Region: Global
Country: Global / Non-Specific
Sectors: Energy and Power
Keywords: Contractual Provisions
DocumentLink(s):
Document(s):
Connecting to the Grid Guide (6th Ed.)2.05 MB
Document Summary:
Document Details:
It appears that a sleeping giant has finally awoken. Accelerated public interest in renewable energy in the United States has accompanied sustained, robust market growth by multiple distributed generation (DG) technologies in the last few years. At the same time, U.S. policymakers are working to address an armada of high-profile problems related to the generation of electricity by conventional means, including aging infrastructure and grid congestion, whopping electric-rate increases in many states, volatile natural-gas prices, global warming, diminished air quality and public health, the looming threat of brownouts and blackouts, energy insecurity, and energy inefficiency. While the true costs of conventional electricity generation become increasingly apparent, the price of distributed, renewable-energy systems continues to drop. Many policymakers have recognized that the need to facilitate the interconnection of clean, customer-sited DG systems to the electric grid is long past due.
Interconnection is an inherently complex issue due to the many technical and contractual considerations that need to be addressed. Many U.S. states, as well as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), have developed interconnection standards that specify the technical and policy requirements and terms that utilities and DG system owners must operate under. In other states, the absence of uniform interconnection standards significantly complicates the interconnection process and likely has obstructed the deployment of renewable-energy systems and other forms of DG, including combined heat and power (CHP).
For more information about this sector, please visit Public–Private Partnerships in Energy and Power.
Ref: IC-Guide
Updated: March 21, 2021