Optimizing the Interconnection Process for Renewables & Storage

December 5-6, 2023 | Online :: Central Time

1223-interconnection

“Great overview of emerging and current technologies in the LDES space with diverse perspectives from utilities, manufacturers and other renewable/resilient energy focused organizations.” Mechanical Engineer, RMS Group

“For industry relevant topics and expert content EUCI can’t be beat!” Manager of Transmission, Savion, LLC

“The interaction with EUCI and the attendees gives everyone the ability to lean on each other experiences that hopefully mitigate the challenges when you happen to go thru the same thing yourself.” Ameren Illinois

The process for interconnecting the new generation of renewable energy and storage resources to the electric grid, both large scale and small scale, has emerged as one of the most troubling aspects of deploying renewable energy resources and decarbonizing the grid. Special consideration is required for renewable and battery projects during the interconnection process to ensure these resources are connected to the grid in an optimal way that maintains system stability and reliability. Often, however, procedural delays, conflicting regulatory requirements, a balky supply chain, coordination with transmission operators and other externalities dog down the system.

This conference will provide a forum for project developers, vertically integrated utilities, transmission and distribution utilities, balancing authorities, system operators and policy makers to share their expertise and discuss best practices for optimizing the interconnection process. The content will address both large and small generation projects to:

• Compare the interconnection processes and experiences of different entities across the country
• Identify the technical requirements of the interconnection process from start to finish
• Evaluate the impact of existing and potential regulatory and policy directions at the federal and state levels

Learning Outcomes

• Identify the latest interconnection regulatory changes and rulemakings in process on the state and FERC level
• Examine interconnection processes of utilities in multiple regions of the country and how they are managing increasing volumes of interconnection applications
• Assess specific challenges for interconnecting grid-scale wind, solar and battery projects
• Assess specific challenges for interconnecting distributed energy resources (DERs)
• Evaluate issues associated with hybrid storage interconnections
• Review the interconnection process from the perspectives and experiences of:
  • Investor-owned utilities in regulated and retail markets
  • Renewable and storage project developers
  • Independent system operators (ISOs), regional transmission organizations (RTOs), and power marketing administrations (PMAs)
• Review key issues that cause delays in utility interconnection timelines and whether feasible solutions exist for expediting scheduling without sacrificing safety and reliability
• Evaluate how new technologies and a changing grid create new technical and operational challenges for interconnection
• Identify advanced modeling tools and techniques utilized by utilities and transmission owners leading the way in utility-scale energy resource and storage interconnection
• Review a value proposition analysis for projects from an interconnection standpoint

Tuesday, December 5, 2023 : Central Time

 

9:00 – 9:20 a.m. :: Overview and Instructions

9:20 – 10:30 a.m. :: Grid Interconnection: A Brief History, FERC Update, FERC Order 2023

• A brief history on policy/regulation regarding interconnection to the electric grid
• Overview of the standard interconnection process and related rulemakings
  • Standard large generator interconnection procedures (LGIP) and agreements (LGIA)
  • Standard small generator interconnection procedures (SGIP) and agreements (SGIA)
• FERC Order No. 2023
  • Reforms to implement a first-ready, first-serve cluster study process
  • Reforms to increase the speed of queue processing
  • Reforms to incorporate technological advancements

Michael Henry, Energy Industry Analyst, Office of Energy Policy and Innovation, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)

10:30 – 10:45 a.m. :: Morning Break

10:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. :: NERC Bulk Power System Update: Disturbance Reports, NERC Alert Results, and NERC IBR Strategy

This session will discuss the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC) work relevant to reliability as it pertains to bulk power system interconnection, addressing:

• Review of NERC Disturbance Reports and NERC Alert Results
  • Addressing best practices for modeling and interconnection studies
• Update on NERC’s IBR Strategy
  • Standards projects
  • GFM recommendations
  • IBR registration

Alex Shattuck, Senior Engineer – Engineering and Security Integration, North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC)

