Chapter 15.40
ALTERNATE ENERGY INTERCONNECTS
Sections:
15.40.030 Interconnection procedure.
15.40.060 Safety requirements.
15.40.010 Policy.
It is the policy of the city through the Nome joint utilities board to allow for interconnection and operation in parallel with qualifying facilities. A “qualifying facility,” as that term is hereinafter used, is a co-generation facility or small power production facility which meets the criteria prescribed by 18 CFR, Part 292, Subpart B. (Ord. O-09-12-01 § 2, 2009: Ord. O-93-6-6 § 1 (part), 1994)
15.40.020 Limitations.
Facilities eligible for interconnection under this section are limited to those using wind, hydro, solar photovoltaic or other appropriate recognized technology as a source of energy, having:
(a) A maximum generating capacity which, when added to the maximum generating capacity of previously interconnected facilities, shall not exceed one and two-tenths megawatts; and
(b) Which are also incapable of operation independently of the utility. (Ord. O-09-12-01 § 3, 2009: Ord. O-93-6-6 § 1 (part), 1994)
15.40.030 Interconnection procedure.
(a) Subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth, the Nome joint utility system will make interconnections with a qualifying facility as may be considered prudent and consistent with good utility practice by the general manager of the Nome joint utility system.
(b) The city and Nome joint utility system shall not participate in the design, construction or installation of the interconnected facilities except as agreed to in a written agreement approved in advance of interconnection.
(c) The customer who desires interconnection shall submit plans and specifications to the utilities manager or his designee for preliminary approval. Such plans must include a preliminary building permit obtained by the customer under the procedure set forth in this code.
(d) The utilities manager, after consultation with the customer, shall approve or reject the plans and specifications within thirty days of their submission by the customer. If the utilities manager rejects the plans and specifications, the customer may submit revised plans and specifications. If the plans and specifications are acceptable, the utilities manager will stamp the word “Approved” upon them and sign his name.
(e) Should the utilities manager reject the plans and specifications as presented, he must give his reasons and inform the customer of the requirements necessary to gain approval by the utilities manager. (Ord. O-09-12-01 § 4, 2009: Ord. O-93-6-6 § 1 (part), 1994)
15.40.040 Rejection.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the Nome joint utility system is not required to interconnect with a qualifying facility, if:
(a) Solely because of purchases or sales over the interconnection, the Nome joint utility system would become subject to federal regulations under Part II of the Federal Power Act or state regulation by the Regulatory Commission of Alaska; or
(b) A qualifying facility does not comply with the safety and reliability standards prescribed for interconnect by this chapter. (Ord. O-09-12-01 § 5, 2009: Ord. O-93-6-6 § 1 (part), 1994)
15.40.050 Charges.
(a) The Nome joint utilities will assess the customer interconnection charges which are reasonable and nondiscriminatory with respect to other customers who have similar load characteristics, and will allow the customer an installment payment option as provided in subsection (c) of this section.
(b) Interconnection charges shall include, but are not limited to, the cost of connection, switching, metering, transmission, distribution, safety provisions, administration and other costs incurred by the city or Nome joint utilities directly related to the installation and maintenance of its physical facilities necessary to permit interconnected operations with a qualifying facility, to the extent such costs are in excess of the corresponding costs which the Nome joint utilities would have incurred if it had not engaged in interconnected operations, but instead generated an equivalent amount of electric power from other sources. Interconnection costs shall not include any costs included in the calculation of avoided costs.
(c) The Nome joint utilities will offer a customer operating a qualifying facility the option of reimbursing the electric utility for interconnection charges over a reasonable period of time. The Nome joint utilities shall charge interest to a customer choosing this option, as prescribed in its tariff or in a special contract entered into under Section 15.40.070(a), for financing of the interconnection costs.
(d) Interconnection charges shall be assessed and collected in accordance with a written agreement approved by the Nome joint utility board in advance of interconnection with the Nome joint utility system. (Ord. O-09-12-01 § 6, 2009; Ord. O-93-6-6 § 1 (part), 1994)
15.40.060 Safety requirements.
Interconnection shall be made in compliance with the building and electrical codes in effect from time to time and such additional standards as may be duly enacted by regulation of the Nome joint utilities board. In addition the connection of a qualifying facility to the utility’s electric system shall be in such a way as to assure to the satisfaction of the utility manager that there is no possibility that a conductor could become energized from the qualifying facility’s generating facilities while employees or agents of the utility are working on such conductors. (Ord. O-93-6-6 § 1 (part), 1994)
15.40.070 Type of service.
(a) Interconnecting customers shall be entitled to sell power to the Nome joint utility system on a non-firm basis or on a firm basis. The customer shall enter into an individual contract with the utility, approved in advance of interconnection with the Nome joint utility system, specifying the terms and conditions under which power is to be furnished.
