2019 -- H 6136

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LC002669

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2019

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- DISTRIBUTED GENERATION

INTERCONNECTION

     

     Introduced By: Representatives McKiernan, Caldwell, Solomon, Johnston, and
Edwards

     Date Introduced: May 22, 2019

     Referred To: House Corporations

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 39-26.3-4.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 39-26.3 entitled

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"Distributed Generation Interconnection" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     39-26.3-4.1. Interconnection standards.

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     (a) The electric distribution company may only charge an interconnecting, renewable-

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energy customer for any system modifications to its electric power system specifically necessary

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for and directly related to the interconnection. The electric distribution company shall provide a

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detailed audit and account of its actual cost to the interconnecting customer within ninety (90)

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calendar days of completing any system modifications including any and all supporting records

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and documentation.

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     (b) If the public utilities commission determines that a specific system modification

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benefiting other customers has been accelerated due to an interconnection request, it may order

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the interconnecting customer to fund the modification subject to repayment of the depreciated

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value of the modification as of the time the modification would have been necessary as

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determined by the public utilities commission. Any system modifications benefiting other

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customers shall be included in rates as determined by the public utilities commission.

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     (c) If an interconnecting, renewable-energy customer is required to pay for system

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modifications and a subsequent renewable-energy or commercial customer relies on those

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modifications to connect to the distribution system within ten (10) years of the earlier

 

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interconnecting, renewable-energy customer's payment, the subsequent customer will shall make

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a prorated contribution toward the cost of the system modifications that will which shall be

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credited to the earlier interconnecting, renewable-energy customer as determined by the public

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utilities commission.

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     (d)(1) An electric distribution company shall acknowledge to the interconnecting,

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renewable-energy customer receipt of an application to initiate the interconnection process within

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three (3) business days of receipt. The electric distribution company shall notify the

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interconnecting, renewable-energy customer in writing within ten (10) business days of receipt

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that the application is or is not complete and, if not, advise what is missing. of any and all

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elements of the application that are incomplete within the ten (10) business days. Once the

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incomplete items are addressed, the electric distribution company shall conduct a supplemental

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completeness review and application screening within no more than five (5) business days,

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notifying the applicant which interconnection process will be followed and whether their

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application is incomplete or deficient and providing a complete and specific list of any and all

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incomplete items or deficiencies and provide specific detailed instructions or recommendations

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on why items are deficient and how to correct any remaining deficiencies in a form that enables

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the applicant to fully address them. Once the deficient items are then addressed, the electric

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distribution company shall issue a final decision on all screens and on which interconnection

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process shall be followed within two (2) business days.

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     (2) As long as the interconnecting customer provides all requested information within ten

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(10) business days of the request, the interconnection deadlines in this section shall not be

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extended. The electric distribution company shall maintain an example of a complete and current

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model interconnection application with all required attachments and supplemental information in

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an easily accessible location on its website for ease of reference. The model application shall be

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updated within five (5) business days of any update to any of the electric distribution company's

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technical standards or specifications for interconnection pursuant to the provisions of subsection

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(g) of this section. Any disputes regarding whether and when an application to initiate the

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interconnection process is complete shall be resolved expeditiously at the public utilities

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commission.

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     (3) The maximum time allowed between the date of the completed application and

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delivery of an executable interconnection service agreement shall be one hundred seventy-five

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(175) calendar days or two hundred (200) calendar days if a detailed study is required. All electric

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distribution company system modifications must shall be completed by the date which is the later

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of:

 

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     (1)(i) No longer than two hundred seventy (270) calendar days, or three hundred sixty

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(360) calendar days if substation work is necessary, from the date of the electric distribution

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company's receipt of the interconnecting, renewable-energy customer's executed interconnection

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service agreement; or

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     (2)(ii) The interconnecting, renewable-energy customer's agreed upon extension of the

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time between the execution of the interconnection service agreement and interconnection as set

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forth in writing. All deadlines herein are subject to all payments being made in accordance with

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the distributed generation interconnection tariff on file with the public utilities commission and

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the interconnection service agreement.

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     These system modification deadlines cannot shall not be extended due to customer delays

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in providing required information or the electric distribution company's studies, including, but not

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limited to, transmission studies, all of which must be requested, and obtained and completed

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within the time period required for before completion of the impact study. The deadlines for

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completion of system modifications will be extended only to the extent of events that are clearly

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not under the control of the electric distribution company, such as extended prohibitive weather,

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union work stoppage or force majeure, or third-party delays, including, without limitation, delays

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due to ISO-NE requirements not attributable to electric distribution company actions, and which

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cannot be resolved despite commercially reasonable efforts. The electric distribution company

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shall notify the customer of the start of any claimed deadline extension as soon as practicable

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within five (5) business days of occurrence to allow for customer intervention and involvement,

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provide information of its cause and shall also inform the customer of when it concludes, all in

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writing.

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     (4) Any actual, indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages that a

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court of competent jurisdiction orders the electric distribution company to pay to an

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interconnecting, renewable-energy customer as a direct result of the electric distribution

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company's failure to comply with the requirements of this subsection shall be payable by its

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shareholders and may not be recovered from customers, provided that the total amount of

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damages awarded for any and all such claims shall not exceed, in the aggregate, an amount equal

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to the amount of the incentive the electric distribution company would have earned as provided

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for in ยงยง 39-26.6-12(j)(3) and 39-26.1-4 in the year in which the system modifications were

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required to be completed. In no event shall the electric distribution company be liable to the

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interconnecting, renewable-energy customer for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or

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punitive damages of any kind whatsoever as a result of the electric distribution company's failure

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to comply with this section.

 

LC002669 - Page 3 of 5

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     (e) On or before September 1, 2017, the public utilities commission shall initiate a docket

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to establish metrics for the electric distribution company's performance in meeting the time

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frames set forth herein and in the distributed generation interconnection standards approved by

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the public utilities commission. The public utilities commission may include incentives and

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penalties in the performance metrics.

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     (f) The proposed interconnection of any new renewable energy resource that replaces the

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same existing renewable energy resource of the same or less nameplate capacity that has been in

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operation in the twelve (12) months preceding notification of such replacement shall be subject to

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a sixty-day (60) review. The purpose of such sixty-day (60) review is to allow the electric

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distribution company to determine whether any system modifications are required to support the

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interconnection of the replacement renewable energy resource. If there is a need for system

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modifications because of an interconnection policy change implemented by the electric

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distribution company, then the system modification may be included in rates as determined by the

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public utilities commission. If there is a need for system modifications only because of a change

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in the rating or utility disturbance response that adversely affects the impact of the facility on the

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distribution system, then the interconnecting, renewable-energy customer shall be responsible for

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the cost of the system modifications.

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     (g) The electric distribution company shall not change or amend technical standards,

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specifications or provisions of the electric system bulletin (ESB) for interconnection within the

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state without approval of the public utilities commission (PUC) and without publishing any

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proposed change or amendment to customers no less than thirty (30) calendar days prior to

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implementation. Any changed or amended interconnection standards, specifications or provisions

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shall not apply to interconnecting customers with completed interconnection service.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- DISTRIBUTED GENERATION

INTERCONNECTION

***

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     This act would provide that an electric distribution company shall provide the actual cost

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of interconnecting to the customer within ninety (90) calendar days of system modification. It

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would also provide the electric system bulletin may only be amended with public utilities

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commission (PUC) approval and after thirty (30) calendar days' notice to customers.

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Amendments are not to apply to customers with completed interconnection service.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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