Virginia SCC Opens Proceeding and Seeks Comments on Distributed Energy Resource Interconnection Issues

On May 24, 2022, the Virginia State Corporation Commission (the Commission) issued an Order establishing a proceeding to explore interconnection issues related to utility distributed energy resources (DER).  As part of the Order, the Commission is seeking comments on a variety of DER interconnection issues, including the following questions:

• What are the primary obstacles (e.g., sources of delay or cost) to the interconnection of DER on the distribution system?
   
• What solutions have utilities implemented to facilitate the efficient interconnection of DER to the distribution system? Have they been effective? How can they be improved?
   
• What additional solutions do utilities plan to implement, or are considering for implementation, to facilitate the interconnection of DER on the distribution system?
   
• Are there "best practices" in place in other jurisdictions that the Commission should consider?
   
• What additional actions could the Commission take to help facilitate the interconnection of DER on the distribution system?
   
• What steps should the Commission take with regard to aggregation of interconnected DERs for possible participation by such aggregations in the PJM wholesale market, per FERC Order 2222? Are any such steps best addressed in this docket or in a separate proceeding?
   
• Are there any changes to the Regulations Governing Interconnection of Small Electrical Generators and Storage (20VAC5-314) or other Commission actions that could enable the usage of IEEE-1547-2018 compliant inverters to facilitate the integration of DER on the distribution system? Are any such changes or actions best addressed in this docket or in a separate proceeding?
   
• Are there additional changes that could be made to the Regulations Governing Interconnection of Small Electrical Generators and Storage (20VAC5-314) that could facilitate the integration of DER on the distribution system? If so, please describe such proposed changes.
   

A copy of the Commission’s Order is available here.  Any interested person may submit written comments to the Commission on or before August 1, 2022. 

If you have any questions concerning the Order or DER interconnection, please contact Brad Nowak, co-chair of Williams Mullen’s Solar and Energy Storage Practice Group.