BPA proposes measures to improve its generator interconnection process in TC-25 tariff proceeding

BPA has worked with its customers to propose adoption of regional reforms to address the backlog in large generator interconnection requests that have accumulated over the past five years. The proposed interconnection queue reforms will help BPA more quickly identify projects that are prepared for interconnection and help the region meet its clean energy goals. 

The new measures are included in a settlement agreement related to an official process BPA launched in spring 2023 with its customers to adopt regional interconnection queue reforms. On Nov. 7, BPA will begin the formal TC-25 tariff proceedings to adopt the proposed tariff modifications which implement a first-ready, first-served cluster study process.

“These reforms will help BPA and the region identify projects that are best suited and prepared for interconnection,” said Richard Shaheen, senior vice president of Transmission Services. “We thank our customers for doing the hard work that led to the settlement, which is another important building block toward the region’s clean energy future.”

The volume of regional large generator interconnection requests has increased exponentially over the past five years, leading to queue backlogs, uncertainty regarding the cost and timing of interconnecting to the grid and a piecemeal identification of network upgrades. This is in part due to the existing first-come, first-served study process, which studies interconnection requests individually and in the order in which they are received.

The proposed first-ready, first-served cluster study provides efficiencies by studying multiple interconnection requests together and identifying fewer network upgrades when multiple requests are located in a similar area. 

The proposed tariff also establishes a Transition Process for pending interconnection requests received in BPA’s queue. Under this Transition Process, customers may apply for interconnection requests to continue to be reviewed in the current serial study process or to be included in a Transition Cluster Study, which applies the benefits of the reforms during the transition to the proposed new tariff.

The TC-25 tariff proceeding will run through January 2024. If the BPA Administrator adopts the proposed changes, the new tariff will be effective June 30, 2024.

Additional information is available on BPA’s TC-25 Tariff Proceeding webpage.