38.5.8408 ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

(1) The interconnection applicant is responsible for construction of all generator facilities and obtaining any necessary local code official approval.

(2) To assist customers in the interconnection process, the EDC must:

(a) Maintain all interconnection related documents on their proprietary web site;

(b) Designate an employee or office from which basic information on the application can be obtained through an informal process and prominently display the contact information on the proprietary web site required in (a); and

(c) Upon the customer's request, meet with the customer prior to submission of an application for expedited interconnection.

(3) When an interconnection request for a small generator facility includes multiple energy production devices at a site for which the applicant seeks a single point of interconnection, the interconnection request shall be evaluated on the basis of the aggregate nameplate capacity of multiple devices.

(4) When an interconnection request is for an increase in capacity for an existing small generator facility, the interconnection request shall be evaluated on the basis of the new total nameplate capacity of the small generator facility.

(5) When an interconnection request is deemed complete, any modification that is not agreed to in writing by the EDC shall require submission of a new interconnection request.

(6) Small generator facilities shall be capable of being isolated from the EDC by means of a lockable, visible-break isolation device accessible by the EDC. The isolation device shall be installed, owned, and maintained by the owner of the small generation facility and located between the small generation facility and the point of interconnection.

(7) Any metering necessitated by a small generator interconnection shall be installed, operated, and maintained in accordance with applicable tariffs. Any such metering requirements must be clearly identified as part of the standard generator interconnection agreement executed by the interconnection customer and the EDC.

(8) EDC monitoring and control of a small generator facility is permitted only if the nameplate capacity rating of the small generator facility interconnecting to the EDS, or the aggregate nameplate capacity of all small generator facilities on the line section in combination with the small generator facility interconnecting to the EDS, is greater than 15% of the line section annual peak load as most recently measured at the substation or exceeds the annual minimum load of the line section. Any monitoring and control requirements shall be consistent with the EDC's written and published requirements and must be clearly identified as part of an interconnection agreement executed by the interconnection customer and EDC.

(9) The EDC shall have the option of performing a witness test to verify the small generator facility complies with the standards listed in ARM 38.5.8407 after construction of the small generator facility is completed. The applicant shall provide the EDC at least 20 business days notice of the planned commissioning test for the small generator facility. If the EDC elects to perform a witness test, it shall contact the applicant to schedule the witness test at a mutually agreeable time within ten business days of the scheduled commissioning test. If the EDC does not perform the witness test within ten business days of the commissioning test, the witness test is deemed waived. If the witness test is not acceptable to the EDC, the EDC must document all deficiencies and provide a written report identifying the deficiencies to the applicant within five business days of the witness test. The applicant shall be granted a period of 30 business days to address and resolve any deficiencies. If the applicant fails to address and resolve the deficiencies to the satisfaction of the EDC, the interconnection request shall be deemed withdrawn. If a witness test is not performed by the EDC or an entity approved by the EDC, the applicant must still satisfy the interconnection test specifications and requirements set forth in IEEE standard 1547-2003 Section 5. The applicant shall, if requested by the EDC, provide a copy of all documentation in its possession regarding testing conducted pursuant to IEEE Standard 1547.1-2005.

(10) Once an interconnection has been approved under this rule, the EDC may not require a customer-generator to test its facility except for the following:

(a) For Levels 2 and 3, an annual test in which the customer-generator's facility is disconnected from the EDC's equipment to ensure that the generator stops delivering power to the grid, and any manufacturer recommended testing; and

(b) For Level 4, all interconnection related protective functions and associated batteries shall be periodically tested according to the following:

(i) Intervals specified by the manufacturer; or

(ii) Intervals agreed upon by the EDC and customer-generator; and

(11) An EDC shall have the right to inspect a customer-generator's facility before and after interconnection approval is granted, at reasonable hours and with reasonable prior notice provided to the customer-generator. If the EDC discovers the customer-generator's facility is not in compliance with the requirements of IEEE Standard 1547-2003, and the noncompliance adversely affects the safety or reliability of the electric system, the EDC may require disconnection of the customer-generator's facility until it complies. Immediately upon disconnection of the customer-generator's facility, the EDC shall provide a written report detailing how the customer-generator's facility is not complying with IEEE Standard 1547-2003 or these rules.

(12) Each utility subject to these rules must file with the commission an annual report detailing:

(a) the number of interconnection requests from each request described in ARM 38.5.8409 through 38.5.8412;

(b) the number of interconnections approved, failed, or withdrawn/abandoned at each level;

(c) the total amount of generation exported to the utility's system for the twelve-month period ending December 31 of the prior year, including amount of distributed energy resource generation exported to the utility's system, tabulated by resource type; and

(d) the average time of approval for small generator interconnection requests at Level 1.

History: 69-3-103, MCA; IMP, 69-3-102, MCA; NEW, 2010 MAR p. 1801, Eff. 8/13/10; AMD, 2020 MAR p. 2147, Eff. 11/21/20.