Section PSC 119.04 - Application process for interconnecting DG facilities Public utilities and applicants shall complete the following steps regarding interconnection applications for all classes of DG facilities, in the order listed:
(1) The public utility shall respond to each request for DG interconnection by furnishing, within 5 working days, its guidelines and the public utility's electric service rules, representative or sample one-line schematic diagrams, and the appropriate standard application form. Public utilities shall also make these materials accessible on their website.(2) The applicant shall complete and submit the standard application form to its public utility. An application shall not be considered submitted until the applicant submits a form and pays applicable application review fees under s. PSC 119.08 (1).(2m) All submitted applications shall be reviewed for completeness in the order in which they fulfill the requirements of sub. (2), regardless of whether the project is from an outside applicant or the public utility.(3) Within 10 working days of receiving a new or revised application and application fee, the public utility shall notify the applicant whether the application is complete.(3g) All complete applications shall be processed in the order in which they are deemed complete, regardless of whether the project is from an outside applicant or the public utility. Reasonable exceptions may be made to account for the location of the proposed DG facility or other technical considerations, provided there is no material adverse impact on processing of other complete applications when an exception is made. Exceptions may also be made if an applicant exceeds any timing requirements identified in s. PSC 119.06. If the public utility misses any timing requirements in s. PSC 119.06, the order in which the application is processed shall not be affected.(3r) Where multiple DG facilities are electrically interrelated, processing complete applications jointly may be appropriate to increase cost and time efficiencies. If the public utility and the applicant mutually agree, the application may be studied in a group with other applications.(4) Public utilities and applicants shall complete the following steps for processing interconnection applications, in the order listed: (a) Within 10 working days of determining that the application is complete, the public utility shall complete its application review and notify the applicant of its findings. If the public utility determines, on the basis of the application review, that an engineering review is needed, the notification shall state a nonbinding estimate of that review. If the application review shows that an engineering review is not needed, the applicant may install the DG facility and need not complete the steps described in pars. (b) through (g).(b) The applicant shall provide written notification to proceed and full payment of the estimated cost of the engineering review within 15 working days of receiving the public utility's notification under par. (a). At the request of the applicant, the utility may provide a 15 working day extension of the deadline to provide notification to proceed and full payment. If notification and payment have not been received by the utility within 30 working days after the deadline to accept, the interconnection application shall be deemed withdrawn.(c) Upon receiving from the applicant written notification to proceed and full payment of the estimated cost of the engineering review, the public utility shall complete an engineering review and notify the applicant of the results within the following times: 1. Category 1 DG application, 10 working days.2. Category 2 DG application, 15 working days.3. Category 3 DG application, 20 working days.4. Category 4 DG application, 40 working days.(d) If the engineering review indicates that a distribution system study is necessary, the public utility shall include, in writing, a nonbinding cost estimate of the study in its engineering review. To proceed with a distribution system study, the applicant shall provide the utility with written notification of acceptance and full payment of the estimated study costs within 15 working days of receiving the engineering review. At the request of the applicant, the utility may provide a 15 working day extension of the deadline to provide notification to proceed and full payment. If notification and payment have not been received by the utility within 30 working days after the deadline to accept, the interconnection application shall be deemed withdrawn.(e) Upon receiving written notification to proceed and payment of the applicable fee, the public utility shall conduct the distribution system study. The public utility shall within the following time periods complete the distribution system study and provide study results to the applicant unless any additional studies are required by the regional transmission operator, in which case the time periods may be extended: 1. Category 1 DG application, 10 working days.2. Category 2 DG application, 15 working days.3. Category 3 DG application, 20 working days.4. Category 4 DG application, 60 working days.(f) The public utility shall perform a distribution system study of the local distribution system and notify the applicant of findings along with an estimate of any distribution system construction or modification costs to be borne by the applicant.(g) If the applicant agrees, in writing, to pay for any required distribution system construction and modifications, the public utility shall complete the distribution system upgrades and the applicant shall install the DG facility within a time frame that is mutually agreed upon. The applicant shall notify the public utility when project construction is complete.