New York State Public Service Commission updates solar grid interconnection rules

The New York State Public Service Commission updated its rules and requirements for interconnection to the power grid for solar projects over 50 kilowatts (kW) this week, in order to clear out an accumulation of inactive project proposals and enable well-developed projects to be completed.

“These new requirements will help determine whether a proposed solar project is viable and should move forward to construction, providing clean renewable power for customers,” Commission Chair Audrey Zibelman said. “Every proposal requires a lengthy, in-depth analysis to determine whether it is feasible and, too often, unrealistic projects have been getting in the way of workable proposals. We expect these new
rules to have a tremendous impact on moving new net-metering, remote net-metering, and community distributed generation projects forward throughout the state.”

More than 2,000 solar projects between 50 kW and 2 megawatts were proposed between April and December 2016, which led to the interconnection backlog.

The new rules include fixed decision deadlines, cost-sharing requirements for system upgrades necessary for connecting large solar projects to the grid and a requirement that developers show that they have obtained consent from property owners in order to remain in the queue.

“This change should eliminate conflicts where two or more developers have filed applications seeking to interconnect projects on the same site,” Zibelman said. “The disclosure requirement will also ensure that property owners are fully informed of proposals and activities that would affect their property.”

“We thank the Commission for its action to remove key hurdles to community solar development, and for creating a forum in which utilities and solar companies could work together effectively on solutions to advance clean energy development,” Jeff Cramer, Executive Director of the Coalition for Community Solar Access, said. “This marks one of the final puzzle pieces in making New York’s much-anticipated community solar market a reality.”