Senate File 29 - Introduced
SENATE FILE
BY KIBBIE
Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act providing for the development of a standardized
2 interconnection agreement applicable to utilization by small
3 wind energy conversion facilities.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
5 TLSB 1445XS 83
6 rn/nh/5
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 476.48 INTERCONNECTION
1 2 AGREEMENTS == SMALL WIND ENERGY CONVERSION FACILITIES.
1 3 1. The board shall develop a standardized interconnection
1 4 agreement which may be adopted and utilized by electric
1 5 utilities to interconnect with a small wind energy conversion
1 6 facility. For purposes of this section, a "small wind energy
1 7 conversion facility" means a wind turbine with a nameplate
1 8 generating capacity of less than five hundred kilowatts which
1 9 generates electricity primarily for on=site consumption.
1 10 2. The interconnection agreement shall set forth the
1 11 contractual conditions under which an electric utility and a
1 12 customer agree that a small wind energy conversion facility
1 13 may be interconnected with the utility. The agreement shall
1 14 specify or provide, at a minimum, the following:
1 15 a. A low=cost, safe, and standardized method or process
1 16 for interconnection.
1 17 b. The recognition of differing system requirements and
1 18 hardware, as well as the overall demand load requirements of
1 19 individual electric utilities.
1 20 c. Reasonable terms and conditions, consistent with the
1 21 cost and operating characteristics of applicable technologies,
1 22 to provide the electric utility and the customer with a
1 23 reasonable assurance of the safe, reliable, and efficient
1 24 operation of the interconnected equipment.
1 25 3. An electric utility may modify the provisions of the
1 26 standardized interconnection agreement as the utility
1 27 determines necessary to accomplish the provisions of
1 28 subsection 2. An electric utility subject to rate regulation
1 29 shall submit proposed modifications to the board for review
1 30 and approval.
1 31 4. To facilitate interconnection, the board shall also
1 32 establish an interconnection application form which may be
1 33 distributed by an electric utility or otherwise made available
1 34 to customers interested in interconnection.
1 35 5. An electric utility shall, regardless of whether it has
2 1 adopted the standardized interconnection agreement or
2 2 distributes or makes available the interconnection application
2 3 form, respond to a request or application by a small wind
2 4 energy conversion facility for interconnection with the
2 5 utility within sixty days from receipt of the request or
2 6 application.
2 7 6. Each electric utility shall maintain records concerning
2 8 applications received for interconnection with a small wind
2 9 energy conversion facility. The records shall include the
2 10 date each application is received, documents generated in the
2 11 course of processing each application, correspondence
2 12 regarding each application, and the final disposition of the
2 13 application. Based on these records, the utility shall file
2 14 with the board by a date determined by the board by rule an
2 15 interconnection report for the preceding calendar year
2 16 containing the following:
2 17 a. The number of applications received for interconnection
2 18 and their disposition.
2 19 b. Identification of each small wind energy conversion
2 20 facility interconnected with the utility's distribution
2 21 system, the capacity of the facility, and the point of
2 22 interconnection.
2 23 c. The number of discontinued interconnections during the
2 24 preceding calendar year.
2 25 EXPLANATION
2 26 This bill directs the Iowa utilities board to develop a
2 27 standardized interconnection agreement which may be adopted
2 28 and used by electric public utilities to interconnect with a
2 29 small wind energy conversion facility. The bill defines a
2 30 "small wind energy conversion facility" as a wind turbine with
2 31 a nameplate generating capacity of less than 500 kilowatts
2 32 which generates electricity primarily for on=site consumption.
2 33 The bill provides that the terms of the agreement shall
2 34 specify the contractual conditions for interconnection, and
2 35 reflect or contain a low=cost, safe, and standardized
3 1 interconnection process, recognition of differing system
3 2 requirements and hardware and the overall demand load
3 3 requirements of individual utilities, and terms and conditions
3 4 which provide a reasonable assurance of the safe, reliable,
3 5 and efficient operation of the interconnected equipment. The
3 6 bill authorizes a utility to modify the provisions of the
3 7 agreement as it determines necessary, and requires a utility
3 8 subject to the board's rate regulation authority to submit
3 9 proposed modifications to the board for review and approval.
3 10 The bill also directs the board to develop an application
3 11 form for distribution by a utility to customers interested in
3 12 interconnection. The bill states that whether or not a
3 13 utility adopts the standardized interconnection agreement or
3 14 distributes the application form, the utility must respond to
3 15 a request or application by a small wind energy conversion
3 16 facility for interconnection within 60 days. The bill
3 17 specifies record=keeping and reporting requirements applicable
3 18 to small wind energy conversion system interconnections.
3 19 LSB 1445XS 83
3 20 rn/nh/5