(1) Standard application.
(a) The electrical company must file a standard application form with the commission that potential interconnection customers must use to request interconnection under this chapter. The interconnection customer's request must include the application fee established in subsection (5) of this section.
The electrical company must make the standard application form available on its website and, unless unreasonably burdensome, allow for submission via the internet.
(b) Notification of potential voltage irregularities. Application materials shall include a notice explaining that voltage may be routinely at the upper limits of the range described in WAC 480-100-373, and this may limit the ability of a generating facility to export power to the electric system. (2) Point of contact and information disclosure. The electrical company must designate a point of contact and publish a telephone number and website address for the purpose of assisting potential interconnection customers. The electrical company must comply with reasonable requests for information including relevant system studies, interconnection studies, and other materials useful for a potential interconnection customer to understand the circumstances of an interconnection at a particular point on the electric system, to the extent provision of such information does not violate confidentiality provisions of prior electrical company agreements.
(3) When a potential interconnection customer requests interconnection from the electrical company, the potential interconnection customer must conform to the rules and regulations in effect and on file with the electrical company. The potential interconnection customer seeking to interconnect a generating facility under this chapter must fill out and submit, electronically or otherwise, a signed application form to the electrical company. Information on the form must be accurate and complete.
(4) Phased installation. When a project is designed for phased installation, the potential interconnection customer may choose to submit an application for approval of the final project size, or may choose to submit applications at each phase of the project. Each application will be evaluated based on the nameplate capacity stated on the application. If separate applications are submitted for each phase of a project, a separate application fee is required for each phase of the project.
(a) If the potential interconnection customer applies with a final phased in project size and the electrical company approves the application, then the potential interconnection customer must notify the electrical company as additional units are added.
(b) If a potential interconnection customer submits an application for an individual phase of a project, the potential interconnection customer may not develop the project beyond the size approved.
(5) Application fees. The electrical company must establish a nonrefundable interconnection application fee set according to facility size to be paid by the interconnection customer to the electrical company when the interconnection customer submits its application. If an application is withdrawn, the application fee shall be applied to a request for reapplication submitted within thirty business days of the withdrawal. The fee, intended to cover the costs of processing the application, will be no greater than:
(a) One hundred dollars for facilities 0 to 25 kilowatts (kW);
(b) Five hundred dollars for facilities 26 to 500 kW; and
(c) One thousand dollars for facilities 500 kW to 20 MW.
(6) Nondiscriminatory processing and evaluation. All generating facility interconnection applications will be processed and evaluated by the electrical company in a nondiscriminatory manner, consistent with other service requests and in a manner that does not delay other service requests. The electrical company must document the date and time that all interconnection applications are received.
(7) Timelines. The timeline for the application review process begins when the interconnection application and application fee are received. A project enters the queue on the date that the electrical company sends a notice of complete application to the interconnection customer, as described in this section. An electrical company may send any notice described in this section by electronic mail.
(8) Tier 1 applications.
(a) Tier 1 standard application. Deviations from standard business practices described in this subsection are not violations of this rule. The electrical company's standard business practice for Tier 1 interconnection applications, shall:
(i) Offer a single application for interconnection, net metering and production metering; and
(ii) Include, in the same package as the notice of approval, an executable interconnection agreement and if applicable:
(A) The dollar amount due to complete the interconnection including the cost of the production meter;
(B) An executable net metering agreement;
(C) Notice of the steps the interconnection customer must take to receive any renewable energy production incentive payments administered by the electrical company;
(D) Any other information likely to expedite the remainder of the interconnection process.
(b) Tier 1 application timeline.
(i) Notice of receipt. Notice of receipt of an application and application fee shall be sent by the electrical company to the interconnection customer within five business days.
(ii) Notice of complete application.
(A) The electrical company shall notify the interconnection customer if the application is complete or incomplete, and if incomplete specifying any deficiencies, within ten business days after the notice of receipt of application.
(B) When an electrical company sends a notice of an incomplete application to an interconnection customer, the interconnection customer shall provide a complete application to the electrical company within fifteen business days of the notice. The electrical company may, but is not required to, grant an extension in writing. If the interconnection customer fails to complete the application, the application expires at the end of the incomplete application period.
(iii) Approval or denial. Within twenty business days after a complete application notice is sent to an interconnection customer, the electrical company shall approve, approve with conditions, or deny the application with written justification. The electrical company shall include, in the same package as the notice of approval, an executable interconnection agreement and any other information likely to expedite the remainder of the interconnection process. If delays result from unforeseen circumstances, customer variance requests, or other incentive program approval requirements, the customer shall be promptly notified.
(iv) Initial operation. An interconnection customer must interconnect and operate the generating facility within one year from the date of approval of the application, or the application expires, unless the electrical company, in its sole discretion, grants an extension in writing.
(9) Tier 2 application timeline.
(a) Notice of receipt. Notice of receipt of an application and application fee shall be sent by the electrical company to the interconnection customer within five business days.
(b) Notice of complete application.
(i) The electrical company shall notify the interconnection customer if the application is complete or incomplete, and if incomplete specifying any deficiencies, within ten business days after notice of receipt of application.
(ii) When an electrical company sends a notice of an incomplete application to an interconnection customer, the interconnection customer shall provide a complete application to the electrical company within fifteen business days of the notice. The electrical company may, but is not required to, grant an extension in writing. If the interconnection customer fails to complete the application, the application expires at the end of the incomplete application period.
