By Rory D. Sweeney

FERC granted a Maryland solar developer’s request to reinstate its position in PJM’s interconnection queue, which the company lost because of delays in obtaining state approval (ER16-2645).

Dan’s Mountain Solar initiated the interconnection review process in 2014 to connect its 18.36-MW project in Allegany County to Potomac Edison’s 138-kV Frostburg-Ridgeley  line.

The developer obtained its facilities study from PJM in December 2015, triggering a 60-day countdown for signing the interconnection service agreement (ISA). PJM later extended the ISA deadline to June 2, 2016.

But the developer didn’t receive its Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity from the Maryland Public Service Commission — a requirement for signing the ISA — until July 11, two-and-a-half months after the state had promised a decision and just more than a month after the project was automatically withdrawn from the PJM queue on June 7.

Because transmission upgrade costs are determined by a unit’s interconnection position, PJM intervened to note that reinstating Dan’s Mountain’s queue position could disadvantage interconnection applications that have been filed in the interim. But in a Sept. 21 email to the developer, PJM acknowledged that as of that date, no other projects would be negatively impacted by its reinstatement.

FERC granted the developer’s request for a waiver of the deadline following an expedited review, saying “it appears this waiver will not harm third parties.”

“Although PJM’s Oct. 6, 2016, comments assert that the potential for harm to third parties increases as time passes, PJM did not indicate that harm is imminent,” the commission said in its Oct. 25 order.

The waiver allows Dan’s Mountain to continue where it left off and avoid restarting the application process.