Intra-Cluster Prioritization process enables acceleration of over 3 GW of Generation projects

As part of the California ISO’s Interconnection Process Enhancement 2023 Track 3 initiative, the ISO adopted a process to accelerate as much generation as possible within an interconnection cluster, enabling certain projects to come online to utilize existing headroom on the system while other projects await completion of Reliability Network Upgrades.

In accordance with the FERC-approved CAISO Tariff Generator Interconnection and Deliverability Allocation Procedures (GIDAP) Appendix DD, the ISO and Participating Transmission Owners (TOs), Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E), Valley Electric Association (VEA), Gridliance West (GLW), LSPower, DCR Transmission, LLC (DCRT), and Horizon West Transmission (HWT) completed the RNU Prioritization Study  to assess whether impacted Interconnection Customer projects may interconnect safely and reliably without the completion of certain Reliability Network Upgrades. For any assigned Reliability Network Upgrades with construction schedules of four (4) or more years that delay an Interconnection Customer projects earliest available In-Service Date by two (2) years or more, the ISO and Participating TO assessed whether impacted Interconnection Customer projects may interconnect safely and reliably without the completion of all such Reliability Network Upgrades.

This Intra Cluster RNU Process enabled 2,720 MW (8 projects) to advance their completion dates by two or more years as the remaining projects in the cluster await completion of the long lead-time downstream network upgrades.  Most of those generators will need to have terminal equipment installed at their Point of Interconnection (POI), and those may still take two years or more.  Another 1150 MW (4 projects) will receive a priority over other projects in their cluster but will still need to request a limited operations study.  

The ISO continues to work to onboard new storage and generation in a timely and efficient manner to reflect increasing demand, transmission availability, and resource viability.