PSC approves expedited solar interconnections, allowing customers to access expiring tax credits

By Order No. 22745, the PSC created a Temporary Conditional Interconnection Program (TCIP) to speedily interconnect solar and other DER projects, ensuring customers receive the federal energy tax credit that are expiring due to GOP cuts. The TCIP seeks to protect DC customers and residents, support the District’s clean energy targets, and ensure orderly management of the interconnection queue. This program is a temporary fix to the interconnection queue, or the waitlist for projects to connect to the electric grid, as the process has historically been confusing and long, often lasting months.

We Power DC submitted comments in support of this program, cited both here and in the above order, along with other advocacy groups and solar companies. The PSC agreed with WPDC’s comments to authorize “temporary non-export (sole-consumption) operation for systems awaiting full interconnection approval,” meaning customers producing energy onsite for their use alone (and not export). This allows a speedier interconnection process so that customers may access the tax credits before they expire, allowing these customers to further interconnect for export capacity at a later date without the deadline threat.

This temporary interconnection program is a financial boon to many of DC’s independent solar customers and DC’s Solar for All program. Often, these tax credits ease financing constraints for smaller projects, becoming a lifeline for the success of the project. Additionally, this framework serves as a trial run for interconnection reform, which is in desperate need of timeline and cost transparency and an efficiency overhaul.

With steps in the right direction, we look forward to more reforms from the PSC that will green our grid and bolster our city’s energy resilience as more local, renewable energy comes online.