20:10:36:02.  Definitions. Terms defined in SDCL 49-34A-1 have the same meaning when used in this chapter. In addition, terms used in this chapter mean:

 

          (1)  "Adverse system impact," a negative effect caused by the proposed interconnection that may compromise the safety and reliability of an electric transmission and distribution system;

 

          (2)  "Affected system," an electric transmission and distribution system not owned or operated by the interconnecting public utility, which may experience an adverse system impact from the proposed interconnection;

 

          (3)  "Applicant," a person who has submitted an application to interconnect a small generator facility to a public utility's EDS;

 

          (4)  "Application," a request to interconnect a small generator facility with a public utility's EDS. An application shall follow the standard forms on file with the commission;

 

          (5)  "Area network," a type of electric distribution system served by multiple transformers interconnected in an electrical network circuit in order to provide high reliability of service. This term has the same meaning as the term "secondary grid network" as defined in IEEE 1547, section 4.1.4;

 

          (6)  "Certificate of completion," a certificate signed by the applicant and attesting that the small generator facility is complete, meets the requirements contained in this chapter, and has been inspected, tested, and certified as physically ready for operation. The certificate of completion shall follow the standard form on file with the commission;

 

          (7)  "Commissioning," the process by which a facility is tested to verify if it functions according to design objectives or specifications;

 

          (8)  "Electric nameplate capacity," the net maximum electric output capability measured in watts, kilowatts, or megawatts of a generator facility as designated by the facility's manufacturer;

 

          (9)  "Electrical service agreement," the agreement between a public utility and a customer providing for electricity and ancillary services according to provisions of a tariff;

 

          (10)  "Electric distribution system (EDS)," the facilities and equipment used to transmit electricity to ultimate usage points;

 

          (11)  "Fault current," electrical current that flows through a circuit and is produced by an electrical fault, such as to ground, double-phase to ground, three-phase to ground, phase-to-phase, and three-phase;

 

          (12)  "FERC," the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission;

 

          (13)  "Field tested equipment," interconnection equipment that is identical to equipment that was approved, by the public utility that interconnection is being requested from, for another interconnection under a tier 4 study review and has successfully completed a witness test within 36 months from the date of the submission of the current application;

 

          (14)  "Good utility practice," a practice, method, policy, or action engaged in or accepted by a significant portion of the electric industry in a region which a reasonable utility official would expect, in light of the facts reasonably discernable at the time, to accomplish the desired result reliably, safely, and expeditiously;

 

          (15)  "IEEE 1547," standard 1547 published July 28, 2003, by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) entitled "Standard for Interconnecting Distributed Resources with Electric Power Systems";

 

          (16)  "IEEE 1547.1," standard l547.1 published July 1, 2005, by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) entitled "Standard for Conformance Test Procedures for Equipment Interconnecting Distributed Resources with Electric Power Systems";

 

          (17)  "Interconnection agreement," an agreement between an applicant or interconnection customer and the interconnecting public utility that governs the connection of the small generator facility to the public utility's EDS and the ongoing operation of the small generator facility after it is connected to the system. An interconnection agreement shall follow the standard form on file with the commission;

 

          (18)  "Interconnection customer," a person with a small generator facility that is interconnected to a public utility in accordance with this chapter;

 

          (19)  "Interconnection equipment," a group of components or an integrated system provided by the interconnection customer to connect a small generator facility to a public utility's EDS, including all interface equipment such as switchgear, protective devices, inverters, or other interface devices. Interconnection equipment may be installed as part of an integrated equipment package that includes a generator or other electric source;

 

          (20)  "Interconnection facilities," the facilities and equipment required by the electric utility to accommodate the interconnection of a small generator facility to the public utility's EDS and used exclusively to interconnect a specific small generator facility. Interconnection facilities do not include system upgrades that may benefit the public utility, other customers, other interconnection customers, or an owner of an affected system;

 

          (21)  "Interconnection facilities study," a study conducted by a public utility or a third-party consultant retained by the public utility or the applicant that determines the additional interconnection facilities and system upgrades required to interconnect the small generator facility to the public utility's EDS, the cost of the facilities and upgrades, and the time required to complete the interconnection;

 

          (22)  "Interconnection facilities study agreement," a contract between the applicant and the interconnecting public utility that provides a detailed scope and timeline for the interconnection facilities study and a good faith, non-binding estimate of the costs to perform the study. An interconnection facilities study agreement shall follow the standard form on file with the commission;

 

          (23)  "Interconnection feasibility study," a preliminary evaluation of the system impact and cost of interconnecting the small generator facility to the public utility's EDS;

 

          (24)  "Interconnection feasibility study agreement," a contract between the applicant and the interconnecting public utility that provides a scope, timeline, and good faith, non-binding estimate of the costs for the public utility to conduct an interconnection feasibility study for the applicant. An interconnection feasibility study agreement shall follow the standard form on file with the commission;

 

          (25)  "Interconnection request," an applicant's submission of an application for interconnection to the EDS of a public utility;

 

          (26)  "Interconnection service," service to an electric customer under which an on-site generating facility on a customer's premises is connected to local distribution facilities;

 

          (27)  "Interconnection system impact study," an engineering study performed by the public utility that evaluates the impact of the proposed interconnection on the safety and reliability of the EDS. The study focuses on the adverse system impacts identified in the interconnection feasibility study and other potential impacts, including those identified in the scoping meeting;

 

