Interconnection reform ought to be a leading priority for FERC, clean energy associations say

• The US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) should make interconnection reform a top priority to lower the backlog of projects waiting to connect to the nation's grid, a coalition of three clean energy profession associations has said.

With interconnection queues bewildered throughout much as of the United States, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the American Clean Power Association and Advanced Energy Economy have prompted FERC to move forward with reforms to enhance assurance and also minimize costs.

Without purposeful adjustments to the interconnection process, the United States "will certainly never ever be able to fulfill its lasting decarbonisation goals", stated Sean Gallagher, vice head of state of state and also regulatory affairs at SEIA. "Interconnection backlogs are among the biggest obstacles to our capability to promptly as well as efficiently decarbonise our electrical energy grid in the close to term."

In comments sent out to FERC, the associations advise that instant actions be required to fix the "acute procedural deficiencies" and also network upgrade financing issues plaguing the existing interconnection process in numerous regions by launching an accelerated, stand-alone interconnection rulemaking.

Along with a sensible expense allowance methodology for necessary network upgrades, the coalition is asking for interconnection queues to be changed to guarantee that projects can advance based upon a clear preparedness framework.

The associations said that a lot of the queue-related reforms they have identified have currently been taken on in some regions of the United States as well as have been approved by the commission as simply and sensible, including that applying these propositions in other regions with significant queue hold-ups would follow existing FERC policy.

There was a total amount of 462GW of solar capacity in US transmission interconnection queues at the end of 2020, according to study released last year from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which discovered that the regular period from link demand to commercial operation has been increasing.

Initiatives are progressing in the PJM Interconnection location to clear a backlog of projects that is claimed to include 136GW of solar capacity. The power grid driver's preparation committee has supported a brand-new change proposition created to get projects through the planning pipe faster.

Jeff Dennis, handling director at Advanced Energy Economy, claimed that while progress is being made in areas like PJM, FERC, independent grid operators, as well as transmission owners will certainly need to designate even more sources towards faster interconnection durations as the clean energy transition speeds up.

" If taken on by FERC, the reforms we propose today will certainly lay a foundation for lower-cost and also much more efficient grid interconnection methods that decrease wait times and backlogs in the future."