Western Area Power Administration accepts requests from electric utilities, firm-power customers, private power developers and independent power generators to interconnect with its transmission system.
Costs
All WAPA costs associated with the interconnection request are the responsibility of the requesting entity. Advance funds are required before WAPA performs any studies, design, land acquisition or construction. The contractual agreements will specify the amount of funds required to be advanced. Upon receipt by WAPA, advance funds will be placed in a cost account for the project. Periodic cost statements will be furnished as studies and work progress.
There are eight steps in the interconnection process. The process may share steps with the transmission service request process detailed in WAPA's Open Access Transmission Service Tariff (63 FR 521), the environmental review process outlined in the U.S. Department of Energy's National Environmental Policy Act Implementing Procedures and WAPA's land acquisition process. WAPA tries to make the separate processes as seamless as possible.
There are several interconnection projects currently under construction in WAPA's territory. WAPA provides ongoing progress reports for each project and issues a final report with lessons learned when the facility is completed.
Entities wishing to interconnect with WAPA's system should discussed the proposed project with a representative at the WAPA office that controls the area in which the interconnection will occur.
Interconnecting with other entities
WAPA is connected with nearly every utility in the Upper Midwest, Rocky Mountain, and Desert Southwest regions and also has extensive transmission resources in California. Use of this transmission, the transmission available to WAPA under wheeling contracts with other utilities, and access to the DC ties, allows WAPA to reach resources and transmit power where needed over most of the western United States. WAPA also interconnects with merchant generators, such as Calpine’s Sutter power plant.
General Requirements for Interconnection
The General Requirements for Interconnection is intended to be a guide for the prompt process of interconnection requests. This document describes WAPA's general requirements and the process for interconnection, addition or modification to WAPA's transmission facilities. It provides an overview of funding, reliability, safety and security, environmental, land acquisition, technical and contractual requirements, as well as lists WAPA points of contact and references.
