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Montanans learn ins and outs of small wind interconnection

Interconnection brings more elements together than a mere power generator and the electrical grid—sometimes in a confusing tangle. At a meeting in Havre, Mont., in July, Hill County Electric Cooperative invited power industry officials to untangle the complex process for customers interested in developing small wind projects.

Co-op gathers experts to answer questions, explain issues
“We get a lot of calls from people who are thinking of installing small turbines to generate power for their own use, and maybe sell the excess to us,” explained Hill County Electrical Engineering and Operations Manager Rollie Miller. “We decided to take a proactive approach to educating our customers about the issues involved.”

“People hear that there is grant money available for development, and they are ready to rush into projects without learning the details,” added Ed Weber, transmission system planning manager in Western’s Billings, Mont., office. “They don’t realize there are processes and procedures to follow.”

Weber was one of the speakers at the meeting, along with Member Marketing Manager Ron Rebenitsch of Basin Electric Power Cooperative. “We asked Ed and Ron to speak because they are known for their expertise in distributed generation and renewable energy,” Miller said.

A representative from Montana Electric Cooperatives’ Association was also on hand to provide an overview on tariff policies, net metering and power purchases. MECA co-sponsored the seminar with Hill County Electric.

Nearly 100 people attended the half-day event, a crash course on the issues and procedures involved in becoming a power producer. The theme that tied the presentations together was that adding a connection is usually more complicated than just hooking the turbine up to the power lines. It is crucial to talk to the utility before the project even starts.

Study shows how project will affect system, rates
A customer who wants to build a turbine and connect it to Hill County Electric’s system must go through an application process. The co-op charges a fee to evaluate the proposed system and study the impact the turbine will have on its plant.

The fee varies according to size of generator. For a turbine producing less than 10 kilowatts, it is $500. If the application process costs less, the co-op can refund the balance; however, if it costs more, the applicant will have to pay the difference.

A thorough evaluation process protects both Hill County Electric and its customers. “We want to ensure that our ratepayers don’t end up picking up the tab for the project,” Miller said. “If a generator is located far out on a line, the electricity it produces is going to cost more.”

“We have to ensure that the power is high quality, that it is not sending any noise into the system that could interfere with telephone or Internet service,” he added.

Safety is another issue the study must resolve. “Our employees will be doing maintenance on those lines. If a turbine is not properly interconnected, it could generate back into high voltage lines, which could kill or injure a worker,” Miller pointed out.

Larger turbines require wider evaluation
Western shares many of the utility’s concerns and requires additional applications—with higher fees—for projects that put 150 kilowatts or more on the region’s system. “It can cause real problems for our workers if they don’t know that a generator is tied to a co-op’s system,” Weber declared.

To eliminate safety hazards and to evaluate the impact of a project on the local and regional transmission system, Western has a two-part application process. The first step, which does not require a fee, is to request interconnection with Western’s transmission system. A written request from the developer launches a study that focuses on local issues affecting interconnection.

Paralleling the interconnection process, the transmission service request process addresses larger issues of moving energy across the region-wide network. Western’s Open Access Transmission Service Tariff details the environmental review required by the U.S. Department of Energy.

These measures ensure that the transmission line can handle the amount of power being put into it. Even if the generator’s power input is less than 150 kW, Weber advised seminar participants to talk to their utility to make sure its lines can handle the transmission.

Proactive outreach increases public understanding of wind
Feedback from the event has been very positive, according Miller. “We’ve gotten e-mail, letters and phone calls thanking us for hosting the seminar,” he said. “It answered questions that people might not have known to ask.”

The co-op’s general manager and board of directors approved Miller’s idea for the seminar last spring. Hill County Electric promoted it through radio and newspaper ads in Havre, and the Montana Farmers Union and regional agriculture and stock industry magazines ran announcements. “People from all over the state showed up,” Miller said.

Although the thicket of issues surrounding interconnection may seem daunting, events like the Hill County Electric seminar ultimately encourage sound renewable energy development. Western and its customers are willing to work with anyone to bring projects online that meet the shared standards of safety and reliable transmission.