The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission last week approved a rule sought by the solar industry to streamline interconnections for the growing segment of small generators.

The final Small Generator Interconnection Agreements and Procedures rule (Docket #RM13-2) expands the field of projects eligible for a fast-track process from a 2-MW size limit, but does not adopt the notice of proposed rulemaking’s designation of up to 5 MW for eligibility. Instead, it retains the 2-MW threshold for synchronous and induction machines and expands eligibility for inverter-based machines that meet certain system and generator characteristics.

All projects connecting to lines larger than 69 kV will be ineligible for fast-tracking.

While narrowing the scope of eligible projects, the changes maintain fast-tracking for most distributed solar applications, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. SEIA, renewables companies and utility associations participated in a stakeholder group that developed the changes on eligibility and other matters.

The rule allows interconnecting customers to ask transmission providers for a pre-application report about system conditions at the point of interconnection. There is a fixed $300 fee for the report but providers can seek higher fees with cost justification. PJM had told FERC that the amount was not enough. PJM also had opposed formalizing the report, saying the RTO already does a lot of pre-application engagement and that a report could create “an inflexible box.”

PJM and others did prevail in arguing for more time -— 20 days instead of 10 — for delivery of that report.

They also won a disclaimer that since the report will require only readily available data at the time of request, it will be non-binding.

FERC also agreed with PJM’s request for more time to provide interconnection agreements, increasing it to 10 days from five, because the fast-track reforms could result in more such agreements.

The rule also accounts explicitly for interconnection of storage devices, and it makes clear that only FERC-jurisdictional systems are subject to the requirements.

Transmission providers will have to submit compliance filings within six months. FERC will allow for regional variations, and will give regional transmission organizations such as PJM more flexibility than transmission providers that are also market participants.