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To interconnect a distributed generation system to the grid requires the approval of your electric utility company. Your utility is likely to have specific requirements for your system, so you should contact your utility during the planning stages for your installation. To protect your legal rights, however, be sure to first familiarize yourself with the interconnection requirements in place in your state. These requirements will often mandate that your utility allow you to interconnect to the grid, will often set the price for power sold back to the grid, and may limit the restrictions that your utility can apply to the interconnection.
Unfortunately, finding the right contact at your electric utility may not be easy. The first place to try would be the utility's customer service number, which should be on your electric bill, or the utility's Web site. If you don't know the Web site of your utility, the utility links below may assist you in finding it.
If you are unable to find an appropriate contact at your electric utility, or if you are unsatisfied with the information they are giving to you, there are a number of state organizations that you can turn to for information or help.
- State energy offices — SEOs should know the latest rulings regarding interconnection to the grid and may know the appropriate contact at your electric utility. Although SEOs don't have any legal authority, they can often help people and businesses with interconnection issues, and they are a useful source of information. They can also put you in touch with your state legislators, if necessary. The National Association of State Energy Offices provides a state-by-state listing of all the energy offices in the United States.
- Public utility commissions — PUCs are usually given the task of translating legislative language into specific legal rules that utilities must follow. Your state PUC should be able to tell you of any rules regarding interconnection in your state. If you are unsatisfied with the actions of your utility, the PUC is also the appropriate organization for filing a formal complaint. The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners maintains a state-by-state listing of PUCs.
- State utility consumer advocates — In 40 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, state laws have established a utility consumer advocate office to represent the interests of utility consumers before state and federal regulators and in the courts. To contact the utility consumer advocate in your state, see the member directory on the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates Web site.
Utility Links
There are three main kinds of electric utilities that directly serve customers in the United States: investor-owned utilities, public utilities, and cooperatives. If your utility is associated with a particular city or municipal district, it's most likely a public utility. Public Utility Districts (PUDs) and state-run utilities are also public utilities. Cooperatives often have the word "cooperative" or "co-op" in their name, and generally service rural areas. All the rest are investor-owned utilities. Once you determine which type of electric utility is serving you, use the links below to find the utility's Web site.
Utility industry organizations:
- Investor-owned utilities — The Edison Electric Institute maintains an alphabetical list of all its member investor-owned utilities.
- Public utilities — The American Public Power Association maintains an alphabetical list of all its member public power utilities.
- Cooperatives — The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association maintains a state-by-state list of all its member electric cooperatives.
Other sources of information:
- DOE's Energy Information Administration provides contact information for all electric utilities by state. The list is not as up-to-date as the industry organization lists, above, but could be helpful if you're not sure what type of utility is serving you.
- Platts provides an alphabetical list of several hundred utilities with direct links to their Web sites. The information is in a single list, not broken down by state.
- The American Wind Energy Association gives advice on dealing with zoning issues, some of which is applicable to other DE technologies.
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