See FAQs on Studies below.
Application
What are the key dates that I need to know?
Submit the Interconnection Request (IR) (PDF, 602KB) to BC Hydro by March 7, 2008. The IR must be signed and sealed by a Professional Engineer licensed in BC.
BC Hydro will review the IR within 5 Business Days and identify deficiencies that need to be corrected. The Independent Power Producer will have 10 Business Days to correct these deficiencies.
The entire Application must be submitted to BC Hydro by 4:00 PM on April 7, 2008. The Application consists of: the Completed IR, signed Feasibility Study Agreement, $30,000 deposit, and proof of site control.
How do you define the size of plant with multiple generators?
Generators that have the capability to feed power back into the transmission system must be included in the total plant size. The amount of generation you are planning to sell in this RFP should be entered as the amount of MW Injection (refer to IR form, Section 3.02). Existing generators that have lockout devises which will not permit the export of power to the transmission system will not need to be included at the Feasibility Study phase.
What data should I provide if I have five generators, but I only want to submit one into the Call?
There are multiple answers, as set out below, depending on how these generators are connected within the existing industrial plant.
Existing generators that have a lockout device, which will not permit power export into the transmission system, will not be included at the Feasibility Study phase.
Existing generators that can feed power into the transmission system, but have no commercial contract to do so and have a reverse power relay in place that would trip the connection to the transmission system on any power export will need to provide data for all generating units at the plant. However, you will need to enter the amount of generation you are planning to sell in this RFP as the MW Injection (refer to IR form, Section 3.02).
You will need to provide the Generation Base Line (GBL) information to BC Hydro leaving the incremental capability as the generation bid into the RFP. This incremental amount should be entered as the amount of MW Injection (refer to IR form, Section 3.02).
Will I have to provide data on the entire plant or just data for the specific unit?
You will have to provide data for the specific generator in order for BC Hydro to perform the Feasibility Study. However, you will have to provide data on the entire plant in order for BC Hydro to perform the System Impact and Facility Studies. The data for the entire plant will require all generator and large motor data; however, other loads can be equivalenced into single representations of synchronous motors, inductions motors, and other loads.
Who do I make my application to if I have a generating plant at the BC Hydro and FortisBC border point?
You will make an application to both BC Hydro and FortisBC. BC Hydro will study the Point of Interconnection (POI) as being on the boundary of the BC Hydro and FortisBC transmission systems.
What is the generator’s latitude and longitude used for? Is this information still required if there are multiple plants?
The latitude and longitude is required to identify the location of the generating plant(s).
If you have a green field project with multiple plants, are two deposits required to enter into the Call?
If the plants have the same Point of Interconnection (POI), then they will be considered one project and therefore only one deposit will be required. Conversely, if the plants have a different POI, then they will be considered to be separate projects and therefore corresponding deposits for each project will be required.
Where is the Generator Interconnection Equipment Statement (GIES) form located?
On BC Hydro's internet site: GIES form (PDF, 602KB)
What happens when you press “reset” on the GIES form?
The “reset” button only resets that particular section of the GIES; the entire GIES form is not reset.
If a sawmill owner submits an Interconnection Request for a generation project at the sawmill site with the required fee, and later decides what particular IPP to make an agreement with, is the initial IR transferable to the IPP without any penalty or loss of queue position.
The sawmill owner currently controls the Point of Interconnection (POI) and must be the one named as the owner on the Interconnection Request form. If at a later date the sawmill owner decides to form a business relationship with an IPP developer then the IPP developer should be allowed to speak on behalf of the owner of the POI. This will allow the IPP developer to assume control of the project, effectively making this transferable.
What is included in site control? Do I provide site control as the interconnection customer or as the property owner or as the Interconnection Customer Interconnection Facilities (ICIF) owner?
BC Hydro’s Site Control Criteria (PDF, 321KB) policy sets out criteria in determining whether an interconnection customer has obtained Site Control over the land where the interconnection customer intends to develop its generating facility.
What is the difference between Site Control and Control of the Point of Interconnection (POI)?
Site control allows you to modify the land parcel, either by installing wind turbines, dams and powerhouses, or build industrial complexes with generation. Essentially, you are able to construct something on the property.
Control of POI is different in that the entity making the application must own, or have a legal arrangement to speak on behalf of, the interconnection point. This is required as there may be changes to the POI (such as metering, protection, telecommunications and equipment replacement) that the Proponent must have authority to carry out upon signing the Interconnection Agreement. We believe that many of the Bioenergy projects may be forming separate legal entities to separate the generation business from the industrial plant. In this case the new legal entity must be able to speak on behalf of the POI and have a legal agreement in place to do so, otherwise the IR must be submitted by the owners of the POI.
When is proof of Control of the POI required?
BC Hydro does not have a requirement at the IR submission phase. However, prior to signing the Standard Generator Interconnection Agreement (SGIA) you will need to provide documentation stating that you are a representative of the POI.
Studies
What comprises the Feasibility Study?
The Feasibility Study is a preliminary, high level evaluation of the system impact of interconnecting the proposed generating facility to the BC transmission system. In addition, non-binding and good faith estimates of cost responsibility and the time to construct are provided within this study. The full scope of this study is described in OATT, Attachment P (PDF, 1MB).
If an Interconnection Request progresses through Phase I of the BC Hydro Bioenergy Call yet stalls at a point prior to award of an Electricity Purchase Agreement (EPA), is any of the study work transferable to a Phase II generation project at the same site?
The prudent approach is to assume that there will be no transferability between Phase I and Phase II. Any higher queued projects in the Interconnection Queue may cause significant changes to the Bioenergy Phase I study results. If you drop out of Phase I then all these projects will have a higher queue position as will all projects in the upcoming Clean Power Call. As we do not know which projects will participate in these calls and where they will be located we cannot state that the Phase I study results are applicable to Phase II.
Do you provide fault levels?
BC Hydro provides fault levels at the Point of Interconnection (POI) and this information is identified in the Feasibility Study.
What is the accuracy of the Facility Study?
You, as the interconnection customer, request what type of accuracy you want. BC Hydro can perform a Facility Study with +/-20% level of accuracy in 90 days or +/-10% level of accuracy in 180 days.
