N.J. Admin. Code § 14:8-5.5 - Level 2 interconnection review

(a) Each EDC shall adopt a level 2 interconnection review procedure. The EDC shall use the level 2 interconnection review procedure for an application to interconnect a customer-generator facility that meets both of the following criteria:

1. The facility has a capacity of two megawatts or less; and

2. The facility has been certified in accordance with N.J.A.C. 14:8-5.3.

(b) For a customer-generator facility described at (a) above, the EDC shall approve interconnection under the level 2 interconnection review procedure if all of the applicable requirements at (c) through (l) below are met. An EDC shall not impose additional requirements not specifically authorized under this section.

(c) The aggregate generation capacity on the line section to which the customer-generator facility will interconnect, including the capacity of the customer-generator facility, shall not cause any distribution protective equipment (including, but not limited to, substation breakers, fuse cutouts and line reclosers) or customer equipment on the electric distribution system, to exceed 90 percent of the short circuit interrupting capability of the equipment. In addition, a customer-generator facility shall not be connected to a circuit that already exceeds 90 percent of the short circuit interrupting capability, prior to interconnection of the facility.

(d) If there are posted transient stability limits to generating units located in the general electrical vicinity of the proposed point of common coupling (for example, within three or four transmission voltage level busses), the aggregate generation capacity (including the customer-generator facility) connected to the distribution low voltage side of the substation transformer feeding the line section containing the point of common coupling shall not exceed 10 MW.

(e) The aggregate generation capacity connected to the line section, including the customer-generator facility, shall not contribute more than 10 percent to the line section's maximum fault current at the point on the high voltage (primary) level nearest the proposed point of common coupling.

(f) If a customer-generator facility is to be connected to a radial line section, the aggregate generation capacity connected to the electric distribution system by non-EDC sources, including the customer-generator facility, shall not exceed 10 percent (or 15 percent for solar electric generation) of the total circuit annual peak load. For the purposes of this subsection, annual peak load shall be based on measurements taken over the 12 months prior to the submittal of the application, measured at the substation nearest to the customer-generator facility.

(g) If a customer-generator facility is to be connected to three-phase, three wire primary EDC distribution lines, a three-phase or single-phase generator shall be connected phase-to-phase.

(h) If a customer-generator facility is to be connected to three-phase, four wire primary EDC distribution lines, a three-phase or single phase generator shall be connected line-to-neutral and shall be effectively grounded.

(i) If a customer-generator facility is to be connected to a single-phase shared secondary, the aggregate generation capacity on the shared secondary, including the customer-generator facility, shall not exceed 20 kilovolt-amps (kVA).

(j) If a customer-generator facility is single-phase and is to be connected to a transformer center tap neutral of a 240 volt service, the addition of the customer-generator facility shall not create an imbalance between the two sides of the 240 volt service, which is greater than 20 percent of the nameplate rating of the service transformer.

(k) A customer-generator facility's point of common coupling shall not be on a transmission line.

(l) If a customer-generator facility's proposed point of common coupling is on a spot or area network, the interconnection shall meet all of the following requirements that apply, in addition to the requirements in (c) through (k) above:

1. For a customer-generator facility that will be connected to a spot network circuit, the aggregate generation capacity connected to that spot network from customer-generator facilities, including the customer-generator facility, shall not exceed five percent of the spot network's maximum load;

2. For a customer-generator facility that utilizes inverter based protective functions, which will be connected to an area network, the customer-generator facility, combined with other exporting customer-generator facilities on the load side of network protective devices, shall not exceed 10 percent of the minimum annual load on the network, or 500 kW, whichever is less. For the purposes of this paragraph, the percent of minimum load for solar electric generation customer-generator facility shall be calculated based on the minimum load occurring during an off-peak daylight period; and/or

3. For a customer-generator facility that will be connected to a spot or an area network that does not utilize inverter based protective functions, or for an inverter based customer-generator facility that does not meet the requirements of (l)1 or 2 above, the customer-generator facility shall utilize reverse power relays or other protection devices that ensure no export of power from the customer-generator facility, including inadvertent export (under fault conditions) that could adversely affect protective devices on the network.

(m) An applicant shall submit an Interconnection Application/Agreement Form for level 2 interconnection review. The standard form is available from the EDC, and includes a Part 1 (Terms and Conditions) and a Part 2 (Certificate of Completion).

(n) Within three business days after receiving an application for level 2 interconnection review, the EDC shall provide written or e-mail notice to the applicant that it received the application and whether the application is complete. If the application is incomplete, the written notice shall include a list of all of the information needed to complete the application.

