R746-312-12. Interconnection Monitoring

(1) Generating facilities approved and interconnected to the public utility under the Level 1 and Level 2 interconnection review processes, and generating facilities with nameplate capacities of 3 megawatts or less approved under the Level 3 interconnection review process, except as noted herein, are not required to provide for remote monitoring of the electric output by the public utilities.

(2) Generating facilities approved under Level 3 Interconnection Applications with Electric Nameplate Capacities greater than 5 MW or Level 3 Interconnection Applications where the aggregated generation on the circuit, including the interconnection customers generating facility, would exceed 50 percent of the line section annual peak load may be required to provide remote monitoring at the public utility's discretion if the public utility has required such monitoring of its own facilities.

(3) If a public utility determines monitoring data provided by telemetry is necessary for safe, reliable and efficient operations of a proposed generating facility with an electric nameplate capacity of greater than 3 megawatts to 5 megawatts, the public utility may petition the commission on a case by case basis to impose monitoring and telemetry requirements such facilities. Any such petition must be accompanied by evidence supporting telemetry needs and requirements.

(4) For generating facilities required to provide remote monitoring pursuant to Subsections R746-312-12(2) and (3), the data acquisition and transmission to a point where it can be used by the public utility's control system operations must meet the performance based standards as follows:

(a) Any data acquisition and telemetry equipment required by this rule must be installed, operated and maintained at the interconnection customer's expense.

(b) Telemetry requirements:

(i) parties may mutually agree to waive or modify any of the telemetry requirements contained herein.

(ii) the communication must take place via a Private Network Link using a Frame Relay or Fractional T-1 line or other such suitable device. Dedicated Remote Terminal Units, from the generating facility to the public utility's substation and Energy Management System are not required.

(iii) a single communication circuit from the generating facility to the public utility is sufficient.

(iv) communications protocol must be DNP 3.0 or other standard used by the public utility.

(v) the generating facility must be capable of sending telemetric monitoring data to the public utility at a minimum rate of every 2 seconds (from the output of the generating facility's telemetry equipment to the public utility's energy management system).

(vi) the minimum data points that a generator facility is required to provide telemetric monitoring to the public utility are:

(A) net real power flowing out or into the generating facility (analog);

(B) net reactive power flowing out or into the generating facility (analog);

(C) bus bar voltage at the point of common coupling (analog);

(D) data processing gateway (DPG) heartbeat (used to certify the telemetric signal quality); and

(E) on-line or off-line status (digital).

(vii) If an interconnection customer operates the equipment associated with the high voltage switchyard interconnecting the generating facility to the public utility's distribution system, and is required by to provide monitoring and telemetry, the interconnection customer must provide the following monitoring to the public utility in addition to provisions in Subsection R746-312-12(4)(b)(vi):

(A) switchyard line and transformer MW and MVAR values;

(B) switchyard bus voltage; and

(C) switching devices status