Northwest citizens are known for being early adopters of these energy innovations, such as advanced wind turbines and efficient solar panels, and small power producers would enjoy more possibilities for creating those new energy jobs with standard connections.
Currently, if a company sought to install new electricity generation technologies in Washington State, they would have 63 different connection standards to negotiate, depending on where the installation is located. This bill creates one standard for every utility in Washington State.
Northwest citizens are known for being early adopters of these energy innovations, such as advanced wind turbines and efficient solar panels, and small power producers would enjoy more possibilities for creating those new energy jobs with standard connections.
House Bill 1011 would simplify standards for small power producers to connect to the electrical grid and expand "net metering" to 100 kW. It also gives procedures, time lines, and technical specifications for connecting a customer's small electrical generation facility (10 megawatts or less) to an electrical distribution system.
The net metering and interconnection legislation in Washington joins a string of rules being adopted by several states. In addition, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), among others, are developing interconnection requirements to ensure safety and reliability of the electrical transmission and distribution system.
The bill now goes to the full House of Representatives.
