Section 480-108-040 - General terms and conditions of interconnectionThe 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.(8) Common labeling furnished or approved by the electrical company and in accordance with NEC requirements must be posted on the meter base, disconnects, and transformers informing working personnel that generation is operating at or is located on the premises.(9) As currently set forth for qualifying generation under chapter 80.60 RCW (net metering), no additional insurance will be necessary for interconnections that qualify for net metering. For generation other than qualifying generation under chapter 80.60 RCW, additional insurance, limitations of liability and indemnification may be required by the electrical company.(10) The electrical company must review and approve any future modification or expansion of an interconnected generating facility. The electrical company may require the interconnection customer to provide and pay for corrections or additions to existing interconnection facilities if government or industry regulations and standards are modified. The electric company must notify the interconnection customer in writing of any such requirement. The electrical company may terminate interconnection service if the interconnection customer does not within thirty business days of the date of the notice arrange with the electrical company a mutually agreed schedule to comply with such requirements.(11) For the overall safety and protection of the electrical company system, chapter 80.60 RCW limits interconnection of generation for net metering to .25 percent of the electrical company's peak demand during 1996 and, beginning in 2014, to .50 percent of the electrical company's peak demand during 1996. Additionally, interconnection of generating facilities for net metering to individual distribution feeders is limited to 10 percent of the feeder's peak capacity. The electrical company also may restrict or prohibit new or expanded interconnected generation capacity on any feeder, circuit or network if engineering, safety or reliability studies establish a need for restriction or prohibition.(12) The interconnection customer is responsible for protecting its facilities, loads and equipment and complying with the requirements of all appropriate standards, codes, statutes and authorities.(13) Charges by the electrical company to the interconnection customer in addition to the application fee, if any, must be cost-based and consistent with generally accepted engineering practices. Such charges may include, but are not limited to, the cost of engineering studies; the cost of transformers, production meters, and electrical company testing; the cost of qualification, and approval of non-UL 1741 listed equipment; the cost of interconnection facilities, and the cost of any required system upgrades. Unless an electrical company demonstrates by reference to its integrated resource plan prepared pursuant to WAC 480-100-238, its conservation targets pursuant to RCW 19.285.040, its studies performed under WAC 480-108-065, or other evidence that an interconnection will provide quantifiable benefits to the electrical company's other customers, electrical company charges to the interconnection customer will include all costs made necessary by the requested interconnection service. If an electrical company demonstrates that an interconnection will produce quantifiable benefits for the electrical company's other customers, it may incur a portion of these costs for commission consideration for recovery in its general rates commensurate with such benefits. If after consideration of any costs approved by the commission for recovery in general rates the remaining costs are less than any amounts paid by the interconnection customer, the electrical company must refund the excess amount to the interconnection customer.(14) The interconnection customer is responsible for costs associated with future upgrades or modification to its generating facility or interconnection facilities made necessary by modifications the electrical company makes to its electric system.(15) This section does not govern the settlement, purchase or delivery of any power generated by the interconnection customer's generating facility. The purchase or delivery of power, including net metering of electricity pursuant to chapter 80.60 RCW, power purchases and sales to PURPA qualifying facilities pursuant to chapter 480-107 WAC, and other services that the interconnection customer may require will be covered by separate agreement or pursuant to the terms, conditions and rates as may be from time to time approved by the commission. Any such agreement shall be completed prior to initial operation and filed with the commission.(16) The interconnection customer may disconnect the generating facility at any time after providing reasonable advance notice to the electrical company.(17) The electrical company must require an interconnection customer to provide notice of the sale or transfer of the interconnection customer's generating facility, interconnection facilities or the premises upon which the interconnection facilities are located. To continue interconnection service to a new owner, the electrical company must require the new owner to execute a new interconnection agreement.Wash. Admin. Code § 480-108-040
Statutory Authority: RCW 80.01.040 and 80.04.160. WSR 07-20-059 (Docket UE-060649, General Order 545), § 480-108-040, filed 9/27/07, effective 10/28/07; WSR 06-07-017 (Docket No. UE-051106, General Order No. R-528), § 480-108-040, filed 3/6/06, effective 4/6/06.