§18842 Model guidance for combined heat and power systems and waste heat to power systems

Summary

The Secretary of Energy must review, within 180 days after November 15, 2021, rules and procedures across the United States for connecting electric generators up to 150 megawatts to the grid. The review must look at how interconnection service and extra services (like backup, standby, maintenance, or interruptible power) are handled, who pays the costs, and how utilities recover those costs. The Secretary must work with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and other appropriate groups. Within 18 months after November 15, 2021, the Secretary must create model guidance for states and nonregulated utilities to lower the barriers found in the review. The guidance should follow current best practices and keep the grid safe and reliable, using standards like those from the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers and state model codes. The guidance should consider things such as different rules by unit size or fuel, fast-track connection options, being consistent with FERC rules as of November 15, 2021, how outage assumptions affect fees, demand charge rules, alternative ways to buy extra services (custom contracts, market purchases, or fee waivers for small users), and likely benefits like better reliability, more fuel choices, improved power quality, and reduced losses. Definitions: “additional services” = extra power services; “waste heat to power system” = electricity made from recovered waste energy; other key terms use their meanings from the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act and section 6341.