Section 6 – General Terms, Conditions and Technical Requirements for All Interconnections.

The terms and conditions, and technical requirements in this section will apply to the applicant and Interconnection Customer and their generating facility throughout the generating facility’s installation, testing, commissioning, operation, maintenance, decommissioning and removal. The Utility may verify compliance at any time, with reasonable notice.

Any generating facility proposing to be interconnected with the Utility’s electric system or any proposed change to a generating facility that requiring modification of an existing interconnection agreement must meet all applicable terms, conditions and technical requirements as set forth in the appropriate Tiers and this Section and the regulations and standards adopted by reference in Section 8.

The terms, conditions and technical requirements in this section are intended to mitigate possible adverse impacts caused by the generating facility on Utility equipment and personnel and on other customers of the Utility. They are not intended to address protection of the generating facility itself, generating facility personnel, or its internal load. It is the responsibility of the generating facility to comply with the requirements of all appropriate standards, codes, statutes and authorities to protect its own facilities, personnel, and loads.

1. The applicant and Interconnection Customer will comply with and are responsible for the generating facility meeting the requirements in (a), (b) and (c) of this subsection. However, at its sole discretion, the Utility may approve, in writing, alternatives that satisfy the intent of, and/or may excuse compliance with, any specific elements of these requirements except local, state and federal building codes.
   1. Codes and standards. Among these are the National Electric Code (NEC), National Electric Safety Code (NESC), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), American National Standards Institute (ANSI), Underwriters Laboratories (UL) standards, the Utility’s Electric Service Requirements, and local, state and federal building codes. The Interconnection Customer will be responsible for obtaining all applicable permit(s) for the equipment installations on its property.
   2. Safety. All safety and operating procedures for joint use equipment will be in compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)Standard at 29 CFR 1910.269, the NEC, Washington Administrative Code (WAC) rules, the Washington Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) Standard, and equipment manufacturer's safety and operating manuals.
   3. Power quality. Installations will be in compliance with all applicable standards including IEEE Standard 519 Harmonic Limits, or more stringent harmonic requirements of the Utility.
2. Any electrical generating facility must comply with these rules to be eligible to interconnect and operate in parallel with the Utility’s electric system. These specifications and standards will apply to all interconnecting generating facilities that are intended to operate in parallel with the Utility’s electric system irrespective of whether the applicant intends to generate energy to serve all or a part of the applicant's load.
3. In order to ensure system safety and reliability of interconnected operations, all interconnected generating facilities will be constructed, operated and maintained by the Interconnection Customer in accordance with these rules, with the Interconnection Agreement, with the applicable manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedule and operating requirements, good Utility practice, and all other applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
4. Prior to initial operation, all Interconnection Customers must submit a completed certificate of completion to the Utility. The Utility may substitute an approved Electrical Inspection by the appropriate agency and the installation of the generation meters as completion of the installation. Customers must also execute an appropriate Interconnection Agreement with the Utility. The Interconnection Agreement between the Utility and Interconnection Customer outlines the interconnection standards, cost allocation and billing agreements, insurance requirements, and on-going maintenance and operation requirements.
5. Applicant or Interconnection Customer will promptly furnish the Utility with copies of such plans, specifications, records, and other information relating to the generating facility or the ownership, operation, use, or maintenance of the generating facility, as may be reasonably requested by the Utility from time to time.
6. For the purposes of public and working personnel safety, any non-approved generating facility interconnections discovered will be immediately disconnected from the Utility system without any liability to the Utility. Such disconnection of non-approved interconnection may result in disconnection of electric service to customers of the Utility other than the owner of the generating facility.
7. To ensure reliable service to all Utility customers and to minimize possible problems for other customers, the Utility will review the need for upgrades to its system, including a dedicated transformer. If the Utility requires upgrades, the applicant or Interconnection Customer will pay for all costs of those upgrades.
8. Metering
   1. Net metering for facilities as set forth in Section 80.60 RCW: The Utility will install, own and maintain a kilowatt-hour meter, or meters as the Utility may determine, capable of registering the bi-directional flow of electricity at the point of common coupling at a level of accuracy that meets all applicable standards, regulations and statutes.
   2. Production metering: The Utility will install, own and maintain a kilowatt-hour meter for production. This meter will record all generation produced and may be billed separately from any net metering or customer usage metering. All costs associated with the installation of production metering will be paid by the applicant.
9. Common labeling, at Interconnection Customer’s expense, furnished or approved by the Utility and in accordance with NEC requirements must be posted on meter base, disconnects, and transformers informing working personnel that a generating facility is operating at or is located on the premises.
10. No additional insurance will be necessary for a net metered facility that is a qualifying generating facility under Section 80.60 RCW. For other generating facilities permitted under these standards but not a qualifying facility under Section 80.60 RCW, additional insurance, limitations of liability and indemnification may be required by the Utility.
11. Prior to any future modification or expansion of the generating facility, the Interconnection Customer will obtain Utility review and approval. The Utility reserves the right to require the Interconnection Customer, at the Interconnection Customer's expense, to provide corrections or additions to existing electrical devices in the event of modification of government or industry regulations and standards, or major changes in the Utility’s electric system which impacts the interconnection.
12. Section 80.60 RCW, Net Metering of Electricity allows the Utility to limit interconnection of generation for net metering to 0.50% (5.17 MW) of the Utility’s peak demand during 1996, effective January 1, 2014. However, the Utility may, if indicated by engineering, safety or reliability studies, restrict or prohibit new or expanded interconnected net metered generation capacity or number of net metered customers on any feeder, circuit or network.
13. Charges by the Utility to the applicant or Interconnection Customer in addition to the application fee, if any, will be compensatory and applied as appropriate. Such costs may include, but are not limited to, transformers, production meters, and Utility testing, qualification, studies and approval of non-UL 1741 listed equipment. The Interconnection Customer will be responsible for any costs associated with any future upgrade or modification to its interconnected system required by modifications in the Utility’s electric system.
14. Interconnection Customer may disconnect the generating facility at any time, provided that the Interconnection Customer provides reasonable advance notice to the Utility.
15. Interconnection Customer will notify the Utility prior to the sale or transfer of the generating facility, the interconnection facilities or the premises upon which the facilities are located. The applicant or Interconnection Customer will not assign its rights or obligations under any agreement entered into pursuant to these rules without the prior written consent of Utility, which consent will not be unreasonably withheld.
16. Interconnection Customer is responsible for the payment of any unpaid or past due balances incurred by the Interconnection Customer prior to application approval.
17. All generating facilities must have an electrical permit and pass electrical inspection before they can be connected or operated in parallel with the Utility’s electric system. Applicant will provide written certification to the Utility that the generating facility has been installed and inspected in compliance with the local building and/or electrical codes.
18. If the Interconnection Customer is a different entity than the owner of the real property on which the generating facility is located, the Interconnection Customer will indemnify the Utility for all risks to the owner of the real property, including disconnection of service. In addition, the Interconnection Customer will obtain all legal rights and easements requested by the Utility for the Utility to access, install, own, maintain, operate or remove its equipment and the disconnect switch, if installed, on the real property where the generating facility is located, at no cost to the Utility.