12:00 – 12:45 p.m. :: MISO: Interconnection Process Overview, Innovations, Initiatives & Updates

This session presents MISO’s interconnection process and will provide insights and updates regarding multiple initiatives and developments, discussing:

• Queue policies, procedures, deadlines and requirements
  • Making requests and applying for interconnection
  • Required and optional studies and analyses
  • Interconnection agreements for a generator
• Percentages of specific technologies currently in MISO’s queues
  • Impacts of storage and intermittent resources
• Update on MISO coordination with SPP, PJM, & non-RTO jurisdictional systems
  • Impacts to traditional interconnection process with regional overlap
  • Optimizing analysis and studies of effects to the system
• Queue policy updates
  • FERC Order 2023 Outcomes and Impacts
  • Optimizing analysis and studies of effects to the system
• Projection of future footprint of MISO’s interconnection queue

Sam Hipple, Resource Utilization Engineer, Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO)

12:45 – 1:30 p.m. :: Break for Lunch

1:30 – 2:15 p.m. :: Key Issues in Generator Interconnection

This session will cover key issues in the generation interconnection process including:

• Key issues causing delays
• What improvements are on the horizon
• Identifying risks in the interconnection studies

Kevin McAuliffe, Director of PJM and Northeast Markets, nFront Consulting

2:15 – 3:15 p.m. :: DER Project Challenges and Interconnection Lessons Learned in the Midwest

This presentation will summarize Net Metering and Interconnection numbers including Community Solar. It will also go over Ameren Illinois DER Interconnection Tools, Interconnection Policy, and Witness test procedures. Additionally, it will go over the future interconnection tools that Ameren is developing and the complications around them as well as cover field experience examples that has given Ameren mixed experiences.

Eddie Creighton, Engineer, DER Integration & Strategy, Ameren

Brian Cuffle, Supervisor Distribution Design, Ameren

3:15 – 3:30 p.m. :: Afternoon Break

3:30 – 4:45 p.m. :: NERC System Planning Impacts from Distributed Energy Resources Working Group (SPIDERWG)

The purpose of the System Planning Impacts from Distributed Energy Resources Working Group (SPIDERWG) at NERC is to address aspects of key points of interest related to system planning, modeling, and reliability impacts to the bulk power system (BPS). This session will present:

• NERC’s work on system planning as it relates to distribution grid operations, specifically related to aggregating impacts of DERs on the BPS to enhance grid performance and behavior
• Update on guideline focus areas related to DER modeling, DER equipment standards, and bulk planning studies
• NERC SPIDERWG’s review of FAC-001 and FAC-002 and the need for distribution utility interconnection practices – NERC SPIDERWG’s review of FAC-001 and FAC-002 and the need for distribution utility interconnection practices

John Skeath, Senior Engineer – BPS Security and Grid Transformation, North American Electrical Reliability Corporation (NERC)

 

Wednesday, December 6, 2023 : Central Time

 

9:00 – 9:30 a.m. :: Freeing the Grid: A Fifty-State Survey of Interconnection Best Practices

As distributed energy resource (DER) deployment grows, a number of states with high DER penetration are facing challenges with interconnection, from lengthy queues to costly grid upgrades.  This presentation will provide an overview of the status of energy storage interconnection across the U.S., using “Freeing the Grid” – a joint project from the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) and Vote Solar that evaluates and grades state interconnection policies, and will answer the following key questions: 

• Which states have the most up-to-date energy storage interconnection procedures—and what we can learn from them
• Which states fall in the bottom tiers for energy storage interconnection—and how they can improve.

