Applicants are responsible for payment of utility system modification cost estimates in accordance with the following rules and deadlines. All project costs will be subject to the provisions of Appendix E, where applicable.
When the utility’s estimated cost is $10,000 or less, the applicant shall pay the utility 100% of the estimate within ninety (90) Business Days of receiving the cost estimate from the utility. Within fifteen (15) Business Days of receiving the payment, the utility will provide the applicant, via electronic communication, a signed New York State Standardized Interconnection Contract in the form of Appendix A and a written confirmation, on utility letterhead, of the compensation eligibility for which the project has qualified. The applicant will sign and return the contract to the utility within fifteen (15) Business Days. If the applicant does not return the signed contract within this period, the application shall be removed from the utility’s interconnection queue, and no further action on the part of the utility is required.
When the estimated cost is greater than $10,000, the applicant will make an advance payment of 25% of the estimate to the utility within ninety (90) Business Days of receiving the cost estimate. Within fifteen (15) Business Days of receiving the applicant’s payment, the utility will provide the applicant, via electronic communication, a receipt for the payment, a signed New York State Standardized Interconnection Contract in the form of Appendix A, and a written confirmation, on utility letterhead, of the compensation eligibility for which the project has qualified. The applicant will sign and return the contract to the utility within fifteen (15) Business Days. The applicant may request an extension of no more than fifteen (15) Business Days to return the contract. If the applicant does not return the signed contract within the time allowed, the application shall be removed from the utility’s interconnection queue, and no further action on the part of the utility is required.
Within thirty (30) Business Days of receiving the 25% payment, the utility shall provide an initial construction schedule to the applicant (consistent with Appendix L). The utility shall commence design work in accordance with its published guidance, unless otherwise directed by the applicant.
The applicant will have one hundred and twenty (120) Business Days from when the utility confirms receipt of the 25% payment to pay the remaining 75% to the utility. The utility will provide a receipt to the applicant. Within thirty (30) Business Days of the payment, the utility will provide an updated project construction schedule (consistent with Appendix L).
If the applicant does not make a payment due under this section in the time required, the application shall be removed from the utility’s interconnection queue with no further action required of the utility.
Within (10) Business Days of completion of design work, the utility will provide an updated upgrade cost estimate if the scope of work changed from the CESIR estimate.
If the applicant withdraws or is removed from the interconnection queue at any point after making a payment required under this section, any unspent portions of these payments will be refunded to the applicant consistent with the timelines described in Section I-C, Step 11.
If a local permitting moratorium prevents an applicant from meeting the above timelines, the utilities may grant affected project applicants an extension. To be granted an extension of the required timelines, the applicant must submit the New York State Standard Moratorium Attestation Form, Appendix I. Upon the applicant’s payment of 25% of expected upgrade costs, if applicant has received its CESIR, returned the executed New York State Standardized Interconnection Contract, and submitted the Attestation Form to the utility, the due date for the remainder of the total upgrade payment shall be adjusted to one hundred and twenty (120) Business Days from the end of the moratorium. If applicable, any unused portion of the 25% payment shall be refunded if the project does not move forward after receiving an extension.
If the final acceptance as set out in Section I-C, Step 11 is not completed within twelve (12) months of the date the applicant returns the executed New York State Standardized Interconnection Contract as a result of applicant inactivity, the utility has the right to notify the applicant by U.S. first class mail with delivery receipt confirmation or via email that the applicant’s project will be removed from the utility’s interconnection queue if the applicant does not respond within thirty (30) Business Days of the issue of such notification and provide a project status update and/or justification as to why the project should remain in the utility’s interconnection inventory for an additional period of time.