Wisconsin Administrative Code › Public Service Commission › Chapter PSC 119 - Rules For Interconnecting Distributed Generation Facilities › Subchapter II - General Requirements › Section PSC 119.04 - Application process for interconnecting DG facilities

Current through June 24, 2024
Public utilities and applicants shall complete the following
				  steps regarding interconnection applications for all classes of DG facilities,
				  in the order listed:
(1) The public
				utility shall respond to each request for DG interconnection by furnishing,
				within 5 working days, its guidelines and the public utility's electric service
				rules, representative or sample one-line schematic diagrams, and the
				appropriate standard application form. Public utilities shall also make these
				materials accessible on their website.
(2) The applicant shall complete and submit
				the standard application form to its public utility. An application shall not
				be considered submitted until the applicant submits a form and pays applicable
				application review fees under s.  PSC 119.08 (1).
(2m) All submitted applications shall be
				reviewed for completeness in the order in which they fulfill the requirements
				of sub. (2), regardless of whether the project is from an outside applicant or
				the public utility.
(3) Within 10
				working days of receiving a new or revised application and application fee, the
				public utility shall notify the applicant whether the application is
				complete.
(3g) All complete
				applications shall be processed in the order in which they are deemed complete,
				regardless of whether the project is from an outside applicant or the public
				utility. Reasonable exceptions may be made to account for the location of the
				proposed DG facility or other technical considerations, provided there is no
				material adverse impact on processing of other complete applications when an
				exception is made. Exceptions may also be made if an applicant exceeds any
				timing requirements identified in s.  PSC 119.06. If the public utility misses
				any timing requirements in s.  PSC 119.06, the order in which the application is
				processed shall not be affected.
(3r) Where multiple DG facilities are
				electrically interrelated, processing complete applications jointly may be
				appropriate to increase cost and time efficiencies. If the public utility and
				the applicant mutually agree, the application may be studied in a group with
				other applications.
(4) Public
				utilities and applicants shall complete the following steps for processing
				interconnection applications, in the order listed:
(a) Within 10 working days of determining
				that the application is complete, the public utility shall complete its
				application review and notify the applicant of its findings. If the public
				utility determines, on the basis of the application review, that an engineering
				review is needed, the notification shall state a nonbinding estimate of that
				review. If the application review shows that an engineering review is not
				needed, the applicant may install the DG facility and need not complete the
				steps described in pars. (b) through (g).
(b) The applicant shall provide written
				notification to proceed and full payment of the estimated cost of the
				engineering review within 15 working days of receiving the public utility's
				notification under par. (a). At the request of the applicant, the utility may
				provide a 15 working day extension of the deadline to provide notification to
				proceed and full payment. If notification and payment have not been received by
				the utility within 30 working days after the deadline to accept, the
				interconnection application shall be deemed withdrawn.
(c) Upon receiving from the applicant written
				notification to proceed and full payment of the estimated cost of the
				engineering review, the public utility shall complete an engineering review and
				notify the applicant of the results within the following times:
1. Category 1 DG application, 10 working
				days.
2. Category 2 DG application,
				15 working days.
3. Category 3 DG
				application, 20 working days.
4.
				Category 4 DG application, 40 working days.
(d) If the engineering review indicates that
				a distribution system study is necessary, the public utility shall include, in
				writing, a nonbinding cost estimate of the study in its engineering review. To
				proceed with a distribution system study, the applicant shall provide the
				utility with written notification of acceptance and full payment of the
				estimated study costs within 15 working days of receiving the engineering
				review. At the request of the applicant, the utility may provide a 15 working
				day extension of the deadline to provide notification to proceed and full
				payment. If notification and payment have not been received by the utility
				within 30 working days after the deadline to accept, the interconnection
				application shall be deemed withdrawn.
(e) Upon receiving written notification to
				proceed and payment of the applicable fee, the public utility shall conduct the
				distribution system study. The public utility shall within the following time
				periods complete the distribution system study and provide study results to the
				applicant unless any additional studies are required by the regional
				transmission operator, in which case the time periods may be extended:
1. Category 1 DG application, 10 working
				days.
2. Category 2 DG application,
				15 working days.
3. Category 3 DG
				application, 20 working days.
4.
				Category 4 DG application, 60 working days.
(f) The public utility shall perform a
				distribution system study of the local distribution system and notify the
				applicant of findings along with an estimate of any distribution system
				construction or modification costs to be borne by the applicant.
(g) If the applicant agrees, in writing, to
				pay for any required distribution system construction and modifications, the
				public utility shall complete the distribution system upgrades and the
				applicant shall install the DG facility within a time frame that is mutually
				agreed upon. The applicant shall notify the public utility when project
				construction is complete.
(h) The
				applicant shall give the public utility the opportunity to witness or verify
				the system testing, as required in s.  PSC 119.30  or  119.31, the utility's
				service rules, and applicable codes and standards. Upon receiving notification
				that an installation is complete and is in compliance with all applicable codes
				and standards, including any necessary state and local government inspections,
				and all requirements set forth in this chapter, the public utility has 10
				working days, for a Category 1 or 2 facility, or 20 working days, for a
				Category 3 or 4 facility, to complete the following:
1. Witness commissioning tests.
2. Perform an unintentional islanding test or
				verify the protective equipment settings at its expense.
3. Waive its right, in writing, to witness or
				verify the commissioning tests.
(i) The applicant shall provide the public
				utility with the results of any required tests within 5 working days of the
				completion of the test, for a Category 1 facility, or within 10 working days,
				for a Category 2 to 4 facility.
(j)
				The public utility shall, unless rights have been waived per par. (h) 3.,
				review the results of the on-site test. Upon receipt of the test results, the
				public utility shall notify the applicant within 5 working days, for a Category
				1 facility, or within 10 working days, for a Category 2 to 4 facility, of its
				approval or disapproval of the interconnection.
1. If approved, the public utility shall
				provide a written statement of final acceptance and reconciliation of costs
				from the engineering review, distribution system study, and any required
				distribution system upgrades or modifications. Public utilities shall refund to
				the applicant any fees paid in excess of costs incurred by the utility.
				Applicants shall pay any additional costs incurred by the utility in excess of
				previous payments. Any applicant for a DG system that passes the commissioning
				test may sign a standard interconnection agreement and interconnect.
2. If the public utility does not approve the
				interconnection, the applicant may take corrective action and request the
				public utility to reexamine its interconnection request. The applicant shall
				provide the utility with written notification that corrective action has been
				taken and request reexamination within 15 working days of receiving
				notification of disapproval. At the request of the applicant, the utility may
				provide a 15 working day extension of the deadline to provide notification to
				proceed and full payment. If a request for reexamination has been received by
				the utility within 30 working days after the deadline to accept, the
				interconnection application shall be deemed withdrawn.
(k) A standard interconnection agreement
				shall be signed by the applicant and public utility before parallel operation
				commences, within 5 working days of the interconnection being deemed approved
				by the public utility, for a Category 1 facility, or within 10 working days for
				a Category 2 to 4 facility.