          (28)  "Interconnection system impact study agreement," a contract between the applicant and the interconnecting public utility that provides a statement of scope, timeline, and a good faith, non-binding estimate of the cost to conduct an interconnection system impact study. An interconnection system impact study agreement shall follow the standard form on file with the commission;

 

          (29)  "Lab tested equipment," interconnection equipment which has been tested by the original equipment manufacturer in accordance with IEEE 1547.1 and found to be in compliance with the appropriate codes and standards referenced therein and is labeled and listed by an NRTL. For interconnection equipment to gain status as lab tested equipment, its use must fall within the use or uses for which the interconnection equipment is labeled and listed by the NRTL, and the generator or other electric source being utilized must be compatible with the interconnection equipment and consistent with the testing and listing specified for the type of interconnection equipment;

 

          (30)  "Line section," the portion of a public utility's EDS connected to an interconnection customer and bounded by automatic sectionalizing devices or the end of the distribution line;

 

          (31)  "Minor equipment modification," a change to the proposed small generator facility, the output capacity of the facility, or the proposed interconnection equipment that:

 

               (a)  Does not affect the application of the screening criteria in tiers 1, 2, or 3;

               (b)  In the public utility's reasonable opinion, does not have a material impact on safety or reliability of the public utility's EDS or an affected system; and

               (c)  Does not include a change in the electric nameplate capacity of an existing small generator facility;

 

          (32)  "Nationally recognized testing laboratory (NRTL)," a qualified private organization that performs independent safety testing and product certification. Each NRTL shall meet the requirements as set forth by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for an NRTL program;

 

          (33)  "Parallel operation" or "parallel," a small generator facility that is connected electrically to an EDS and the potential exists for electricity to flow from the small generator facility to the EDS or for the small generator facility and the EDS to simultaneously feed the same load;

 

          (34)  "Pending completed application," an application for interconnection of other small generator facilities or FERC wholesale generators that the public utility has deemed completed but has not yet reviewed or approved pursuant to applicable procedures;

 

          (35)  "Point of interconnection," the point where the small generator facility is electrically connected to the public utility's EDS;

 

          (36)  "Primary line," a distribution line with an operating voltage greater than 480 volts;

 

          (37)  "Queue position," the order of a completed application, relative to all other pending completed applications, that is established based upon the date and time of the interconnecting public utility's receipt of the completed application, including application fees;

 

          (38)  "Radial distribution circuit," a circuit configuration in which independent feeders branch out radially from a common source of supply;

 

          (39)  "Scoping meeting," an initial meeting between representatives of the applicant and the interconnecting public utility that is conducted for the purpose of discussing alternative interconnection options, to exchange information, including any EDS data and earlier study evaluations that would be reasonably expected to impact such interconnection options, to analyze the information, or to determine the potentially feasible points of interconnection;

 

          (40)  "Secondary line," a service line subsequent to the public utility's primary line that has an operating voltage of 480 volts or less;

 

          (41)  "Shared secondary line," a service line subsequent to the public utility's primary line that has an operating voltage of 480 volts or less that serves more than one customer;

 

          (42)  "Small generator facility," a facility for the production of electrical energy that has an electric nameplate capacity of ten megawatts or less and can operate in parallel with a public utility's EDS;

 

          (43)  "Spot network," a type of electric EDS that uses two or more inter-tied transformers protected by network protectors to supply an electrical network circuit. A spot network may be used to supply power to a single customer or a small group of customers;

 

          (44)  "System upgrade," an addition or modification to the interconnecting public utility's EDS or to an affected system that is required to accommodate the proposed interconnection. A system upgrade does not include interconnection facilities;

 

          (45)  "Transmission line," a line owned by the public utility and controlled or operated by either the public utility or a regional transmission organization and defined by using guidelines established by either FERC, the commission, or both, which is not part of the public utility's distribution system or any generation system;

 

          (46)  "Witness test," the on-site visual verification of the interconnection installation and commissioning as required in IEEE 1547, sections 5.3 and 5.4. For interconnection equipment that does not meet the definition of lab tested equipment, the witness test may, at the discretion of the public utility, also include a system design and production evaluation according to IEEE 1547, sections 5.1 and 5.2, as applicable to the specific interconnection system technology employed;

 

          (47)  "Written notice," a required notice sent by the public utility or applicant via electronic mail, if electronic mail addresses are provided. If a party has not provided an electronic mail address, or has requested in writing to be notified by United States mail, or a party elects to provide written notice by United States mail, then written notices from the party shall be sent via first class United States mail. A party will be considered to have fulfilled its duty to respond under these rules on the day it sends the written notice via electronic mail or deposits such notice in first class mail. Each party will be responsible for informing other parties of any change in its notification address.

 

          Source: 35 SDR 305, effective July 1, 2009; 38 SDR 116, effective January 10, 2012.

          General Authority: SDCL 49-34A-27, 49-34A-93.

          Law Implemented: SDCL 49-34A-27, 49-34A-93.

 

          Reference: Standard 1547 for Interconnecting Distributed Resources with Electric Power Systems, published on July 28, 2003; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Copies may be obtained from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, 445 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, New Jersey, 08854 or at http://www.ieee.org/portal/site. Cost: $89.

 

          Reference: Standard 1547.1 for Conformance Test Procedures for Equipment Interconnecting Distributed Resources with Electric Power Systems, published on July 1, 2005; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Copies may be obtained from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, 445 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, New Jersey, 08854 or at http://www.ieee.org/portal/site. Cost: $89.