(c) Approval or denial. Within thirty business days after a complete application notice is sent to an interconnection customer, the electrical company shall approve, approve with conditions, or deny the application with written justification. If delays result due to unforeseen circumstances, customer variance requests, or incentive program approval requirements, the interconnection customer shall be promptly notified.
(d) Offer of agreement. The electrical company must offer the interconnection customer an executable interconnection agreement within five business days of the notification of approval described in (c) of this subsection.
(e) Initial operation. An interconnection customer must interconnect and operate the generating facility within one year from the date of approval of the application, or the application expires, unless the electrical company, in its sole discretion, grants an extension in writing.
(10) Tier 3 application timeline.
(a) Notice of receipt. Notice of receipt of an application and application fee shall be sent by the electrical company to the interconnection customer within five business days.
(b) Notice of complete application.
(i) The electrical company shall notify the interconnection customer if the application is complete or incomplete, and if incomplete specifying any deficiencies, within ten business days after notice of receipt of application.
(ii) When an electrical company sends a notice of an incomplete application to an interconnection customer, the interconnection customer shall provide a complete application to the electrical company within thirty business days of the notice. The electrical company may, but is not required to, grant an extension in writing. If the interconnection customer fails to complete the application, the application expires at the end of the incomplete application period.
(c) Technical review and additional studies.
(i) Technical review. Once an application is accepted by the electrical company as complete, the electrical company will review the application to determine if the interconnection request complies with the technical standards established in WAC 480-108-020 and to determine whether any additional engineering, safety, reliability or other studies are required. If the electrical company determines that additional studies are required, the electrical company must provide the interconnection customer a form of agreement that includes a description of what studies are required and a good faith estimate of the cost and time necessary to perform the studies. The electrical company must notify the interconnection customer of the result of these determinations within thirty business days of when the application is deemed complete, as described in subsection (b) of this section. The interconnection customer may request that studies be combined.
(ii) Approval with no additional studies. If the electrical company notifies the interconnection customer that the request complies with the technical requirements established in WAC 480-108-020 and no additional studies are required to determine the feasibility of the interconnection, the electrical company must offer the interconnection customer an executable interconnection agreement within five business days of such notification. The electrical company also will provide any additional interim agreements, such as construction agreements, that may be necessary and a good faith estimate of the cost and time necessary to complete the interconnection.
(iii) Cost of additional studies and upgrades.
(A) Cost allocation. The interconnection customer is responsible for all reasonable costs incurred by the electrical company to study the proposed interconnection and to design and construct any required interconnection facilities or system upgrades. The interconnection customer is responsible for reasonable ongoing operation and maintenance costs for facilities added to the electric system that are dedicated to that interconnection customer's use.
(B) Cost disputes. Within thirty business days after receiving a notice that additional studies are required, as described in (c)(i) of this subsection, the interconnection customer may supply an alternative cost estimate from a third-party qualified to perform the studies required by the electrical company.
(C) Study agreement and deposit. After the electrical company and the interconnection customer agree on the estimated cost of the required studies and the identity of parties to perform the required studies, the interconnection customer and electrical company must execute an agreement describing these studies and any deposit to be paid to the electrical company. The deposit is not to exceed the lower of one thousand dollars, or fifty percent of the estimated study cost. After a study agreement is executed, the electrical company shall make its best effort to complete the required studies, consistent with time requirements for the studies and other service requests of a similar magnitude.
(iv) Denial after additional studies. The electrical company will provide the interconnection customer with the results of the studies conducted under this subsection. If the studies determine that the interconnection is not feasible, the electrical company will provide notice of denial to the interconnection customer and the reasons for the denial.
(v) Modification after additional studies. Based on the results of the studies, the electrical company and interconnection customer may agree to modify the previously complete application without penalty to the interconnection customer. A modified application shall be considered an approved final application.
(vi) Approval after additional studies. If the studies determine that the interconnection is feasible, the electrical company will notify the interconnection customer and provide an executable interconnection agreement to the interconnection customer within five business days of such notification if no system upgrades are required, or fifteen business days if system upgrades are required. The electrical company also will provide any additional interim agreements, such as construction agreements, that may be necessary and a good faith estimate of the cost and time necessary to complete the interconnection.
(vii) An interconnection customer's failure to execute and return completed agreements and required deposits within the time frames specified in this section or by the electrical company may result in termination of the application process by the electrical company under terms and conditions stated in such agreements.
(d) Other than modifications to the complete application described in (c)(v) of this subsection, changes by the interconnection customer to a previously approved completed application will be considered a new application and shall be accompanied by a new application fee. Denied applications expire on the date of denial.
(e) An interconnection customer must execute an interconnection agreement, and simultaneously pay any deposit required by the electrical company not to exceed fifty percent of the estimated costs to complete the interconnection, within thirty business days from the date of approval of the final application. At the electrical company's discretion, an extension may be granted in writing. If the electrical company must upgrade or construct new electric system facilities, the interconnection customer must meet the credit requirements of the electric company prior to the start of construction.
(f) Initial operation. An interconnection customer must begin operation of the generating facility within two years of the effective date of the interconnection agreement, or both the application and subsequent interconnection agreement expire. At the electrical company's discretion, an extension may be granted in writing.