§ 292.310 - Procedures for utilities requesting termination of obligation to purchase from qualifying facilities.

§ 292.310 Procedures for utilities requesting termination of obligation to purchase from qualifying facilities.

(a) An electric utility may file an application with the Commission for relief from the mandatory purchase requirement under § 292.303(a) pursuant to this section on a service territory-wide basis. Such application shall set forth the factual basis upon which relief is requested and describe why the conditions set forth in § 292.309(a)(1), (2) or (3) have been met. After notice, including sufficient notice to potentially affected qualifying cogeneration facilities and qualifying small power production facilities, and an opportunity for comment, the Commission shall make a final determination within 90 days of such application regarding whether the conditions set forth in § 292.309(a)(1), (2) or (3) have been met.

(b) Sufficient notice shall mean that an electric utility must identify with names and addresses all potentially affected qualifying facilities in an application filed pursuant to paragraph (a).

(c) An electric utility must submit with its application for each potentially affected qualifying facility: The docket number assigned if the qualifying facility filed for self-certification or an application for Commission certification of qualifying facility status; the net capacity of the qualifying facility; the location of the qualifying facility depicted by state and county, and the name and location of the substation where the qualifying facility is interconnected; the interconnection status of each potentially affected qualifying facility including whether the qualifying facility is interconnected as an energy or a network resource; and the expiration date of the energy and/or capacity agreement between the applicant utility and each potentially affected qualifying facility. All potentially affected qualifying facilities shall include:

(1) Those qualifying facilities that have existing power purchase contracts with the applicant;

(2) Other qualifying facilities that sell their output to the applicant or that have pending self-certification or Commission certification with the Commission for qualifying facility status whereby the applicant will be the purchaser of the qualifying facility's output;

(3) Any developer of generating facilities with whom the applicant has agreed to enter into power purchase contracts, as of the date of the application filed pursuant to this section, or are in discussion, as of the date of the application filed pursuant to this section, with regard to power purchase contacts;

(4) The developers of facilities that have pending state avoided cost proceedings, as of the date of the application filed pursuant to this section; and

(5) Any other qualifying facilities that the applicant reasonably believes to be affected by its application filed pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section.

(d) The following information must be filed with an application:

(1) Identify whether applicant seeks a finding under the provisions of § 292.309(a)(1), (2), or (3).

(2) A narrative setting forth the factual basis upon which relief is requested and describing why the conditions set forth in § 292.309(a)(1), (2), or (3) have been met. Applicant should also state in its application whether it is relying on the findings or rebuttable presumptions contained in § 292.309(e), (f) or (g). To the extent applicant seeks relief from the purchase obligation with respect to a qualifying facility 20 megawatts or smaller, and thus seeks to rebut the presumption in § 292.309(d), applicant must also set forth, and submit evidence of, the factual basis supporting its contention that the qualifying facility has nondiscriminatory access to the wholesale markets which are the basis for the applicant's filing.

(3) Transmission Studies and related information, including:

(i) The applicant's long-term transmission plan, conducted by applicant, or the RTO, ISO or other relevant entity;

(ii) Transmission constraints by path, element or other level of comparable detail that have occurred and/or are known and expected to occur, and any proposed mitigation including transmission construction plans;

(iii) Levels of congestion, if available;

(iv) Relevant system impact studies for the generation interconnections, already completed;

(v) Other information pertinent to showing whether transfer capability is available; and

(vi) The appropriate link to applicant's OASIS, if any, from which a qualifying facility may obtain applicant's available transfer capability (ATC) information.

(4) Describe the process, procedures and practices that qualifying facilities interconnected to the applicant's system must follow to arrange for the transmission service to transfer power to purchasers other than the applicant. This description must include the process, procedures and practices of all distribution, transmission and regional transmission facilities necessary for qualifying facility access to the market.

(5) If qualifying facilities will be required to execute new interconnection agreements, or renegotiate existing agreements so that they can effectuate wholesale sales to third-party purchasers, explain the requirements, charges and the process to be followed. Also, explain any differences in these requirements as they apply to qualifying facilities compared to other generators, or to applicant-owned generation.

(6) Applicants seeking a Commission finding pursuant to § 292.309(a)(2) or (3), except those applicants located in ERCOT, also must provide evidence of competitive wholesale markets that provide a meaningful opportunity to sell capacity, including long-term and short-term sales, and electric energy, including long-term, short-term and real-time sales, to buyers other than the utility to which the qualifying facility is interconnected. In demonstrating that a meaningful opportunity to sell exists, provide evidence of transactions within the relevant market. Applicants must include a list of known or potential purchasers, e.g., jurisdictional and non-jurisdictional utilities as well as retail energy service providers.

(7) Signature of authorized individual evidencing the accuracy and authenticity of information provided by applicant.

(8) Person(s) to whom communications regarding the filed information may be addressed, including name, title, telephone number, and mailing address.

[Order 688, 71 FR 64372, Nov. 1, 2006, as amended by Order 688-A, 72 FR 35892, June 29, 2007]