Ariz. Admin. Code § 14-2-2620

Current through Register Vol. 30, No. 25, June 21, 2024

Section R14-2-2620 - Supplemental Review

A. If a Utility determines that an Application for Interconnection cannot be approved without conducting a Supplemental Review, or if requested by the Applicant:

1. The Utility shall, within seven calendar days of making the determination or receiving the request, provide the Applicant a good faith estimate of the cost of the Supplemental Review and a written agreement setting forth the terms of the Supplemental Review; and

2. If the Customer desires to proceed with the Application, the Customer shall, within 14 calendar days of receipt of the good faith estimate and written agreement, sign the written agreement and submit to the Utility a deposit for the full estimated cost of the Supplemental Review.

B. The Applicant may specify the order in which the Utility will complete the screens in subsection (E).

C. The Applicant shall be responsible for the Utility's actual costs for conducting a Supplemental Review and must pay any review costs exceeding the deposit amount within 30 calendar days of receipt of an invoice for the balance, or resolution of any dispute as to those costs. If the deposit amount exceeds the actual costs of the Supplemental Review, the Utility shall return such excess to the Customer, without interest, within 30 calendar days of completing the Supplemental Review.

D. Within 21 calendar days following receipt of the deposit for a Supplemental Review, the Utility shall:

1. Perform a Supplemental Review by determining compliance with the screens in subsections (E)(1), (2), and (3);

2. Unless the Applicant has previously provided instructions for how to respond to the Generating Facility's failure to meet any of the Supplemental Review screens:

a. Notify the Applicant following the failure of any of the screens; and

b. If the Utility is unable to determine compliance with the screen in subsection (E)(1), notify the Applicant within two calendar days of making such determination and request the Applicant's permission to:

i. Continue evaluating the Interconnection under subsection (E);

ii. Terminate the Supplemental Review and continue evaluating the Generating Facility under R14-2-2619; or

iii. Terminate the Supplemental Review upon withdrawal of the Interconnection request by the Applicant; and

3. Notify the Applicant of the results of the Supplemental Review along with copies of the analysis and data underlying the Utility's determinations of compliance with the screens.

E. A Utility shall apply the following screens in its Supplemental Review:

1. A minimum load screen:

a. If 12 months of line section minimum load data (including onsite load but not station service load served by the Generating Facility) are available, can be calculated, can be estimated from existing data, or can be determined from a power flow model, the aggregate Generating Facility Maximum Capacity on the line section shall be less than 100% of the minimum load for all line sections bounded by automatic sectionalizing devices upstream of the Generating Facility.

b. If 12 months of line section minimum load data are not available, or cannot be calculated, estimated, or determined, the Utility shall include in its Supplemental Review results notification under subsection (D) each reason that it is unable to calculate, estimate, or determine minimum load.

c. In making its determination of compliance with subsections (E)(1)(a) and (b), the Utility shall:

i. Consider the type of generation used by the Generating Facility when calculating, estimating, or determining the circuit or line section minimum load, using daytime minimum load for solar photovoltaic generation systems with no battery storage (i.e., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for fixed panel systems and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. for solar photovoltaic generation systems utilizing tracking systems), and using absolute minimum load for all other generation;

ii. For a Generating Facility that serves some station service load, consider only the net injection into the Utility's electric system as part of the aggregate generation; and

iii. Not consider as part of the aggregate generation Generating Facility capacity known to be reflected already in the minimum load data.

2. A voltage and power quality screen: In aggregate with existing Maximum Capacity on the line section:

a. Voltage regulation on the line section shall be maintained in compliance with relevant requirements under all system conditions;

b. Voltage fluctuation shall be within acceptable limits as defined by IEEE 1453, IEEE Recommended Practice for the Analysis of Fluctuating Installations on Power Systems (October 30, 2015), with no future editions or amendments, which is incorporated by reference; on file with the Commission; and published by and available from IEEE, 3 Park Avenue, 17th Floor, New York, New York 10016, and through http://ieeexplore.ieee.org; and

c. Harmonic levels shall meet IEEE 519 limits, IEEE Recommended Practice and Requirements for Harmonic Control in Electric Power Systems (June 11, 2014), with no future editions or amendments, which is incorporated by reference; on file with the Commission; and published by and available from IEEE, 3 Park Avenue, 17th Floor, New York, New York 10016, and through http://ieeexplore.ieee.org.

3. A safety and reliability screen: The location of the Generating Facility and the aggregate Maximum Capacity on the line section shall not create impacts to safety or reliability that cannot be adequately addressed without application of the Interconnection Study process. In making this determination regarding potential impacts to safety and reliability, the Utility shall give due consideration to the following, and any other relevant factors:

a. Whether the line section has significant minimum loading levels dominated by a small number of customers (e.g., several large commercial customers);

b. Whether the loading along the line section is uniform or even;

c. Whether the Generating Facility is located in close proximity to the substation (i.e., within less than 2.5 electrical circuit miles);

d. Whether the line section from the substation to the Point of Interconnection is a main feeder line section rated for normal and emergency ampacity;

e. Whether the Generating Facility incorporates a time delay function to prevent reconnection of the generator to the system until system voltage and frequency are within normal limits for a prescribed time;

f. Whether operational flexibility is reduced by the Generating Facility, such that transfer of the line section(s) of the Generating Facility to a neighboring distribution circuit/substation may trigger overloads or voltage issues; and

g. Whether the Generating Facility employs equipment or systems certified by a recognized standards organization to address technical issues such as, but not limited to, Islanding, reverse power flow, or voltage quality.

F. If the Interconnection satisfies subsection (E), the Application shall be approved for Interconnection, and the Utility shall provide the Applicant notice of the Supplemental Review results.

G. If Interconnection Facilities or minor modifications to the Utility's system are required for the Interconnection to meet the screens in subsection (E), the Utility shall notify the Applicant and request for the Applicant to pay for the modifications. If the Applicant agrees to pay for the modifications to the Utility's electric system, the Utility shall provide an Interconnection Agreement, along with a non-binding good faith estimate of the cost for the Interconnection Facilities and minor modifications, to the Applicant within seven calendar days after the Applicant agrees to pay for the modifications.

H. If more than Interconnection Facilities or minor modifications to the Utility's system would be required for the Interconnection to meet the screens in subsection (E), the Utility shall notify the Applicant, at the same time it notifies the Applicant of the Supplemental Review results, that the Interconnection request shall be evaluated under R14-2-2619, unless the Applicant withdraws its Application.

I. If the Interconnection fails any of the screens in subsection (E), and the Applicant does not withdraw its Application, the Utility shall continue to evaluate the Application under R14-2-2619.

Ariz. Admin. Code § R14-2-2620

Adopted by final rulemaking at 26 A.A.R. 473, effective 2/25/2020.