Transmission plan deliverability

Interconnection generation process

The capability, measured in megawatts (MWs), of the California ISO Controlled Grid as modified by transmission upgrades and additions modeled or identified in the annual Transmission Plan to support the interconnection with full or partial capacity deliverability status of additional generating facilities in a specified geographic or electrical area of the ISO Controlled Grid.

Transmission plan deliverability (TPD) allocation

Seeking allocation

Allocations of TPD are performed annually to projects meeting the eligibility criteria. Eligible generating facilities requesting full or partial capacity deliverability status must submit an affidavit by the annual due date of the TPD allocation process. Dates and details are provided via ISO public notice.

Retaining allocation

Generating facilities that received a TPD allocation by attesting to being shortlisted for, or actively negotiating a power purchase agreement (PPA) are required to submit retention documentation demonstrating that they meet the requirements to retain their TPD allocation. Dates and details are provided via ISO public notice.

Deliverability retention FAQs

Q: Do I need to submit documentation for transmission plan deliverability retention?

  • The following projects must submit the Template for Projects Previously Allocated Transmission Plan Deliverability form along with an executed power purchase agreement (PPA) for transmission plan deliverability retention:
    • Projects that received a transmission plan deliverability allocation on the basis of being shortlisted or in negotiations for a PPA.
  • Projects that are in Cluster 4 or prior that have an executed PPA must submit a Transmission Plan Deliverability retention affidavit form along with an executed PPA.
  • The following projects do not need to submit documentation to retain transmission plan deliverability:
    • Generating facilities in Cluster 5 and later that were allocated transmission plan deliverability prior to Nov. 27, 2018;
    • Generating facilities in Cluster 5 and later that provided an executed PPA with a previous year’s transmission plan deliverability retention affidavit; or
    • Cluster 4 and prior projects that do not have an executed PPA.

Projects that are not retaining a transmission plan deliverability allocation, including Full Capacity Deliverability Status (FCDS), Energy Only, and distributed generation resource (DG facilities) projects, or projects that are no longer required to submit an affidavit to retain a transmission plan deliverability allocation per Section 6.2.9.5 of the Generation Interconnection and Deliverability Allocation Procedures (GIDAP) Business Practice Manual (BPM) do not need to submit retention documentation. Projects subject to a Wholesale Distribution Access Tariff (WDAT) also should consult the WDAT to ensure they keep its terms to retain deliverability.

Q: I previously provided a PPA with Commercial Viability Criteria (CVC) documentation for a Material Modification Assessment (MMA) to extend the Project’s Commercial Operation Date (COD) beyond 7 years. Do I need to provide an executed PPA for transmission plan deliverability retention this year?

CVC and transmission plan deliverability retention are separate processes. If the project has not yet provided a PPA in the transmission plan deliverability retention process, it should submit the retention documentation accordingly. If the project must meet the annual CVC status requirement, please do so by communicating the project’s status to your assigned Queue Management Specialist project manager.

Please note: Upon an interconnection customer’s submittal and validation by the ISO of an executed PPA, no further retention requirements are applicable except if Commercial Viability Criteria applies.

Q: Where do I send the retention documentation?

  • Documentation for retaining previously allocated transmission plan deliverability should be emailed to queuemanagement@caiso.com, or mailed to: California ISO, Attn: Queue Management, 250 Outcropping Way, Folsom, CA, 95630.
  • WDAT projects: Documentation for projects previously allocated or affidavits for seeking transmission plan deliverability must be sent to the appropriate Participating Transmission Owner contacts below. WDAT Energy Only projects must coordinate payment of the study deposit for Energy Only projects seeking transmission plan deliverability with the corresponding Participating Transmission Owner contact.

Generator interconnection and deliverability allocation procedures

Summary information about the cluster study process.

Transmission plan deliverability allocation information

Generating facilities requesting full or partial capacity deliverability status must submit affidavits annually for the transmission plan deliverability allocation process. Dates and details are provided via ISO public notice.

Deliverability for distributed generation - studies and reports

Understand the process for requesting deliverability for distributed generation facilities.

View previous deliverability for distributed generation studies and reports

Generator interconnection planning process

Continue on in the generator interconnection planning process.

Interconnection request & study

Resources connecting at the transmission level will follow ISO procedures explained in this section. New projects are required to complete a study process, starting with submitting an Interconnection Request. 

Contract development

After a resource has completed the study phase and provided the transmission plan deliverability, the customer executes the contracts, notably the generator interconnection agreement. 

Queue management

A project is required to meet the milestones and obligations established in its agreements and may also request modifications. Modifications require a request into the queue management processes.

New resource implementation

As the final step, projects need to enter and complete the New Resource Implementation process to ensure deliverables and activities needed prior to operation are complete. This will ensure successful integration into the ISO market systems and grid.

Related ISO Tariff and Business Practice Manuals

The California ISO operates under the terms and conditions of its FERC-approved tariff. Business practice manuals provide detailed rules, procedures and examples for the administration, operation, planning and accounting requirements of the ISO and the market that are consistent with the ISO tariff.

The ISO has filed Tariff Amendments to Comply with Order No. 2023. The documentation below contains draft language pending FERC approval. 

The current FERC approved Tariff sections are below.

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