
(19) "Interconnection equipment," a group of
				components or an integrated system provided by the interconnection customer to
				connect a small generator facility to a public utility's EDS, including all
				interface equipment such as switchgear, protective devices, inverters, or other
				interface devices. Interconnection equipment may be installed as part of an
				integrated equipment package that includes a generator or other electric
				source;
(20) "Interconnection
				facilities," the facilities and equipment required by the electric utility to
				accommodate the interconnection of a small generator facility to the public
				utility's EDS and used exclusively to interconnect a specific small generator
				facility. Interconnection facilities do not include system upgrades that may
				benefit the public utility, other customers, other interconnection customers,
				or an owner of an affected system;
(21) "Interconnection facilities study," a
				study conducted by a public utility or a third-party consultant retained by the
				public utility or the applicant that determines the additional interconnection
				facilities and system upgrades required to interconnect the small generator
				facility to the public utility's EDS, the cost of the facilities and upgrades,
				and the time required to complete the interconnection;
(22) "Interconnection facilities study
				agreement," a contract between the applicant and the interconnecting public
				utility that provides a detailed scope and timeline for the interconnection
				facilities study and a good faith, non-binding estimate of the costs to perform
				the study. An interconnection facilities study agreement shall follow the
				standard form on file with the commission;
(23) "Interconnection feasibility study," a
				preliminary evaluation of the system impact and cost of interconnecting the
				small generator facility to the public utility's EDS;
(24) "Interconnection feasibility study
				agreement," a contract between the applicant and the interconnecting public
				utility that provides a scope, timeline, and good faith, non-binding estimate
				of the costs for the public utility to conduct an interconnection feasibility
				study for the applicant. An interconnection feasibility study agreement shall
				follow the standard form on file with the commission;
(25) "Interconnection request," an
				applicant's submission of an application for interconnection to the EDS of a
				public utility;
(26)
				"Interconnection service," service to an electric customer under which an
				on-site generating facility on a customer's premises is connected to local
				distribution facilities;
(27)
				"Interconnection system impact study," an engineering study performed by the
				public utility that evaluates the impact of the proposed interconnection on the
				safety and reliability of the EDS. The study focuses on the adverse system
				impacts identified in the interconnection feasibility study and other potential
				impacts, including those identified in the scoping meeting;
(28) "Interconnection system impact study
				agreement," a contract between the applicant and the interconnecting public
				utility that provides a statement of scope, timeline, and a good faith,
				non-binding estimate of the cost to conduct an interconnection system impact
				study. An interconnection system impact study agreement shall follow the
				standard form on file with the commission;
(29) "Lab tested equipment," interconnection
				equipment which has been tested by the original equipment manufacturer in
				accordance with IEEE 1547.1 and found to be in compliance with the appropriate
				codes and standards referenced therein and is labeled and listed by an NRTL.
				For interconnection equipment to gain status as lab tested equipment, its use
				must fall within the use or uses for which the interconnection equipment is
				labeled and listed by the NRTL, and the generator or other electric source
				being utilized must be compatible with the interconnection equipment and
				consistent with the testing and listing specified for the type of
				interconnection equipment;
(30)
				"Line section," the portion of a public utility's EDS connected to an
				interconnection customer and bounded by automatic sectionalizing devices or the
				end of the distribution line;
(31)
				"Minor equipment modification," a change to the proposed small generator
				facility, the output capacity of the facility, or the proposed interconnection
				equipment that:
(a) Does not affect the
				application of the screening criteria in tiers 1, 2, or 3;
(b) In the public utility's reasonable
				opinion, does not have a material impact on safety or reliability of the public
				utility's EDS or an affected system; and
(c) Does not include a change in the electric
				nameplate capacity of an existing small generator facility;