4007 LEVEL 4 INTERCONNECTION REVIEWS

4007.1 The EDC shall use the Level 4 study review procedures for evaluating interconnection requests when:

1. (a) The nameplate capacity of the small generation facility is less than 10 MW;
2. (b) The interconnection request was not approved under a Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 expedited review and the interconnection customer has submitted an interconnection request for consideration under a Level 4 study review; and
3. (c) The interconnection request does not meet the criteria for qualifying for an expedited review under Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3 review procedures.

4007.2 The Level 4 review shall be conducted in accordance with the following process:

1. (a) Within ten (10) business days from receipt of an interconnection request, the EDC shall notify the interconnection customer whether the request is complete. When the interconnection request is deemed not complete, the EDC shall provide the interconnection customer with a written list detailing information required to complete the interconnection request. The interconnection customer shall have ten (10) business days to provide appropriate data in order to complete the interconnection request, or the interconnection request shall be considered withdrawn. The parties may agree to extend the time for receipt of the additional information. The interconnection request shall be deemed complete when the required information has been provided by the interconnection customer, or the parties have agreed that the interconnection customer may provide additional information at a later time.
2. (b) When an interconnection request is complete, the EDC shall assign a queue position. The queue position of an interconnection request shall be used to determine the cost responsibility necessary for the facilities to accommodate the interconnection. The EDC shall notify the interconnection customer about other higher-queued interconnection customers that have the potential to impact the cost responsibility.
3. (c) The following procedures shall be followed in performing a Level 4 study review:
4. (1) By mutual agreement of the parties, the scoping meeting, interconnection feasibility study, interconnection impact study, or interconnection facilities study provided for in a Level 4 review and discussed in this paragraph may be waived;
5. (2) If agreed to by the parties, a scoping meeting shall be held within ten (10) business days, or other mutually agreed to time, after the EDC has notified the interconnection customer that the interconnection request is deemed complete, or the interconnection customer has requested that its interconnection request proceed after failing the requirements of a Level 2 review or Level 3 review. The purpose of the meeting shall be to review the interconnection request, existing studies relevant to the interconnection request, and the results of the Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3 screening criteria;
6. (3) When the parties agree at a scoping meeting that an interconnection feasibility study shall be performed, the EDC shall provide to the interconnection customer, no later than five (5) business days after the

scoping meeting, an interconnection feasibility study agreement, including an outline of the scope of the study and a nonbinding good faith estimate of the cost to perform the study;

1. (4) When the parties agree at a scoping meeting that an interconnection feasibility study is not required, the EDC shall provide to the interconnection customer, no later than five (5) business days after the scoping meeting, an interconnection system impact study agreement, including an outline of the scope of the study and a nonbinding good faith estimate of the cost to perform the study; and
2. (5) When the parties agree at the scoping meeting that an interconnection feasibility study and system impact study are not required, the EDC shall provide to the interconnection customer, no later than five (5) business days after the scoping meeting, an interconnection facilities study agreement including an outline of the scope of the study and a nonbinding good faith estimate of the cost to perform the study.(d) Any required interconnection studies shall be carried out using the following guidelines:- (1) An interconnection feasibility study shall include the following analyses and conditions for the purpose of identifying and addressing potential adverse system impacts to the EDC's electric distribution system that would result from the interconnection:
3. (A) Initial identification of any circuit breaker short circuit capability limits exceeded as a result of the interconnection;
4. (B) Initial identification of any thermal overload or voltage limit violations resulting from the interconnection;
5. (C) Initial review of grounding requirements and system protection;
6. (D) Description and nonbinding estimated cost of facilities required to interconnect the small generator facility to the EDC's electric distribution system in a safe and reliable manner; and
7. (E) Additional evaluations at the expense of the interconnection customer, when an interconnection customer requests that the interconnection feasibility study evaluate multiple potential points of interconnection.
8. (2) An interconnection system impact study shall evaluate the impact of the proposed interconnection on both the safety and reliability of the EDC's electric distribution system. The study shall identify and detail the system impacts that result when a small generator facility is interconnected without project or system modifications, focusing on the adverse system impacts identified in the interconnection feasibility study or potential impacts including those identified in the scoping meeting. The study shall consider all generating facilities that, on the date the interconnection system impact study is commenced, are directly interconnected with the EDC's system, have a pending higher queue position to interconnect to the system, or have a signed a small generator interconnection agreement.

