New Jersey lifts 2 MW cap for IC, proposes lifting 2 MW cap for NM
NEW JERSEY – Effective January 4, 2010, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities adopted amendments to its net Metering and interconnection rules. The Board originally published these proposed amendments in the New Jersey Register on June 1, 2009. The primary purpose of the amendments is to carry out certain changes required by recent changes…
NEW JERSEY – Effective January 4, 2010, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities adopted amendments to its net Metering and interconnection rules. The Board originally published these proposed amendments in the New Jersey Register on June 1, 2009. The primary purpose of the amendments is to carry out certain changes required by recent changes to the rules’ authorizing statute, the Electric Discount Energy Competition Act (EDECA) but also incorporate some program improvements that the BPU would like to implement based on its experience with net metering and interconnection. Most notably, these changes separated net metering rules from interconnection rules in the state’s administrative ruleset. Effectively speaking this removed the previous 2 MW limit for interconnected systems that the net metering rule had imposed.
In New Jersey there are three different levels of review procedures for interconnection applications, depending on size and certification. Level 1 applies to inverter-based systems with a capacity rating of 10 kilowatts (kW) or less. Level 2 applies to systems with a maximum capacity of 2 MW that are certified by a nationally-recognized testing and certification laboratory as meeting IEEE 1547 and UL 1741 compliance standards. Level 3 applies to systems that do not qualify for either the Level 1 or Level 2 interconnection review procedures.
Some language was also changed to clarify the procedure for bringing a system online after all interconnection application requirements have been met. The BPU additionally noted that the standard form Level 2 and 3 agreements are currently under development through the same process used to develop the recently revised level 1 agreement. The Board anticipates finalizing and distributing the level 2 and 3 agreements by early 2010.
Additionally, the BPU issued an amendment proposal to the state’s net metering rules. This proposal would effectively remove the 2MW cap for net metering systems.
