§ 75.38. Level 2 interconnection review.
(a) An EDC shall use the Level 2 interconnection review procedure for an interconnection request that meets the criteria in § 75.34(2) (relating to review procedures). An EDC may not impose additional requirements for Level 2 reviews not specifically authorized under this subchapter.
(b) The Level 2 screening criteria must consist of:
(1) For interconnection of a proposed small generator facility to a radial distribution circuit, the aggregated generation on the circuit, including the proposed small generator facility, may not exceed 15% of the line section annual peak load.
(2) For interconnection of a proposed small generator facility to the load side of spot network protectors, the proposed small generator facility shall utilize an inverter-based equipment package. The customer interconnection equipment proposed for the small generator facility must be certified and, when aggregated with other generation, may not exceed 5% of a spot network’s maximum load.
(3) The proposed small generator facility, in aggregation with other generation on the distribution circuit, may not contribute more than 10 % to the distribution circuit’s maximum fault current at the point on the primary voltage distribution line nearest the point of common coupling.
(4) The proposed small generator facility, in aggregate with other generation on the distribution circuit, may not cause any distribution protective devices and equipment (including substation breakers, fuse cutouts, and line reclosers), or other customer equipment on the electric distribution system to be exposed to fault currents exceeding 85% of the short circuit interrupting capability. The interconnection request may not request interconnection on a circuit that already exceeds 85% of the short circuit interrupting capability.
(5) The proposed small generator facility’s point of interconnection may not be on a transmission line.
(6) When a customer-generator facility is to be connected to 3 phase, 3 wire primary EDC distribution lines, a 3 phase or single-phase generator shall be connected phase-to-phase.
(7) When a customer-generator facility is to be connected to 3 phase, 4 wire primary EDC distribution lines, a 3 phase or single phase generator will be connected line-to-neutral and will be effectively grounded.
(8) This Level 2 screen includes a review of the type of electrical service provided to the interconnection customer, including line configuration and the transformer connection to limit the potential for creating over voltages on the EDC’s electric distribution system due to a loss of ground during the operating time of any anti-islanding function.
(9) When the proposed small generator facility is to be interconnected on single-phase shared secondary line, the aggregate generation capacity on the shared secondary line, including the proposed small generator facility, will not exceed 20 kW.
(10) When a proposed small generator facility is single-phase and is to be interconnected on a center tap neutral of a 240 volt service, its addition may not create an imbalance between the two sides of the 240 volt service of more than 20% of the nameplate rating of the service transformer.
(11) A small generator facility, in aggregate with other generation interconnected to the distribution side of a substation transformer feeding the circuit where the small generator facility proposes to interconnect, may not exceed 2 MW in an area where there are known or posted transient stability limitations to generating units located in the general electrical vicinity (for example, three or four distribution busses from the point of interconnection).
(12) Except as permitted by an additional review under the standard small generator interconnection agreement, no construction of facilities by an EDC on its own system will be required to accommodate the small generator facility.
(c) The Level 2 interconnection procedure must consist of the following:
(1) An EDC shall, within 10 business days after receipt of the interconnection request, inform the applicant that the interconnection request is complete or incomplete and what materials are missing.
(2) When an EDC determines additional information is required to complete an evaluation, the EDC shall request the information. The time necessary to complete the evaluation may be extended, but only to the extent of the delay required for receipt of the additional information. The EDC may not revert to the start of the review process or alter the interconnection customer’s queue position.
(3) When an interconnection request is complete, the EDC shall assign a queue position. The queue position of the interconnection request shall be used to determine the potential adverse system impact of the small generator facility based on the relevant screening criteria. The EDC shall schedule a scoping meeting to notify the interconnection customer about other higher-queued interconnection customers on the same substation bus or spot network for which interconnection is sought.
(4) Within 20 business days after the EDC notifies the interconnection customer it has received a completed interconnection request, the EDC shall:
(i) Evaluate the interconnection request using the Level 2 screening criteria.
(ii) Review the interconnection customer’s analysis, if provided by interconnection customer, using the same criteria.
(iii) Provide the interconnection customer with the EDC’s evaluation, including a comparison of the results of its own analyses with those of interconnection customer, if applicable. When an EDC does not have a record of receipt of the interconnection request and the applicant can demonstrate that the original interconnection request was delivered, the EDC shall expedite its review to complete the evaluation of the interconnection request within 20 business days of the applicant’s resubmittal.
(5) Upon notice within 10 business days after receipt of the certificate of completion, the EDC may conduct a witness test at a mutually convenient time. If the EDC does not conduct the witness test within 10 business days or within the time otherwise mutually agreed to by the parties, the witness test is deemed waived.
(d) When an EDC determines that the interconnection request passes the Level 2 screening criteria, or fails one or more of the Level 2 screening criteria but determines that the small generator facility can be interconnected safely and reliably, it shall provide the interconnection customer a standard small generator interconnection agreement within 5 business days after the determination.
(e) Additional review may be appropriate when a small generator facility has failed to meet one or more of the Level 2 screens. An EDC shall offer to perform additional review to determine whether minor modifications to the electric distribution system would enable the interconnection to be made consistent with safety, reliability and power quality criteria. The EDC shall provide the applicant with a nonbinding, good faith estimate of the costs of additional review and minor modifications. The EDC shall undertake the additional review or modifications only after the applicant consents to pay for the review and modifications.
(f) An interconnection customer shall have 30 business days or another mutually agreeable time frame after receipt of the standard small generator interconnection agreement to sign and return the agreement. When an interconnection customer does not sign the agreement within 30 business days, the interconnection request will be deemed withdrawn unless the interconnection customer requests to have the deadline extended. The request for extension may not be unreasonably denied by the EDC. When construction is required, the interconnection of the small generator facility will proceed according to any milestones agreed to by the parties in the standard small generator interconnection agreement. The interconnection agreement may not become final until:
(1) The milestones agreed to in the standard small generator interconnection agreement are satisfied.
(2) The small generator facility is approved by electric code officials with jurisdiction over the interconnection.
(3) The interconnection customer provides a certificate of completion to the EDC. Completion of local inspections may be designated on inspection forms used by local inspecting authorities.
(4) There is a successful completion of the witness test, unless waived.
(g) If the small generator facility is not approved under a Level 2 review, the interconnection customer may submit a new interconnection request for consideration under a Level 3 or Level 4 interconnection review; however, the queue position assigned to the Level 2 interconnection request shall be retained.
Cross References This section cited in 52 Pa. Code § 69.2101 (relating to statement of scope); 52 Pa. Code § 69.2102 (relating to statement of purpose); 52 Pa. Code § 69.2103 (relating to definitions); and 52 Pa. Code § 69.2104 (relating to interconnection application fees).
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