To speed up Distributed Energy Resource (DER) interconnections, several innovative policies and strategies are being implemented:
Key Strategies
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Enhancing Interconnection Studies:
- Data Sharing and Automation: The U.S. Department of Energy’s i2X initiative emphasizes the use of more transparent and accessible data sharing alongside strategic automation to enhance interconnection studies. This helps in identifying potential issues earlier and streamlining the process.
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Streamlining the Interconnection Process:
- Standardized Timelines: Setting standard interconnection timelines helps reduce bottlenecks and unpredictability in the interconnection process.
- Flexible Practices: Implementing flexible interconnection practices that weigh economic impacts against grid upgrade costs can help manage unscheduled congestion-related curtailments.
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Promoting Economic Efficiency:
- Cost Allocation Reform: Reforming the “cost-causer pays” model to spread interconnection upgrade costs among a broader group of beneficiaries helps reduce financial burdens on developers, thus promoting economic efficiency.
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Improving Grid Reliability and Performance:
- Inverter-Based DER Performance: Addressing the performance of inverter-based DERs is crucial to maintain and enhance grid reliability and security during interconnections.
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Enhancing Data Availability:
- Hosting Capacity Maps: Publishing hosting capacity maps improves access to grid data for DER developers and owners, facilitating smoother interconnections.
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Targeted Progress Metrics:
- The i2X roadmap sets targets such as shorter interconnection times, higher completion rates, better data availability, and faster service restorations to track progress in DER interconnection reforms.
Regulatory Frameworks for Integration
- DER Integration Framework: This framework supports DER access to the distribution system by facilitating business models around virtual power plants (VPPs) and aggregated DERs. It emphasizes equitable cost allocation and tariffs to provide clear price signals, encouraging the provision of valuable grid services while maintaining reliability and cost efficiency.
These strategies aim to transform the interconnection process by 2035, ensuring a more efficient, resilient, and cost-effective integration of DERs into the grid.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/what-innovative-policies-are-being-implemented-to-speed-up-der-interconnections/
