FERC Seeks Comment on Proposals to Improve Wind and Solar Interconnectivity

The Climate Report - Winter 2011

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission continued efforts to connect wind and solar generation facilities to the interstate grid by issuing a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Integration of Variable Energy Resources.

FERC seeks comments by January 31, 2011 on three proposals. First, FERC proposes to provide transmission customers with the option of using more frequent transmission scheduling intervals within each operating hour. Traditionally, resources are scheduled on an hourly basis; the proposal would allow customers to adjust schedules at 15-minute intervals, enabling variable energy resources and transmission providers to better manage variations from wind and solar facilities. Second, FERC proposes to require interconnection customers with wind-based and solar-based variable energy resources to provide transmission providers with site-specific meteorological data. Third, FERC proposes establishing a new generic rate