Washington Administrative Code › Title 480 - Utilities and Transportation Commission › Chapter 480-108 - Electric companies-Interconnection with electric generators › Part 2 - GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR INTERCONNECTIONS › Section 480-108-040 - General terms and conditions of interconnection

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
The general terms and conditions listed in this section shall
				  apply to all interconnections of customer-owned generating facilities with
				  nameplate capacity less than or equal to 300 kW to an electrical company's
				  electric system under Part 1 of this chapter.
(1) Any electrical generating facility with a
				maximum nameplate capacity rating of 300 kW or less must comply with these
				rules to be eligible to interconnect and operate in parallel with the
				electrical company's electric system. The rules under this chapter apply to all
				interconnection customer-owned generating facilities that are intended to
				operate in parallel with an electrical company's electric system irrespective
				of whether the interconnection customer intends to generate energy to serve all
				or a part of the interconnection customer's load; or to sell the output to the
				electrical company or any third party purchaser.
(2) To ensure system safety and reliability
				of interconnected operations, all interconnected generating facilities must be
				constructed and operated in accordance with this chapter and all other
				applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
(3) Prior to initial operation, all
				interconnection customers must submit a completed certificate of completion to
				the electrical company, execute an appropriate interconnection agreement and
				any other agreement(s) required for the disposition of the generating
				facility's electric power output as described in WAC
				480-108-040(15).
				The interconnection agreement between the electrical company and the
				interconnection customer outlines the interconnection standards, cost
				allocation and billing agreements, and on-going maintenance and operation
				requirements.
(4) The
				interconnection customer shall promptly furnish the electrical company with
				copies of such plans, specifications, records, and other information relating
				to the generating facility or the ownership, operation, use, electrical company
				access to, or maintenance of the generating facility, as may be reasonably
				requested by the electrical company from time to time.
(5) For the purposes of public and working
				personnel safety, the electrical company may immediately disconnect from the
				electrical company system any nonapproved generation
				interconnections.
(6) To ensure
				reliable service to all electrical company customers and to minimize possible
				problems for other customers, the electrical company will review the need for a
				dedicated-to-single-customer distribution transformer. If the electrical
				company requires a dedicated distribution transformer, the interconnection
				customer must pay all reasonable costs of the new transformer and related
				facilities in accordance with subsection (13) of this section.
(7) Metering.
(a) Net metering for solar, wind, hydropower
				fuel cells and facilities that simultaneously produce electricity and useful
				thermal energy as set forth in chapter 80.60 RCW. The electrical company will
				install, own and maintain a kilowatt-hour meter, or meters as the installation
				may determine, capable of registering the bi-directional flow of electricity at
				the point of common coupling at a level of accuracy that meets all applicable
				standards, regulations and statutes. The meter(s) may measure such parameters
				as time of delivery, power factor, voltage and such other parameters as the
				electrical company specifies. The interconnection customer must provide space
				for metering equipment. The interconnection customer must provide the current
				transformer enclosure (if required), meter socket(s) and junction box after the
				interconnection customer has submitted drawings and equipment specifications
				for electrical company approval. The electrical company may approve other
				generating sources for net metering but is not required to do so.
(b) Production metering: The electrical
				company may require separate metering, including, if necessary for safety or
				reliability, metering capable of being remotely accessed, for production. This
				meter will record all generation produced and may be billed separately from any
				net metering or customer usage metering. Costs associated with production
				metering will be paid by the interconnection customer.