Radina Valova, Regulatory Vice President, Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) 

9:30 – 10:30 a.m. :: The Local Utility’s Perspective: Interconnection at the Distribution Level, Including EVs, Microgrids and Storage

This session will describe best practices and emerging issues in interconnections at the distribution level with a local utility. It will outline a renewable or microgrid developer’s process for interconnecting, and discuss specifics of the interconnection process itself, with tips for speeding up the timeline and avoiding pitfalls. The session will also address:

• Cost, timing, and challenges of local distribution interconnections
• How to understand and negotiate with the local public utility
• Anticipating and overcoming difficulties with new EV and battery requirements
• Emerging trends in demand response, resource aggregation and other microgrid features

Lonnie J. Eldridge, Principal Assistant City Attorney, City of Glendale Water and Power; Special Counsel, Alameda Municipal Power

10:30 – 10:45 a.m. :: Morning Break

10:45 – 12:15 p.m. :: Key Solutions for Enabling the Unique Benefits of Energy Storage Through Interconnection

Energy storage can serve as a valuable tool, thanks to its ability to serve as both generation and load, mitigate the variability of renewables, and optimize DERs in a way that provides grid benefits and reduces grid impacts. However, most state interconnection rules don’t currently recognize the unique functionalities of storage and serve as a barrier for standalone storage and storage-plus-DER deployment. This presentation will provide key solutions for safely and reliably interconnecting energy storage, while enabling its unique and valuable operating characteristics. Key topics covered: 

• What are the key regulatory and technical solutions that utilities, regulators, DER developers, and other stakeholders can adopt to improve energy storage interconnection
• How to safely and reliably enable export-controlled storage
• How to address inadvertent export
• How to allow for system design changes during the interconnection process to mitigate the need for grid upgrades

Brian Lydic, Chief Regulatory Engineer, Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC)

Radina Valova, Regulatory Vice President, Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC)

12:15 – 1:00 p.m. :: Break for Lunch

1:00 – 2:00 p.m. :: Non-RTO/ISO Interconnection Process and Adapting to the Changing Interconnection Landscape

• Overview of Puget Sound Energy (PSE) interconnection process
  • Current PSE process
  • Transition to Cluster Study & Order 2023 Compliance
• Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT) updates
• Breakdown of specific technologies in the queue
• Contractual, operational and management initiatives

Jeremy Ciarabellini, Regulatory Policy Consultant, Transmission Policy and Contracts, Puget Sound Energy

Leslie Almond, Policy Manager, Transmission Strategy, Puget Sound Energy

2:00 – 2:45 p.m. :: Interconnection Process and Impacts of Site Selection on Project Economics

• Interconnection process and hurdles
• Economic impacts of transmission upgrades
• Impact on site selection
• Long term revenue performance

Bill Babcock, Managing Consultant, PA Consulting

Chris Loeb, Managing Consultant, Transmission and Renewable Energy Expert, PA Consulting

2:45 – 3:00 p.m. :: Afternoon Break

3:00 – 4:30 p.m. :: International Perspectives on Interconnection

This discussion will explore the different ways that countries handle interconnection, with a focus on the lessons that the United States can learn from other countries. It will discuss the specific challenges that countries face in generator grid connections, and it will explore the potential benefits of international perspectives of the interconnection in the United States. Specific topics to be discussed include:

• High renewable energy penetration
• Large queues
• Unserious developers
• Limited transmission capacity
• Study requirements
• Project congestion and curtailment

Jesse Boyd, Director of Transmission, RES Americas

Featured Speaker:

Michael Henry, Energy Industry Analyst, Office of Energy Policy and Innovation, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)

Senior U.S. Counsel with experience applying extensive regulatory and policy background to help make business sense of regulatory and compliance obligations. Experience with advanced state sustainable energy goals, including renewable energy and energy efficiency, through reforms that harmonize regional energy planning practices with state-level policy priorities. Has provided legal counsel to Chairman and Commissioners and other Commission staff.

