30.2Scope and Application

30.2.1Application of Standard Large Facility Interconnection Procedures

Sections 30.2 through 30.13 apply to processing an Interconnection Request pertaining to (i) a Large Generating Facility or Class Year Transmission Project proposing to interconnect to the New York State Transmission System or to the Distribution System or (ii) an existing Large Generating Facility or Class Year Transmission Project proposing a material increase or modification requiring a new Interconnection Request pursuant to these Procedures.

30.2.2Comparability

The ISO shall receive, process and analyze all Interconnection Requests in a timely manner as set forth in the Large Facility Interconnection Procedures.  As described herein, the ISO will process and analyze all Interconnection Requests with independence and impartiality, in cooperation with and with input from the Developers, Connecting Transmission Owners and other Market Participants.  The ISO will perform, oversee or review the Interconnection Studies to ensure compliance with the Large Facility Interconnection Procedures.  The ISO will use the same Reasonable Efforts in processing and analyzing Interconnection Requests from all Developers, whether or not the Large Generating Facilities or Class Year Transmission Projects are owned by a Connecting Transmission Owner, its subsidiaries or Affiliates, or others.

30.2.3Base Case Data

The ISO or Connecting Transmission Owner, depending upon which of those Parties possesses the data requested, shall provide base power flow, short circuit and stability databases, including all underlying assumptions and contingency lists, to the Developer upon request.  In addition, the ISO shall maintain network models and underlying assumptions within its possession on its secure portion of the NYISO website, which shall be accessible through a link from the OASIS.  Such network models and underlying assumptions should reasonably represent those used during the most recent Class Year Interconnection Facilities Study and be representative of current system conditions used in the interconnection studies.  All Parties shall treat Confidential Information in accordance with Section 30.13.1 of these Large Facility Interconnection Procedures.  The ISO and Connecting Transmission Owner are permitted to require that the Developers and password-protected website users sign a non-disclosure agreement before the release of Confidential Information or Critical Energy Infrastructure Information in the Base Case Data.  The power flow, short circuit and stability data bases and underlying assumptions, hereinafter referred to as Base Cases, provided shall be those that the ISO is using in the Annual Transmission Baseline Assessment then in progress, or if such data bases are not available, the data bases from the last completed Annual Transmission Reliability Assessment conducted pursuant to Attachment S of the ISO OATT prior to the request or posting to the secure portion of the NYISO website.  In the case of a request from a Developer considering Capacity Resource Interconnection Service, the power flow data bases provided shall include the Annual Transmission Reliability Assessment case from the most recently completed Class Year Deliverability Study.

30.2.4No Applicability to Transmission Service or Other Services

Nothing in these Large Facility Interconnection Procedures shall constitute a request for Transmission Service or confer upon a Developer any right to receive Transmission Service.  Nothing in these Large Facility Interconnection Procedures shall constitute a request for, nor agreement to provide, any energy, Ancillary Services or Installed Capacity under the ISO Services Tariff, except to the extent that a Developer’s election of Capacity Resource Interconnection Service and satisfaction of the NYISO Deliverability Interconnection Standard are prerequisites for the Large Generating Facility to become a qualified Installed Capacity Supplier and for the Class Year Transmission Project to receive Unforced Capacity Deliverability Rights.

30.2.5Inclusion of Black Start Capability at Large Generating Facility

A Developer proposing, pursuant to this Attachment X, to interconnect a new Large Generating Facility to Zone J or to modify – i.e., materially increase (as defined in Section 30.3.1 of this Attachment X) the capacity of or make a material modification to the operating characteristics of – an existing Large Generating Facility already interconnected to Zone J that will commence Commercial Operation after November 1, 2012, shall include black start capability at the Large Generating Facility; provided, however, the Large Generating Facility shall not be required to include black start capability if:

(A) the ISO determines that: (i) the inclusion of black start capability at the Large Generating Facility would not provide a material benefit to system restoration in Zone J, or (ii) the Developer has shown good cause for not including black start capability at the Large Generating Facility, or

(B) as of November 1, 2012, the Large Generating Facility has: (i) received one or more draft or final air permits from the appropriate regulatory agency, or (ii) has completed a draft environmental impact statement and submitted it to the appropriate governmental agency for issuance for public comment.

The inclusion of black start capability at a given Large Generating Facility would provide a material benefit to system restoration in Zone J if, among other things, such action would improve the speed, adequacy, or flexibility of Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc.’s (“Consolidated Edison’s”) black start and system restoration plan for restoring electric service in Zone J in a safe, orderly, and prompt manner following a major system disturbance that would require Consolidated Edison to undertake system restoration efforts. 

To facilitate the ISO’s determination regarding material benefit, Consolidated Edison shall at its expense perform contemporaneously with the Interconnection System Reliability Impact Study a separate study to examine whether a new or modified Large Generating Facility would provide a material benefit to system restoration as a black start resource.  If requested by the Developer, Consolidated Edison shall perform this separate study contemporaneously with the earlier Optional Interconnection Feasibility Study.  If changes to the project made subsequent to this study are deemed by the ISO to be significant, Consolidated Edison shall perform a new study at the Developer’s expense.  The study will indicate the black start performance measures under Consolidated Edison’s black start and system restoration plan and the impact on relevant factors of the Large Generating Facility having black start capability.  Consolidated Edison will provide its study to the ISO and to the Developer(s) of the Generating Facility(ies) that were considered in the study, subject to appropriate confidentiality protections.  Consolidated Edison may provide the study to other parties that have a direct interest in this matter as well, subject to appropriate confidentiality protections.

If a Developer asserts that good cause exists for not including black start capability at a new or modified Large Generating Facility, it shall provide documentation demonstrating the technical, financial, spatial, and/or other reasons that justify its assertion.  Factors that may constitute reasonable justification include, but are not limited to:  (i) physical site limitations would unreasonably impair the planned use of the site or prevent the inclusion of black start equipment in addition to the equipment required to properly operate and maintain the proposed Large Generating Facility; (ii) the cost of adding black start capability would increase the overall cost of the project to a level that would impair the ability of the Developer to secure financing at commercially competitive terms; or (iii) the inclusion of black start capability would prevent the Developer from obtaining the permits and approvals needed for the project, or result in the imposition of significantly more burdensome permit conditions than would be imposed absent the installation of black start capability.  The Developer will provide a study to the ISO and Consolidated Edison that supports its claim under this section, subject to appropriate confidentiality protections.  The Developer may provide the study to other parties that have a direct interest in this matter as well, subject to appropriate confidentiality protections.

Any decision by the ISO regarding a new or modified Large Generating Facility’s installation of black start capability pursuant to these provisions shall not be considered precedential or binding on the New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment.  In the event the New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment makes a determination regarding the installation of black start equipment in the course of its siting process under Public Service Law Article 10, the ISO will accept that determination and not make a separate determination hereunder.