Minnesota utility Xcel Energy was fined one million dollars on Thursday for exceeding a maximum number of customer service complaints as a result of significant delays in its processing of interconnection requests for solar projects. A ruling from the Minnesota…
interconnection 
Minnesota PUC Fines Xcel Energy $1 Million for Interconnection Failures
State Interconnection Rules: The Gatekeepers to Energy Storage
This article was originally published in the Fall 2020 issue of Solar Builder Magazine and on its website on November 19, 2020. FERC Order 841, which was upheld by a D.C. Circuit Court ruling this summer, made clear that states…
Overcoming the Barriers to Energy Storage Interconnection
New DOE-funded Project Will Develop Solutions to the Challenges of Storage Interconnection This article was originally published by North American Clean Energy. The energy storage industry has advanced rapidly, demonstrating the critical role storage technologies have to play in enabling…
Tagged with: batries, clean energy, DERs, distributed energy, energy, energy storage, grid, interconnection, project, Renewable Energy, solar, solar-plus-storage
How IEEE 1547.1-2020 Paves the Way for More Energy Storage & a Smarter Grid
This article originally appeared in Energy Storage News. A newly released standard creates nationally applicable guidance for DER manufacturers on how grid support functions in their products will be tested. This paves the way for U.S. states to adopt more modern…
New Project Will Tackle Barriers to Energy Storage Interconnection
Energy storage technologies have a crucial role to play in enabling the transition to a low-carbon economy. Despite significant growth of the energy storage market in recent years, the process of connecting this technology to the electricity grid remains complex…
Tagged with: clean energy, electricity, electricitygrid, energy storage, grid, interconnection, Renewable Energy, solar, solar energy, solar-plus-storage
Forward-thinking states charge ahead on energy storage
Although it may seem straightforward to integrate energy storage into state energy markets, the characteristics that make storage so valuable and attractive also make it challenging to address in policy and regulatory contexts.
The Evolution of Hosting Capacity Analysis as a Grid Modernization Tool
For anyone in the distributed energy industry, the term “hosting capacity analysis” is one to know. Hosting capacity analysis (HCA) is a new analytical tool that can help states and utilities plan for and build a cleaner electric grid that optimizes customer-driven distributed energy resources (DERs), such as rooftop solar and energy storage.
Interconnection Workshop at Solar Power Southeast
What’s working and what’s not working with interconnection in the Southeast and across the country? Join IREC and SEIA at Solar Power Southeast in Atlanta on May 14, 1:00-4:30 and find out!
Cornerstone for Next Generation Grid Activities: Forecasting DER Growth
Focused on a relatively uncharted frontier in energy planning – distributed energy resource forecasting – IREC regulatory experts examine what a DER forecast is, why it matters, and what states, regulators and utilities should consider as they navigate future grid planning efforts.
Want to Prevent Interconnection Gridlock? Make a Plan!
Despite the astoundIng increase of grid-connected solar from 2005 to 2013, U.S. utilities and developers still face interconnection challenges. With proper planning, however, and using integrated distribution planning (IDP), states can overcome major interconnection challenges, including closed circuits, that are hindering the integration of renewables.
