Interconnection Guidelines

Summary

The South Carolina Public Service Commission (PSC) adopted simplified interconnection guidelines for small distributed generation (DG) in December 2006.  South Carolina's interconnection guidelines apply to Progress Energy, Duke Energy, and South Carolina Electric and Gas. These guidelines address interconnection of renewable- energy systems and other forms of DG in three levels -

1. Fast Track interconnection for a certified inverter based generating unit up to 20 kW
2. Fast Track for interconnection for systems larger than 20 kW up to 2 MW
3. For larger interconnection systems greater than 2 MW requiring interconnection study.

The customer may submit a formal Pre-Application Report request with a $500 non-refundable fee. The utility will provide a report identifying the substation, area bus, or a circuit that would be the proposed point of interconnection. 

Utilities may not require residential customers to carry liability insurance beyond the amount required by a standard homeowner's policy ($100,000 minimum coverage), but non-residential generators are required to carry comprehensive general liability insurance ($300,000 minimum coverage). Generators are responsible only for upgrade and improvement costs associated directly with a system's interconnection, but these costs may be determined by utilities. Utilities are prohibited from imposing indirect fees and charges. The guidelines include a mutual-indemnification requirement.

A redundant external disconnect switch is required, and the capacity of all interconnected generation is generally limited to a maximum of 2% of rated circuit capacity.