FERC has responded to the serious backlog for connecting to the grid that is due in part by policies that give priority to first-to-file resources, even when other resources may be ready sooner and larger planning concerns should predominate. There have been problems with cost allocation as well. A May talk sponsored by the FTG Technical Committee examined these issues from the point of view of solar energy providers in New England. As explained in this Utility Dive post, this recent FERC ruling is good news for speeding up connections from renewables, but more needs to be done.
For more industry news summaries from the Technical Committee, see Bob Person’s Resource Digest. The latest entries also include news of a solar PV concern challenging the special treatment given to MA wind and hydro projects, an analysis of reliability factors for various generation sources, the cancellation of Avangrid’s contract for offshore wind, and more data on the unreliability of natural gas.