(o) Within 15 business days after the EDC notifies the applicant that the application is complete under (n) above, the EDC shall notify the applicant by e-mail or in writing of one of the determinations at (o)1 through 4 below, as applicable. During the 15 business days provided under this subsection, the EDC may, at its own expense, conduct any studies or tests it deems necessary to evaluate the proposed interconnection and arrive at one of the following determinations:

1. The customer-generator facility meets the applicable requirements in (c) through (l) above. In this case, the EDC shall:

i. Notify the applicant, by e-mail or other writing, that the interconnection will be finally approved upon completion of the process set forth at (p) through (r) below; and

ii. Within three business days after the notice in (o)1i above, the EDC shall return to the applicant Part 1 of the original application, signed by the appropriate EDC representative;

2. The customer-generator facility has failed to meet one or more of the applicable requirements at (c) through (l) above, but the EDC has nevertheless determined that the customer-generator facility can be interconnected consistent with safety, reliability and power quality. In this case, the EDC shall:

i. Notify the applicant by e-mail or other writing that the interconnection will be finally approved upon completion of the process set forth at (p) through (r) below; and

ii. Within five business days after the notice in (o)2i above, the EDC shall return to the applicant Part 1 of the original application, signed by the appropriate EDC representative;

3. The customer-generator facility has failed to meet one or more of the applicable requirements at (c) through (l) above, but the initial review indicates that additional review may enable the EDC to determine that the customer-generator facility can be interconnected consistent with safety, reliability and power quality. In such a case, the EDC shall:

i. Notify the customer-generator of, and offer to perform, additional review to determine whether minor modifications to the electric distribution system (for example, changing meters, fuses or relay settings) would enable the interconnection to be made consistent with safety, reliability and power quality. The EDC notice shall provide to the applicant a nonbinding, good faith estimate of the costs of such additional review, and/or such minor modifications;

ii. If the customer-generator notifies the EDC that the customer-generator consents to pay for the review and/or modifications, the EDC shall undertake the review or modifications within 15 business days after this notice from the customer-generator; and

iii. Within 15 business days after the review or modifications are complete, the EDC shall return to the customer-generator Part 1 of the original application, signed by the appropriate EDC representative; or

4. The customer-generator facility has failed to meet one or more of the applicable requirements at (c) through (l) above, and the initial review indicates that additional review would not enable the EDC to determine that the customer-generator facility could be interconnected consistent with safety, reliability and power quality. In such a case, the EDC shall:

i. Notify the customer-generator in writing that the interconnection application has been denied; and

ii. Provide a written explanation of the reason(s) for the denial, including a list of additional information and/or modifications to the customer-generator's facility, which would be required in order to obtain an approval under level 2 interconnection procedures.

(p) Once a customer-generator receives Part 1 of the application with the EDC signature in accordance with (o)1, 2 or 3 above, and has installed and interconnected the customer-generator facility to the EDC's distribution system, the customer-generator shall obtain approval of the facility from the appropriate construction official, as defined at N.J.A.C. 5:23-1.4.

(q) At least 10 business days prior to starting operation of the customer-generator facility (unless the EDC does not require 10 days notice), the customer-generator shall:

1. Provide the EDC with documentation that the interconnection has been approved by the appropriate construction official;

2. Submit Part 2 of the application, signed by the customer-generator; and

3. Indicate to the EDC the anticipated start date for operation of the customer-generator facility.

(r) The EDC may require an EDC inspection of a customer-generator facility prior to operation, and may require and arrange for witness of commissioning tests as set forth in IEEE standard 1547 (published July 2003) in accordance with the following:

1. The customer-generator shall submit the construction official's approval and the signed Part 2 under (q) above and inform the EDC that the customer-generator facility is ready for EDC inspection;

2. Within five business days after the customer-generator informs the EDC under (r)1 above that the customer-generator facility is ready for inspection, the EDC shall notify the customer-generator of three or more available four-hour inspection appointments (for example, February 4th from noon to 4:00 P.M., February 6th from 10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M., or February 7th from 1:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M.);

3. The appointments offered under (r)2 above shall be no later than 15 business days after the EDC offers the appointments, (that is, within 20 business days after the customer-generator submittal under (r)1 above);

4. The customer-generator shall notify the EDC which of the offered inspection appointments the customer-generator prefers or shall arrange another time by mutual agreement with the EDC;

5. Within five business days after successful completion of the EDC inspection, the EDC shall notify the customer-generator that it is authorized to energize the facility. The notice shall be provided in the format required under N.J.A.C. 14:8-5.2(i); and

6. The applicant shall not begin operating the customer-generator facility until after the inspection and testing is completed.

(s) If an application for level 2 interconnection review fails to meet the requirements as described at (o)3 or 4 above, or is denied because it does not meet one or more of the requirements in this section, the applicant may resubmit the application under the level 3 interconnection review procedure.

Notes

N.J. Admin. Code § 14:8-5.5

Recodified from N.J.A.C. 14:8-4.8 and amended by R.2010 d.010, effective 1/4/2010.
See: 41 N.J.R. 2215(a), 42 N.J.R. 78(a).
Substituted "line section" for "distribution circuit" throughout; in (a)2, updated the N.J.A.C. reference; in (c), deleted a comma preceding and following "and line reclosers)"; in (e), substituted "line section's" for "distribution circuit's"; and in (m), substituted a period for "and posted on the Board's website at www.bpu.state.nj.us. See N.J.A.C. 14:4-9.5(d)" at the end of the first sentence. Former N.J.A.C. 14:8-5.5, Standards and testing for air-cooled central air conditioners and air-cooled central air conditioning heat pumps, recodified to N.J.A.C. 14:8-7.5.
Amended by R.2012 d.107, effective 6/4/2012.
See: 43 N.J.R. 1162(a), 44 N.J.R. 1703(a).
Rewrote (m) and ( o) through (r).