ENERGY + ENVIRONMENT

Utility regulators suspend Dominion’s rules for connecting solar projects to grid

SCC concludes utility does not have authority for interconnection rules developers said were driving up costs and delaying projects

BY: CHARLIE PAULLIN - SEPTEMBER 1, 2023 12:02 AM



Dominion Energy’s Scott Solar facility in Powhatan County, Va. (Sarah Vogelsong / Virginia Mercury)

Virginia’s electric utility regulators told Dominion Energy Wednesday that it is no longer allowed to impose its rules for connecting smaller solar projects to the grid because it doesn’t have the authority to do so.

The order from the State Corporation Commission was issued after a group of solar developers called the Distributed Solar Alliance filed a petition asking for regulators to suspend the rules because of resulting cost increases and project delays. Dominion had argued the rules were needed to ensure grid safety and reliability. ... “Based on the findings and recommendations in the report, the Commission hereby issues an injunction” suspending the rules, the order states.

The commission’s decision follows a report from a hearing examiner that recommended suspension of the rules on the grounds that they were contrary to state law that requires Dominion to provide service that is not “discriminatory.” The examiner also noted there are two reviews of interconnection rules already underway at the commission where the Dominion rules can be discussed.

Tony Smith, president and founder of Secure Solar Futures, a member of the Distributed Solar Alliance, called the order “a momentous event in the history of distributed solar in Virginia.” ... “It squarely tells Dominion that they operated illegally,” Smith said. “It is the commission, not Dominion, that sets interconnection policies and regulations in the state.”

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CHARLIE PAULLIN
cpaullin@virginiamercury.com
https://twitter.com/CPaullinVA

Charles Paullin covers energy and environment for the Mercury. He previously worked for Northern Virginia Daily in the Northern Shenandoah Valley and for the New Britain Herald in central Connecticut. An Alexandria native, Charles graduated from the University of Hartford initially wanting to cover sports. He's received several Virginia Press Association awards for his coverage of crime, local government and state politics.