Title
Distributed Solar Generation Intake (B)
Explanation
Construction, maintenance and reliability of GRU’s power grid is under the management of the Energy Delivery Department. Rules and guidelines relating to connection to GRU’s grid are outlined in the “Energy Delivery Service Guide.” The rules are designed to protect the safety, reliability and integrity of the grid for compliance with state and federal regulations, as well as for all GRU customers.
In 2011, staff updated the Service Guide to include a section on interconnection of solar PV systems to the grid. Among other provisions, it was determined that the maximum amount of PV generation (total aggregated output of all PV generation interconnected to GRU’s system) that can be interconnected on any of GRU’s feeders shall not exceed 2 MW. Again, this requirement is in place to protect the integrity and reliability of the grid for all customers.
In early 2022, questions arose from the building community over whether the 2 MW limit was outdated or even arbitrary. The UAB asked staff to explain how the limitation was decided and whether it might be eliminated. In preparation for that discussion, Energy Delivery staff worked with an outside consulting firm on a study of distributed solar penetration, titled ‘GRU Hosting Capacity Analysis.’ The results of that study were received and have been reviewed by staff and staff is prepared to present the findings to the UAB.
Fiscal Note
None at this time.
Recommendation
Hear a presentation from staff.