Interconnection and the IEPR at the California Energy Commission

Ethan Amaya '24 Chemical Engineering (Minor: Public Policy) 
Undergraduate Fellow 
California Energy Commission – Office of Commissioner Patty Monahan

This summer I had the opportunity to work at the California Energy Commission (CEC) in the Office of Commissioner Patty Monahan, on work related to this years Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR). The purpose of the IEPR is to assess energy trends and issues in California’s electricity, natural gas, and transportation fuel sectors, and to identify recommendations to conserve resources, ensure reliable energy supplies, and protect the state’s economy, health, and environment. This years IEPR is focused on interconnection – the process of connecting energy resources such as solar panels, wind turbines, and battery storage, among others – to California’s grid.

Within the past five years, California has identified the need to add unprecedented amounts of new energy capacity to the grid. Back in 2017, the forecasted demand for energy was mostly flat, indicating that California didn’t predict needing to add large amounts of new energy resources. But as the state moves towards the electrification of its different sectors, whether it be for powering buildings, industry, or transportation, California now projects that it will need to connect new energy resources to the grid at an accelerated rate to keep up with electricity demand. This is illustrated in Figure 1, which shows how the CEC’s planning process is adapting to the pace of market adoption of clean technologies, like electric vehicles, and to California’s new climate realities. The caveat to this is that the process for connecting new capacity to the grid takes time, and the combination of old wires in need of upgrades, new wires needing to be built, and the bombardment of new interconnection requests is putting extraordinary strain on this process – the problem that this year’s IEPR looks to address.

As part of my work in helping with this year’s IEPR, I analyzed publicly available interconnection data from the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) to develop approximate timelines for steps in the interconnection process. Major milestones in the interconnection process include submitting a request for interconnection, completing the study process, reaching an interconnection agreement, and commercial operation. Through my analysis I was able to identify the approximate duration of each step within the process, and tracked whether the duration between certain steps, such as between the interconnection agreement and commercial operation, has increased with time – a concern for California as we look to connect unprecedented amounts of new energy to the grid. I was also able to provide statistics as to how many projects enter, withdraw, or stay in the interconnection queue by year, and at which point the projects might withdraw from the queue. My early work with the CEC also included summarizing stakeholder comments and recommendations submitted to the commission on the topics of interconnection.

This work has taught me a lot about the necessary steps that California must take to reach its clean energy policy goals. Not only do we need to build batteries and solar panels, but we also need to be able to connect these resources to our grid in a reasonable timeframe. And not only do we need to electrify our homes and cars, but also the trucks that move commercial goods, meaning we need the infrastructure to power these trucks. Working at the CEC has really stressed the perspective that this clean energy transition requires buy-in from everybody in the state – and that the staff and commissioners at the CEC are helping to lead the way in this clean energy transition. Working in Commissioner Monahan’s office has also allowed me to sit in on a wide range of meetings, including with electric vehicle manufacturers, utilities, and even with the ports of California. These meetings have shown me how taking into consideration the unique perspectives of all entities and that collaboration at all levels is necessary to meet this clean energy transition.

Seeing the impacts of the CEC’s work on California’s residents has reaffirmed my aspiration to work in a field that benefits the public. It has also shown me that in addition to having a technical background, skills such as communications are also vital to working in this space. This is a skill that I was fortunate to practice at the CEC and a skill that I plan on continuing to practice as I move forward in my academic career. I am fortunate to have met and worked with amazing people at the CEC, and I am grateful for the opportunity to be one of this year’s Shultz Fellows for the California Energy Commission.