Status of Effort to Improve the

Interconnection Process

Gerry Bingham

Senior Coordinator / Distributed Generation

Massachusetts Department of Energy

Resources

Environmental Business Council of New England

Energy Environment Economy

Creating A Cleaner Energy Future For the Commonwealth

Status and Challenges of DG Interconnection

Gerry Bingham, MBA

Sr. Coordinator / Distributed Generation

EBC Renewable Energy Program Boston, MA

4/29/14

Creating A Cleaner Energy Future For the Commonwealth

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Implementing Incentives and Improving Interconnection

Incentive Implementation Interconnection Improvement

7/2/08: Green Communities Act

3/15/09: DG Website created / DG Workshops / Reporting

Jan 2010: SREC launched

8/18/11: DOER Petitioned DPU for interconnection reform

1/23/12: DPU Order 11-175 created a DG Working Group

2/17/12: Virtual Net Metering Regs

9/14/12: DGWG Report Filed

11/1/12: Net Metering Caps Revised

3/13/13: DPU Order 11-75-E

5/1/13: SRECI 400 MW Goal met; new goal of 1.6 GW announced

5/2/13: New Interconnection Tariff in Effect

10/2/13: Enforcement Proposal Filed

2/27/14: TSRG Penetration Screen Revision filed

4/17/14: Final Tariff to stakeholders (Group Study)

4/25/14: SRECII Regs in Effect

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Interconnection: Aggregate Trends

Incentive Implementation Interconnection Improvement

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Application Process Times (Calendar Days by MW)

Year >2MW 1-2MW <1MW

2009 125 25

2010 100 212 37

2011 337 200 25

2012 325 287 65 2013 (partial) 350 325 50

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Application Process Times Expedited Process Projects

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Application Process Times Standard Process Projects

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DPU 11-75-E Order = The Road Map

• Approves Work Plan in the DGWG Report • Pre-Application Reports • Technical Standards Review Group created • Ombudsperson: Trial period of 12 months • Continued Monthly Workshops and Reporting • Interim Penetration Screen • Interim Enforcement: Refund Policy • Withdrawal Process approved • New Timeframe for “Complex” projects • Circuits in Reporting • Compliance: Tariff changes • Compliance: Final Enforcement Mechanism • Compliance: Penetration Screen; Group Study

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Proposed Performance Metric

Statewide Performance on Expedited Projects without Supplemental Review (2009-Nov '13)*

* The interconnection timeline Enforcement Mechanism is not in effect. Slides portraying the impact of the enforcement metrics are for demonstration purposes and do not take into account delays due to (a) customer responses; (b) high volume applications; (c) increased complexity, and (d) clogged circuits.

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Proposed Performance Metric

Statewide Performance on Projects in the Metric (2009-Nov '13)

*Early ISA EXP projects are not identified. Est. assumes no early ISA's and all marked "TBD" did not require upgrades. **COMPLEX project types are not identified. Est. assumes all STD projects with modifications required substation mods and >$200k.

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What’s next? It’s key to watch for …

• DPU Order on Timeline Enforcement

Will the metric include all projects or limited sets?

• New Tariff

Group Study (1-yr trial)

Penetration Screen (100%)

Enforceable Timelines

• Continued Interconnection Progress

• Net Metering Legislation?

Creating A Cleaner Energy Future For the Commonwealth

DOER’s New Improved DG Website

• Interactive Interconnection Charts Aggregate Trends Application Process Time

• Dispute Resolution

• Workshops

• Hosts Grid Modernization and DG Integration

• Hosts Technical Standards Review Group

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http://www.bit.ly/MADGIC

Creating A Cleaner Energy Future For the Commonwealth

Helpful Links / Contacts

• DG Interconnection

DG Website: http://bit.ly/MADGIC distributed.generation@state.ma.us

• Solar Carve-Out

DOER Solar Website: www.mass.gov/energy/solar

Contact: DOER.SREC@state.ma.us mike.judge@state.ma.us

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Additional Material (not presented)

DPU 11-75-E Order (w/ notations)

• Approves Work Plan in the DGWG Report • Pre-Application Reports (to limit the # of speculative applications) • TSRG created (to allow non-utility engineer review and response) • Ombudsperson: Trial period of 12 months, now permanent (4/1/14) • Continued Monthly Workshops and Reporting (to track performance) • Interim Penetration Screen (67%; being revised to 100%) • Interim Enforcement: Refund Policy (Penalties proposed 10/2/13) • Withdrawal Process approved (streamlines utility work) • New Timeframe for “Complex” projects • Circuits in Reporting (to address clogged circuits)

Compliance: • Tariff changes (due w/in 30 days, effective 5/2/13) • Final Enforcement Mechanism (due 10/1/13, on schedule) • Penetration Screen; Group Study (due 2/28/14, on schedule)

Impact Study: 55>>75 days Detailed Study: 30>>75 days