R746-312-4. Installation, Operation, Maintenance, Testing and Modification of Generating and Interconnection Facilities

(1) Except for generating facilities in operation or approved for operation prior to the effective date of this rule, an interconnection customer of a public utility must install, operate and maintain its generating and interconnection facilities in compliance with the IEEE standards, as applicable, and the requirements of the interconnection agreement or other agreements executed between the parties during the interconnection review and approval process. Generating facilities in operation or approved for operation prior to the effective date of this rule must be operated and maintained in accordance with the requirements of all agreements in place prior to the effective date of this rule.

(2) Disconnect Switch. Except for the exemptions listed below, an interconnection customer of a public utility must install and maintain a manual disconnect switch that will disconnect the generating facility from the public utility's distribution system. The disconnect switch must be a lockable, load-break switch that plainly indicates whether it is in the open or closed position. The disconnect switch must be readily accessible to the public utility at all times and located within 10 feet of the public utility's meter.

(a) Exemptions:

(i) For customer generating systems of 10 kilowatts or less that are inverter-based, a public utility shall not require a disconnect switch.

(ii) The disconnect switch may be located more than 10 feet from the public utility's meter if permanent instructions are posted in letters of appropriate size at the meter indicating the precise location of the disconnect switch. In this case the public utility must approve in writing the location of the disconnect switch prior to the installation of the generating facility. For those instances where the interconnection customer and the public utility cannot agree to the implementation of this section, the public utility or interconnection customer may refer the matter to the commission according to the designated dispute resolution process.

(iii) Nothing in this exemption precludes an interconnection customer or a public utility from voluntarily installing a manual disconnect switch.

(3) In the event that no disconnect switch is installed, the interconnection customer's electric service may be disconnected by the public utility entirely if the generating facility must be physically disconnected from the public utility's distribution system as specified in Subsection R746-312-4(5).

(4) For those public utilities whose governing authority, pursuant to Section 54-15-106, after appropriate notice an opportunity for public comment, elects to adopt by rule additional reasonable interconnection safety, power quality and interconnection requirements for net metering generating facilities and who determines that a disconnect switch for net metering generating facilities less than 10 kilowatts is necessary, those public utilities must:

(a) address the usage of the disconnect switch in the public utility's operations training requirements and standard operating procedures, including, among other things, how the disconnect switches will be managed, including tracking of switches, the procedures under which the disconnect switch must be used during normal operations, construction projects, trouble situations, and during restoration of service activities, and training on operation and usage of the disconnect switch;

(b) file a copy of the disconnect switch procedures, and any updates, along with the governing authority's documentation of appropriate notice and opportunity for public comment with the commission; and

(c) document in writing each time the public utility has utilized each specific disconnect switch and the reason for its usage and make this information available to the commission upon request.

(5) The public utility may operate the manual disconnect switch or disconnect the customer generating facility pursuant to the conditions set forth below, thereby isolating the customer generating system, without prior notice to the customer. To the extent practicable, however, prior notice shall be given. If prior notice is not given, the utility shall at the time of disconnection leave a door hanger or other such notice notifying the customer that their customer generating system has been disconnected, including an explanation of the condition necessitating such action. The public utility shall reconnect the customer generating system as soon as reasonably practicable after the condition necessitating disconnection is remedied.

(a) Any of the following conditions shall be cause for the public utility to manually disconnect a generating facility from its system:

(i) Emergencies or maintenance requirements on the public utility's distribution system;

(ii) Hazardous conditions existing on the public utility's distribution system that may affect safety of the general public or public utility employees due to the operation of the customer generating facility or protective equipment as determined by the public utility; or

(iii) Adverse electrical effects (such as high or low voltage, unacceptable harmonic levels, or RFI interference) on the electrical equipment of the public utility's other electric consumers caused by the customer generating facility as determined by the public utility.

(6) Subsequent to becoming interconnected to a public utility the interconnection customer must notify the public utility of all proposed modifications to the generating facility or equipment package that will increase the generation capacity of a customer generation facility.

(a) Notification must be provided in the form of a new application submitted in accordance with the level of review required by this rule; and

(b) The application must specify the proposed modification(s).

(7) Aggregating Multiple Generators: If the interconnection request is for a generating facility which includes multiple generating facilities at a site for that the interconnection customer seeks a single point of interconnection, the interconnection request must be evaluated for the purposes of the interconnection on the basis of the aggregate electric nameplate capacity of the generating facilities.