Interconnection Standards

Program Overview

Implementing Sector	State
Category	Regulatory Policy
State	Minnesota
Incentive Type	Interconnection
Web Site	Interconnection - Minnesota PUC
Eligible Renewable/Other Technologies	Geothermal Electric, Solar Thermal Electric, Solar Photovoltaics, Wind (All), Biomass, Hydroelectric, Municipal Solid Waste, Combined Heat & Power, Fuel Cells using Non-Renewable Fuels, Landfill Gas, Wind (Small), Fuel Cells using Renewable Fuels, Other Distributed Generation Technologies, Microturbines
Applicable Sectors	Commercial, Industrial, Local Government, Nonprofit, Residential, Schools, State Government, Federal Government, Installers/Contractors, Tribal Government, Agricultural, Multifamily Residential, Institutional
Applicable Utilities	All utilities
System Capacity Limit	10 MW
Standard Agreement	Yes
Insurance Requirements	Vary by system size and/or type; levels established by PUC
External Disconnect Switch	Required
Net Metering Required	No

Summary

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) adopted updated interconnection standards in June 2019. The standards are modeled after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s Small Generator Interconnection Process and apply to systems up to 10 MW in capacity.

The MPUC standards, like the FERC standards, use a three-tiered approach to simplify the interconnection process:

Inverter Process: Systems up to 20 kilowatts (kW)
Fast Track Process: Systems larger than 20 kW that meet the eligibility criteria in the table below
Study Process: Systems that fail to qualify for the Fast Track Process

Line Voltage	Fast Track Eligible Regardless of Location	Fast Track Eligibility on a Mainline and less than 2.5 Electrical Circuit Miles from Substation
Less than 5 kV	Less than or equal to 500 kW	Less than or equal to 500 kW
Greater than or equal to 5 kV and less than 15 kV	Less than or equal to 1 MW	Less than or equal to 2 MW
Greater than or equal to 15 kV and less than 30 kV	Less than or equal to 3 MW	Less than or equal to 4 MW
Greater than or equal to 30 kV, up to 69 kV	Less than or equal to 4 MW	Less than or equal to 5 MW

For more information, contact your utility and review the interconnection information below:

Xcel Energy – Interconnection of Distributed Generation
Minnesota Power – Interconnection Guidelines
Otter Tail Power Company – Generator Interconnection
Dakota Electric Association – Generation Interconnection

Authorities

Name	Minn. Stat. § 216B.1611
Date Enacted	2001
Name	Minnesota Distributed Energy Resource Interconnection Process and Agreement
Date Enacted	04/19/2019
Effective Date	06/17/2019
Name	Minn. R. 7835.4750
Date Enacted	10/12/2015

Contact

Consumer Information – Interconnection

Organization:

Minnesota Public Utilities Commission

Address:

121 7th Place East, Suite 350
St. Paul, MN 55101-2147

Phone:

(651) 296-0406

E-Mail:

consumer.puc@state.mn.us