The New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) today made it easier to install distributed generation equipment in homes and businesses, including those that use renewable energy, to generate electricity. The Commission ordered an expansion of an expedited review process for interconnection of distributed generation to include inverter-based systems that can feed into a commercial electrical grid with a capacity up to 300 kW.

The Commission’s action today, in addition to promoting renewable energy development, supports recommendations made by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s NYS 2100 Commission in terms of streamlining efforts to encourage distributed generation. Distributed generation, also called on-site generation, is the generation of electricity from small energy sources. Increasing the amount of distributed generation will help strengthen the resiliency of the electric grid.  

“With these steps, the Commission is encouraging the development of renewable energy and distributed generation projects in New York,” said Commission Chairman Garry Brown. “These improvements will foster more participation by interested customer-generators and additional investment in such technologies.” 

The Commission also adopted other modifications to its Standardized Interconnection Requirements (SIR) for distributed generation units operating in parallel with the electric utility distribution systems, including a mechanism to remove inactive projects from a utility’s interconnection queue. SIR refers to the rules related to the new interconnection of new distributed generation units with a nameplate capacity of 2 MW or less connected with the utility’s distribution system.

Easing interconnection with existing utility networks encourage the development of distributed generation systems such as micro-hydroelectric systems. The actions today will promote energy conservation, efficiency, and consumer demand response, while improving the resiliency and stability of energy, electricity, and fuel supply systems. An inverter-based system converts the direct current (DC) output of a distributed generation system into a utility-frequency alternating current (AC).

Generally, the SIR provides one application process for distributed generation systems of 50 kW or less (expedited process) and another for systems above 50 kW up to 2 MW. The interconnection requirements include general design and operation requirements; a number of provisions specific to various types of equipment; safety and system protection measures and testing and certification requirements. 

The Commission’s decisions today, when issued, may be obtained by going to the Commission Documents section of the Commission’s Web site at www.dps.ny.gov and entering Case Numbers 12-E-0393, 12-E-0394, 12-E-0395, Case 12-E-0396, 12-E-0397, and 12-E-0398 in the input box labeled "Search for Case/Matter Number". Many libraries offer free Internet access. Commission orders may also be obtained from the Commission’s Files Office, 14th floor, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12223 (518-474-2500). If you have difficulty understanding English, please call us at 1-800-342-3377 for free language assistance services regarding this press release.

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