Surplus Interconnection Service Amendments

5
54-17-1201
0
Surplus Interconnection Service Amendments
2026 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Christine F. Watkins
Senate Sponsor:
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill makes changes to the Energy Resource Procurement Act.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
defines terms;
requires an affected electrical utility to analyze surplus interconnection service
opportunities in integrated resource plan filings;
allows an affected electrical utility to solicit information from non-utility owned facilities
regarding surplus interconnection service;
requires an affected electrical utility to consider surplus interconnection service in the
action plan;
requires the commission to encourage inclusion of surplus interconnection service in
integrated resource plans; and
provides that an affected electrical utility may recover approved costs for surplus
interconnection service projects.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
ENACTS:
54-17-1201
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section
54-17-1201
is enacted to read:
12. Surplus Interconnection Service
54-17-1201
. Surplus interconnection service -- Analysis and plan -- Cost
recovery.
(1)
As used in this section:
(a)
"Generator" means a facility that holds a large generator interconnection agreement.
(b)
"Interconnection service" means the service provided by a transmission provider
associated with interconnecting a generator to the transmission system and enabling
the transmission system to receive electric energy and capacity from the generator at
the point of interconnection.
(c)
"Large generator interconnection agreement" means an agreement that establishes
the terms and conditions under which a generator with a capacity greater than 20
megawatts interconnects with the transmission system.
(d)
"Point of interconnection" means the location where a generator connects to the
transmission system.
(e)
"Surplus interconnection service" means any unneeded portion of interconnection
service established in a large generator interconnection agreement, such that if
surplus interconnection service is utilized, the interconnection service limit at the
point of interconnection would remain the same.
(2)
In any integrated resource plan filing, an affected electrical utility shall:
(a)
analyze generators owned by the affected electrical utility for potential surplus
interconnection service opportunities, including:
(i)
the total amount of unused capacity at the generator; and
(ii)
whether the generator has any physical site characteristics that make surplus
interconnection service prudent, or that may render surplus interconnection
service unworkable;
(b)
consider surplus interconnection service in the action plan as described in Section
54-17-301
; and
(c)
include the analysis described in Subsection
(2)(a)
in the filing to the commission.
(3)
An affected electrical utility may solicit information from non-utility owned facilities to
determine the potential for surplus interconnection service.
(4)
The commission shall encourage an affected electrical utility to include surplus
interconnection service in an integrated resource plan.
(5)
If the commission determines, based on the analysis and action plan provided by an
affected electrical utility under Subsections
(2)(a)
and
(2)(b)
, that the deployment of
surplus interconnection service is cost-effective, the commission shall approve the
affected electrical utility's recovery of the prudently incurred costs of surplus
interconnection service projects.
Section 2.
Effective Date.
This bill takes effect on
May 6, 2026
.
1-28-26 12:28 PM