• Leslie Almond, Policy Manager, Transmission Strategy, Puget Sound Energy

• Bill Babcock, Managing Consultant, PA Consulting

• Jesse Boyd, Director of Transmission, RES Americas

• Jeremy Ciarabellini, Regulatory Policy Consultant, Transmission Policy and Contracts, Puget Sound Energy

• Eddie Creighton, Engineer, DER Integration & Strategy, Ameren

• Brian Cuffle, Supervisor Distribution Design, Ameren

• Lonnie J. Eldridge, Principal Assistant City Attorney, City of Glendale Water and Power; Special Counsel, Alameda Municipal Power

• Sam Hipple, Resource Utilization Engineer, Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO)

• Chris Loeb, Managing Consultant, Transmission and Renewable Energy Expert, PA Consulting

• Brian Lydic, Chief Regulatory Engineer, Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC)

• Kevin McAuliffe, Director of PJM and Northeast Markets, nFront Consulting

• Alex Shattuck, Senior Engineer – Engineering and Security Integration, North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC)

• John Skeath, Senior Engineer – BPS Security and Grid Transformation, North American Electrical Reliability Corporation (NERC)

• Radina Valova, Regulatory Vice President, Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC)

We will be using Microsoft Teams to facilitate your participation in the upcoming event. You do not need to have an existing Teams account in order to participate in the broadcast – the course will play in your browser and you will have the option of using a microphone to speak with the room and ask questions, or type any questions in via the chat window and our on-site representative will relay your question to the instructor.

• Microsoft recommends downloading and installing the Teams app if possible. You may also use the Edge browser or Chrome.
• You will receive a separate email with a unique link to a personalized landing page which will include links to join all sessions of this event.
• If you are using a microphone, please ensure that it is muted until such time as you need to ask a question.
• The remote meeting connection will be open approximately 30 minutes before the start of the course. We encourage you to connect as early as possible in case you experience any unforeseen problems.

Please Note: This event is being conducted entirely online. All attendees will connect and attend from their computer, one connection per purchase. For details please see our FAQ

If you are unable to attend at the scheduled date and time, we make recordings available to all attendees for 7 days after the event

REGISTER NOW FOR THIS EVENT:

Optimizing the Interconnection Process for Renewables & Storage

December 5-6, 2023 | Online

Your registration may be transferred to a member of your organization up to 24 hours in advance of the event. Cancellations must be received on or before November 03, 2023 in order to be refunded and will be subject to a US $195.00 processing fee per registrant. No refunds will be made after this date. Cancellations received after this date will create a credit of the tuition (less processing fee) good toward any other EUCI event. This credit will be good for six months from the cancellation date. In the event of non-attendance, all registration fees will be forfeited. In case of conference cancellation, EUCIs liability is limited to refund of the event registration fee only. For more information regarding administrative policies, such as complaints and refunds, please contact our offices at 303-770-8800

Credits

EUCI is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard. IACET is recognized internationally as a standard development organization and accrediting body that promotes quality of continuing education and training.

EUCI is authorized by IACET to offer 1.3 CEUs for this event

Requirements for Successful Completion of Program

Participants must log in and be in attendance for the entirety of the conference to be eligible for continuing education credit.

Instructional Methods

Power Point presentations and group discussion

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Upon successful completion of this event, program participants interested in receiving CPE credits will receive a certificate of completion.

Conference CPE Credits: 15.0
There is no prerequisite for this Conference.
Program field of study: Specialized Knowledge
Program Level: Basic
Delivery Method: Group Internet Based
Advanced Preparation: None

EUCI is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its web site: www.nasbaregistry.org

 

 

Who Should Attend

Representative Organizations

• Vertically integrated utilities and local distribution companies
• Distributed and renewable energy developers and independent power producers
• Distributed and renewable energy resource consultants
• Distributed and renewable energy manufacturers
• Installers and grid-side integrators
• Public utility commissioners and staff
• Balancing authorities
• Independent system and regional transmission operators (ISOs/RTOs)
• Consultants and subject matter experts supporting interconnection in renewable energy and/or storage projects

Department Areas

• Interconnection services
• Renewable and distributed energy portfolio policy and implementation
• System balancing
• Distribution operations, planning and engineering
• Bulk power and marketing operations
• Power engineering
• Electrical engineering
• Communications protocol
• Software solutions