Title
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 14-153 ESTABLISHING THE INTERCONNECTION POLICY FOR CONNECTION OF RESIDENTIAL AND/OR COMMERCIAL SOLAR POWER GENERATION SYSTEMS TO THE CITY OF HUDSON'S POWER GRID THROUGH AUTHORIZATION OF A MODEL INTERCONNECTION AGREEMENT AND FEE AND RATE SCHEDULES THEREFOR.
Brief Description: The City’s current interconnection policy provides for residents and/or businesses to interconnect privately owned solar power generation systems to the Hudson Public Power grid. Staff has been collaborating with electrical engineers to amend the current policy to better align it with advancing technologies within the industry. Staff is asking for an Ordinance approving the amendments and implementing the policy.
Body
Legislative History
Ordinance # 14-153, an ordinance establishing an interconnection policy for the connection of residential and/or commercial solar power generation systems to the city of Hudson's power grid through authorization of a model interconnection agreement and fees therefor.
Purpose & Explanation
The current interconnection policy allows Hudson Public Power customers to install privately owned solar power generation systems and return unused solar generated electricity back to the power grid and realize an account credit for the metered return amount (kWh).
Over the past several months HPP staff has been working with electrical design Engineers to establish an amended interconnection policy to better align the policy with continually changing technologies within the industry. The major changes in the amended version of the policy are increases in the allowable size of residential solar generation systems from 10KW to 25KW and providing for the installation of battery storage. It is expected that these types of requests will continue to increase as such technologies become more popular and HPP will continue to adapt to new technologies and accommodate customers.
Included in the policy are the following items which have been attached for review:
§ Application for system installation.
§ Formal agreement for operation, and account credit process and specifications for unit installations, operation, and testing.
§ Fee schedule for the “City side” system hardware and metering devices.
Fiscal Impact
Currently Budgeted (Account #, $)
Supplemental Appropriation Required (Account #, $)
X Appropriation Not Required
Does this legislation require use of an emergency clause?
Yes [if so, explain why]
X No
Recommendation
Suggested Action
Staff recommends City Council approve the ordinance amending ordinance no. 14-153 establishing the interconnection policy for connection of residential and/or commercial solar power generation systems establishing the Hudson Public Power Solar Generation System Interconnection Policy as described herein.
Submitted by,
Frank J. Comeriato, Jr., Asst. City Manager-Operations
Kevin Powell, Asst. Public Works Director-Utilities