The Colorado Public Utilities Commission allows consumers in the state of Colorado to interconnect small renewable generation systems to their services within their set of rules. These rules apply to Y-W Electric Association’s consumers in Colorado. In many cases, residential consumers may connect and net meter renewable distributed generation systems up to 10 kW in capacity to their accounts, and commercial consumers may connect and net meter renewable distributed generation systems up to 25 kW in capacity to their accounts. These generation limits may be reduced by Y-WEA’s system capacity in areas of our distribution system.
For Y-WEA’s Current Generator Interconnection Procedure, click here. This document, part of Y-WEA’s Rules and Regulations, includes all of the instructions and interconnection requirements to interconnect a Distributed Energy Resource (DER) to Y-WEA’s electric system.
For the Pre-Application Interconnection Data Form, please click here. Y-WEA recommends but does not require that any customer considering a DER at their service location submit this form before signing any installation contract or purchasing any equipment. The Pre-Application Interconnection Data request costs $100, which is deducted from the application fee later, and serves as a good initial feasibility check to ensure that Y-WEA’s distribution system can absorb the proposed generation and that the DER is appropriately sized to the customer’s load.
For inverter-based DERs up to 25 kW, please click here for the Short-Form Interconnection Application and Agreement. The cost for this interconnection application is $750, based on Y-WEA’s average cost to evaluate and support each application. If the same project previously submitted a Pre-Application Interconnection Data request with payment of $100 within six months of the application date, that amount previously paid is deducted from the required application fee and only $650 need be paid at the time of the application. DERs up to 10 kW are eligible for Net Metering for residential accounts, and DERs up to 25 kW are eligible for Net Metering for commercial accounts.
For all other generator interconnections, please click here for the Application for Interconnection of Consumer-Owned Generation. The cost for this interconnection application depends upon the generator size and interconnection process being applied for, based on based on the Generator Interconnection Procedure linked above. If the same project previously submitted a Pre-Application Interconnection Data request with payment of $100 within six months of the application date, that amount previously paid is deducted from the required application fee. This application generally does not apply to DERs being installed for Net Metering.
After any interconnected generator project has been applied for, an interconnection agreement signed, the equipment has been installed, and the equipment has passed an electrical inspection (as is required by state law) with the State of Colorado Electrical Inspector sending Y-WEA a meter release, please click here for the Certificate of Completion. The customer or their installer must complete and sign the top portion of this form and submit it to Y-WEA in order to notify us that the installation is ready for our safety testing and metering changes. Once the safety test and metering changes are completed, Y-WEA will sign the bottom portion of this form and return it to the customer. This constitutes Y-WEA’s Authorization to Operate the interconnected generator.
Colorado law contains two particular statutes that pertain to net metering on Y-WEA’s electric distribution system. The first is CRS 40-9.5-118: Concerning Net Metering for Customer-Generators of Electric Utilities. This law requires that rural electric cooperatives like Y-WEA allow renewable DERs up to 10 kW for residential accounts and up to 25 kW for commercial accounts to interconnect to their electric systems for Net Metering, subject to the interconnection procedures developed by the Colorado PUC in accordance with the second statute: CRS 40-2-124: Renewable Energy Standards. The PUC, in turn, has devised the Interconnection Procedures and Standards contained in sections 3850-3859 of the PUC Rules Regulating Electric Utilities: 4 CCR 723-3. Y-WEA’s Generator Interconnection Procedure above is designed to satisfy these PUC rules.
Y-WEA’s entire electric system is located within Western Area Power Administration’s balancing authority area. As such, all behind-the-meter generation is required to be metered. Please click here for a link to WAPA’s current Business Practices, which includes their Behind the Meter Generation Policy.