(A) A distribution interconnection system impact study shall be performed when a potential distribution system adverse system impact is identified in the interconnection feasibility study. The EDC shall send the interconnection customer an interconnection system impact study agreement within five (5) business days of transmittal of the interconnection feasibility study report. The agreement shall include an outline of the scope of the study and a good faith estimate of the cost to perform the study. The impact study shall include:

i. A load flow study;

ii. Identification of affected systems;

iii. An analysis of equipment interrupting ratings;

iv. A protection coordination study;

v. Voltage drop and flicker studies;

vi. Protection and set point coordination studies;

vii. Grounding reviews; and

viii. Impact on system operation.

(B) An interconnection system impact study shall consider the following criteria:

i. A short circuit analysis;

ii. A stability analysis;

iii. Alternatives for mitigating adverse system impacts on affected systems;

iv. Voltage drop and flicker studies;

v. Protection and set point coordination studies; and

vi. Grounding reviews.

(C) The final interconnection system impact study shall provide the following:

i. The underlying assumptions of the study;

ii. The results of the analyses;

iii. A list of any potential impediments to providing the requested interconnection service;

iv. Required distribution upgrades; and

v. A nonbinding good faith estimate of cost and time to construct any required distribution upgrades.

(D) The parties shall use an interconnection impact study agreement approved by the Commission.

(3) The interconnection facilities study shall be conducted as follows:

(A) Within five (5) business days of completion of the interconnection system impact study, the EDC shall transmit a report to the interconnection customer with an interconnection facilities study agreement, which includes an outline of the scope of the study and a nonbinding good faith estimate of the cost to perform the study;

(B) The interconnection facilities study shall estimate the cost of the equipment, engineering, procurement and construction work including overheads needed to implement the conclusions of the interconnection feasibility study and the interconnection system impact study to interconnect the small generator facility. The interconnection facilities study shall identify:

i. The electrical switching configuration of the equipment, including transformer, switchgear, meters and other station equipment;

ii. The nature and estimated cost of the EDC's interconnection facilities and distribution upgrades necessary to accomplish the interconnection; and

iii. An estimate of the time required to complete the construction and installation of the facilities;

(C) The parties may agree to permit an interconnection customer to separately arrange for a third party to design and construct the required interconnection facilities. The EDC may review the design of the facilities under the interconnection facilities study agreement. When the parties agree to separately arrange for design and construction and to comply with security and confidentiality requirements, the EDC shall make all relevant information and required specifications available to the interconnection customer to permit the interconnection customer to obtain an independent design and cost estimate for the facilities, which shall be built in accordance with the specifications;

(D) Upon completion of the interconnection facilities study, and with the agreement of the interconnection customer to pay for the interconnection facilities and distribution upgrades identified in the interconnection facilities study, the EDC shall provide the interconnection customer with a small generator interconnection agreement within five (5) business days; and

(E) The parties shall use an interconnection facility study agreement approved by the Commission.

(e) When an EDC determines, as a result of the studies conducted under a Level 4 review, that it is appropriate to interconnect the small generator facility, the EDC shall provide the interconnection customer with a small generator interconnection agreement. If the interconnection request is denied, the EDC shall provide a written explanation;

(f) An interconnection customer shall have thirty (30) business days, or another mutually agreeable time frame, after submission of the small generator interconnection agreement to sign and return the agreement. If an interconnection customer does not sign the agreement within thirty (30) business days, the interconnection request shall be deemed withdrawn unless the interconnection customer requests to have the deadline extended by the thirtieth (30th) business day. The request for extension may not be unreasonably denied by the EDC. When construction is required, the interconnection of the small generator facility shall proceed according to milestones agreed to by the parties in the small generator interconnection agreement. The small generator interconnection agreement may not be final until:

(1) The milestones agreed to in the small generator interconnection agreement are satisfied;

(2) The small generator facility is approved by electric code officials with jurisdiction over the interconnection;

(3) The interconnection customer provides a certificate of completion to the EDC. Completion of local inspections may be designated on inspection forms used by local inspecting authorities; and

(4) There is a successful completion of the witness test per the terms and conditions found in the Standard Agreement for Interconnection of Small Generator Facilities, unless waived.

4007.3 An interconnection system impact study is not required when the interconnection feasibility study concludes there is no adverse system impact, or when the study identifies an adverse system impact, but the EDC is able to identify a remedy without the need for an interconnection system impact study.

4007.4 The parties shall use a form of interconnection feasibility study agreement approved by the Commission.

SOURCE: As amended by Final Rulemaking published at 56 DCR 1415, 1418 (February 13, 2009).