(h) The applicant shall give the public utility the opportunity to witness or verify the system testing, as required in s. PSC 119.30 or 119.31, the utility's service rules, and applicable codes and standards. Upon receiving notification that an installation is complete and is in compliance with all applicable codes and standards, including any necessary state and local government inspections, and all requirements set forth in this chapter, the public utility has 10 working days, for a Category 1 or 2 facility, or 20 working days, for a Category 3 or 4 facility, to complete the following: 1. Witness commissioning tests.2. Perform an unintentional islanding test or verify the protective equipment settings at its expense.3. Waive its right, in writing, to witness or verify the commissioning tests.(i) The applicant shall provide the public utility with the results of any required tests within 5 working days of the completion of the test, for a Category 1 facility, or within 10 working days, for a Category 2 to 4 facility.(j) The public utility shall, unless rights have been waived per par. (h) 3., review the results of the on-site test. Upon receipt of the test results, the public utility shall notify the applicant within 5 working days, for a Category 1 facility, or within 10 working days, for a Category 2 to 4 facility, of its approval or disapproval of the interconnection. 1. If approved, the public utility shall provide a written statement of final acceptance and reconciliation of costs from the engineering review, distribution system study, and any required distribution system upgrades or modifications. Public utilities shall refund to the applicant any fees paid in excess of costs incurred by the utility. Applicants shall pay any additional costs incurred by the utility in excess of previous payments. Any applicant for a DG system that passes the commissioning test may sign a standard interconnection agreement and interconnect.2. If the public utility does not approve the interconnection, the applicant may take corrective action and request the public utility to reexamine its interconnection request. The applicant shall provide the utility with written notification that corrective action has been taken and request reexamination within 15 working days of receiving notification of disapproval. At the request of the applicant, the utility may provide a 15 working day extension of the deadline to provide notification to proceed and full payment. If a request for reexamination has been received by the utility within 30 working days after the deadline to accept, the interconnection application shall be deemed withdrawn.(k) A standard interconnection agreement shall be signed by the applicant and public utility before parallel operation commences, within 5 working days of the interconnection being deemed approved by the public utility, for a Category 1 facility, or within 10 working days for a Category 2 to 4 facility.(5)(a) All public utilities shall maintain a single application queue that shall identify the status of all applications submitted to the utility and shall be used to address applicant inquiries about application status.(b) Public utilities who serve more than 100,000 customers shall make their application queue public. Public application queues shall be posted on the utility's website and updated on at least a monthly basis. Certain applications may be removed or redacted when posting in the interest of national security.(c) At a minimum, the information maintained in an application queue, including public application queues, shall include for all applications active on or submitted to the utility after May 1, 2024: 1. Application or queue numbers that enable applicants to identify their submissions.3. Proposed DG facility nameplate capacity and, where applicable, export capacity, in kW or MW.5. Location by city, state, and county.6. Substation and circuit on which the proposed installation would be located.7. Current application status (active, withdrawn, approved, in service).8. Date application deemed complete, if applicable.9. Current status of the application's progress through the application process steps outlined in this section.10. Date of signed interconnection agreement, if applicable.(6) Upon approval of an application under sub. (4) (a), (c), or (g), the public utility shall provide the applicant with an interconnection approval memorandum that confirms the utility's application approval and identifies any applicable conditions of approval. For Category 2 to 4 facilities, the memorandum and associated attachments shall provide: (a) The date of approval.(b) Completed application materials.(c) Engineering review requirements, if applicable.(d) Distribution system study requirements, if applicable.(e) Identification of the authorized tariff or program agreement applicable to the DG facility at the time the memorandum is issued.(f) Expiration date of the memorandum if utility requirements are not met, including identification of options for deadline extensions.(g) System specifications and specific requirements imposed by the utility as conditions of approval.(h) Estimated distribution system construction or modification costs and scope, if applicable.(i) Estimated completion date for the public utility to complete distribution system upgrades, if applicable.(j) A copy of the standard interconnection agreement that would be executed by both parties upon completion of all requirements, including any anticipated distribution system upgrades.(k) Acknowledgement that the public utility will interconnect the DG facility if all identified conditions are met.Wis. Admin. Code Public Service Commission PSC 119.04
CR 03-003: CR Register January 2004 No. 577, eff. 2-1-04.Amended by, CR 22-077: am. (1), (2), cr. (2m), am. (3), cr. (3g), (3r), (4) (intro.), renum. (4) to (4) (a) and am., cr. (4) (b), renum. (5) to (4) (c) and am., renum. (5) (a) to (d) to be (4) (c) 1. to 4., renum. (6) to (4) (d) and am., renum. (7) (intro.) to (4) (e) (intro.) and am., renum. (7) (a) to (d) to be (4) (e) 1. to 4. and, as renumbered, am. 4., renum. (8) to (4) (f) and am., renum. (10) (a) to (4) (h) and, as renumbered, am. (intro.), 2., renum. (10) (b) to (4) (i) and am., renum. (11), (12) to (4) (j), (k), and am., cr. (5), (6) Register April 2024 No. 820, eff. 5-1-24; correction in (4) (e) (4) made under s. 35.17, Stats., Register April 29 No. 820, eff. 5/1/2024