(b) For customers who chose not to supply power on a firm basis, the standard residential service will be provided.
(c) All qualifying facilities with ten or less kilowatts of electric generating capacity may operate with a single meter known as a single detent meter which measures electric power traveling in one direction only.
(d) If the interconnecting customer desires to sell electricity to the utility, or if the qualifying facility has a greater than ten kilowatt capacity, two or more single detent meters shall be installed unless different metering arrangements are established in the written agreement required by subsection (a) of this section.
(e) If two meters are to be installed, one meter shall be installed to measure all the electricity delivered by the Nome joint utility system to the qualifying facility and another meter shall be installed to measure all the electricity delivered to the Nome joint utility system by the qualifying facility, unless different metering arrangements are established in the written agreement required by subsection (a) of this section. (Ord. O-09-12-01 § 7, 2009: Ord. O-93-6-6 § 1 (part), 1994)
15.40.080 Liability.
(a) Neither the city nor Nome joint utilities shall assume any responsibility for protection of the interconnecting customer’s equipment from transient conditions including without limitation lightning surges, line faults and outages. It shall be the customer’s responsibility to provide adequate safeguards for protection of his or its own equipment, life and other property.
(b) The customer shall be required to assume all responsibility for property damage or personal injury caused by or arising out of the operation of the qualifying facility, whether such harm is suffered by the city, the Nome joint utilities, their employees or agents or a member of the general public.
(c) Before interconnection occurs, the customer shall be required to sign an agreement indemnifying and holding the city and Nome joint utilities harmless from any property damage or personal injury caused by or arising from or out of the operation of his or its facility or the maintenance thereof.
(d) Unless otherwise specified in the written agreement required by NCO Section 15.40.070(a), to assure financial responsibility, the interconnecting customer shall be required to carry and furnish evidence of general liability insurance with limits of liability of not less than three hundred thousand dollars each occurrence and one million dollars aggregate and evidence of manufacturer’s product liability insurance on the equipment utilized. (Ord. O-09-12-01 § 8, 2009; Ord. O-93-6-6 § 1 (part), 1994)
15.40.090 Ongoing operation.
(a) The customer shall maintain all wiring and equipment on a regular basis in accordance with any manufacturer’s instructions and the general requirements of safety.
(b) The customer agrees to allow the utility to enter his or its premises at any time upon reasonable notice to conduct periodic safety inspections, install any equipment needed to measure loads or any party thereof, to measure windmill energy, and to collect and obtain any other data necessary to determine characteristic of such installations.
(c) The utility reserves the right to disconnect the customer’s generating equipment from its system, or take any other action including entering the customer’s premises, without prior notice to the customer, when:
(1) System emergency operations require such action;
(2) Utility inspection of the customer’s equipment reveals a hazardous condition; or
(3) The interconnecting customer’s generating equipment interferes with other customers’ service or with the operation of the city’s or Nome joint utilities’ equipment.
(d) The utility shall notify the customer of the reason or reasons for a disconnection under this subsection in writing and within ten days of the disconnection. (Ord. O-93-6-6 § 1 (part), 1994)
15.40.100 Accounting, rates.
(a) The Nome joint utility system shall pay to the customer for power generated and delivered to the utility a price specified in a written agreement approved by the Nome joint utility board in advance of interconnection with the Nome joint utility system. This figure will be computed on a monthly basis, taking into account the cost of energy which the utility avoids by virtue of the interconnection, the cost of fuel during the applicable time period, the costs incurred in construction, operation and maintenance of interconnection facilities, the variable operation and maintenance expenses, if any, which the utility does not incur because the customer has supplied a measured quantity of kilowatt hours to the utility, and the effect of acceptance of energy from the customer on the efficiency of NJUS generation units.
(b) Accounting for power transactions between the interconnecting customer and the Nome joint utilities shall be performed by and at the cost of the utility. Credits or payments to the customer for power supplied to the utility from the customer’s generation facilities shall be calculated and made on a monthly basis. (Ord. O-09-12-01 § 9, 2009; Ord. O-93-6-6 § 1 (part), 1994)