New AZ Rules to Streamline Distributed Generation and Storage Interconnection to Grid
IREC joins the Western Resource Advocates (WRA) and the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP) in praise for the Arizona Attorney General’s final approval this week of the state’s new rule for interconnection of distributed renewable energy facilities.
Making the interconnection of distributed generation and distributed storage more streamlined and less costly, the Arizona Attorney General, in a letter this week to the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC), approved the ACC’s adoption of the rule.
The new rule will speed up interconnection of new, distributed battery storage devices that customers are interested in connecting to the grid. It will also ensure that these devices will support the safety and reliability of the grid, and allow energy to be stored when the sun is shining, for use during evening hours when air conditioning is still needed but the sun is not out.
“We applaud Arizona’s adoption of these new statewide standards for interconnection which align with IREC’s objective of simple and fair interconnection for distributed energy resources,” said IREC President and CEO, Larry Sherwood. “By streamlining the interconnection of renewable energy and energy storage projects while ensuring reliability and safety, this rule will help advance the growth of clean energy in Arizona.”
“Western Resource Advocates is pleased that the final rule is now in place and available for customers to utilize, making the interconnection of distributed generation and distributed storage more streamlined and less costly,” said Ken Wilson, engineering fellow with Western Resource Advocates. “The rules should be a model for other states in the Intermountain West, where the abundance of solar energy makes distributed solar generation an important customer choice.”
On November 1, 2019, the ACC approved this interconnection rule that will standardize how distributed generation technologies connect to the grid. These technologies include solar panels, batteries, and combined heat and power systems. The Attorney General’s letter this week makes the rule final.
In a news release, WRA and SWEEP said: “We appreciate the technical consultation and assistance provided by IREC during the course of the proceeding.”
IREC is actively working in many states, advocating for progressive interconnection rules.
