The Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) has just released the 2009 updates for its highly respected and influential rules and procedures for interconnecting and net metering distributed generation.

Transmission Lineman
photo: mnorri, some rights reserved

There are many hurdles for connecting renewable energy projects to the existing electric power grid. Transmission lines already operate near full capacity. Substations may not handle new interconnections. Regulatory processes span state and federal authorities, and interconnection standards vary from state to state. Plus, it's not clear how to best allocate costs for infrastructure improvements between utilities, energy developers, and rate-payers.

Washington, DC -  21st Century Infrastructure: Opportunities and Hurdles for Renewable Energy Development is a conference sponsored by the American University Washington College of Law and the Renewable & Distributed Generation Resources Committee of the ABA Section of Environment, Energy and Resources.

Topics will include:

ITC Holdings Corp. has worked to develop the Green Power Express, a network of transmission lines that would facilitate the movement of 12,000 MW of power from the wind-abundant areas in the Dakotas, Minnesota and Iowa to Midwest load centers, such as Chicago, southeastern Wisconsin, Minneapolis and other states that demand clean, renewable energy.

Denver, CO

This EUCI (Electric Utility Consultants, Inc.) course covers the operation and modeling of the main types of wind energy systems.

The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission will host an interconnection workshop March 18-19, 2008, in Pierre. The workshop will be held at the Kings Inn Hotel and Conference Center, 110 E. Sioux Ave. This will be the first of several workshops designed to develop a statewide best practices model for connecting small generating facilities to the electric grid.

On November 29th – 30th, the meeting Wind Energy and Transmission: The South Dakota Landscapewill be held in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

The meeting will focus on wind and transmission issues relevant to South Dakota, including the following topics:

This session focused on providing practical information and advice on addressing barriers to home and farm wind projects. Topics include: when and how to approach local boards and state agencies to secure permits, how to build support for your installation, and tips on working with your installer and utility to interconnect your wind system.

From the U.S. Dept. of Labor: Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/electric_power/illustrated_glossary/index.html