Find Information for Your Generation, Transmission, or Large Load Project
VEA offers a broad variety of resources to help you apply to interconnect, install, and operate non-VEA-owned generation, transmission, or large load projects.
Generation Interconnection to VEA’s Distribution Grid
Generation Interconnection for Small & Simple Solar & Wind Projects (Behind-the-meter)
Some generation projects are interconnected directly to the customer’s electrical facilities located at their homes or businesses. The phrase used in the electric industry for these electrical connections is “behind-the-meter” to signify the generation is interconnected off the utility’s grid and on the customer’s premise. A utility’s grid reaches up to the electrical meter at a home or business. Facilities “behind-the-meter” are those electrical facilities owned by the customer on their premises.
Information on interconnecting a behind-the-meter generating system is shown below. The size of the system at a home or business must be less than or equal to 25 kilowatts (kW) to qualify. With the resources below, you can learn about Distributed Generation (DG) interconnections or apply for Distributed Generation here.
SolPower by Valley Electric Association is VEA’s own full-service solar company. Visit the SolPower website for more information.
Learn How to Request a Pre-Application Report for Wholesale Generation Projects Requesting Interconnection to VEA’s Distribution System
Generation projects are wholesale if they sell power to other utilities. If wholesale generation project owners are evaluating whether to interconnect their project to VEA’s distribution grid, then they are eligible to pay for a Pre-Application report. The Pre-Application Report provides basic information about VEA’s distribution grid near your proposed project. This report is available prior to submitting an official request for Interconnection by completing the “Applicant Information” section and emailing the document to VEA.
Generation Interconnections to VEA’s Transmission Grid or GridLiance’s Transmission Grid
Explore information on how to interconnect generation projects to transmission facilities located in VEA’s service territory. There are two owners of transmission facilities in VEA’s electrical service territory: VEA owns transmission facilities operating at 138,000 volts (138 kV) and GridLiance West LLC (GridLiance) owns transmission facilities operating at 230,000 volts (230 kV). For more information about GridLiance, please visit their GridLiance website.
Interconnect Generation projects to VEA’s or GridLiance’s Transmission Facilities
In VEA’s service territory, electrical facilities with operating voltage levels 138 kV or higher, are governed by the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) Tariff. Please visit their CAISO website for more information. The CAISO’s process for interconnecting generation resources may also be found online.
CAISO Transmission High Voltage Access Charge Rates and Wheeling Rates can be found here.
VEA has interconnection requirements in addition to the CAISO requirements. Such requirements are listed in VEA’s Generation Interconnection Handbook. The Handbook describes general requirements meaning VEA may have additional requirements to a specific project. That’s because not all requirements can be stated in a Handbook since some requirements are project specific. VEA must examine all projects independently because not all projects are the same. However, some requirements are general and are described in the Handbook. Therefore, this Handbook provides customers an overview of general technical requirements for transmission facility interconnections. VEA will determine all interconnection requirements with specificity, thru the interconnection process requested and paid for by the customer.
Learn About Possible Transmission System Upgrade Costs
Find out about unit costs for system upgrades that may be needed for generator interconnections on the transmission system (230 kV and 138 kV). VEA provides access to cost guides for VEA’s 138 kV facilities and for GridLiance’s 230 kV facilities. For such information, download the following documents.
Find Modeling Data Requirements for BES Facilities
The document linked below contains the Joint Transmission Planning Base Case Preparation Process (the Process) for the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) and VEA. This Process describes how VEA develops computer models, called ‘base cases,’ to study transmission grid reliability. The Process contains data specifications and reporting procedures for modeling data required annually from data owners in VEA’s area (Generator Owners, Transmission Owners, and Loads). These modeling requirements ensure consistency between a variety of base cases.
Find Resources for Your Transmission or Large Load Interconnection Projects (Non-Generation projects Interconnecting to Transmission Facilities)
Sometimes, other utilities request interconnection to VEA’s or GridLiance’s transmission facilities. Or, owners of large load projects request interconnection to VEA’s or GridLiance’s transmission facilities. VEA offers the following information for such projects.
Learn About How to Interconnect Transmission Facilities to VEA’s or GridLiance’s Transmission Grid
The purpose of a Transmission Interconnection Handbook is to provide customers general requirements to interconnect their non-VEA owned transmission facilities to VEA’s electric system. These facilities are typically transmission lines interconnecting from other utilities to VEA. The Handbook describes general requirements for transmission line interconnections. Not all requirements can be specified in a Handbook because some requirements are case specific. Therefore, this Handbook provides customers an overview of the technical requirements needed for transmission facility interconnections. VEA will determine all interconnection requirements with specificity, through VEA’s interconnection studies requested and paid for by the customer.
Learn About How to Interconnect Large Load Facilities to VEA’s or GridLiance’s Transmission Grid
The Load Interconnection Handbook has been prepared by VEA to identify the typical minimum technical requirements for connecting large non-VEA owned Load facilities to the transmission system operated by VEA. These Requirements are necessary to ensure the safe and reliable operation of the electric Utility. Documentation of these Requirements also fulfills compliance obligations associated with North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) standard FAC-001.