Renewable Energy Self-Generation Bill Credit Transfer (RES-BCT)
RES-BCT cap tracker
The table below shows the number of applicants and megawatts for each stage of PG&E's RES-BCT program, as of the date shown. Projects progress from the "Application Submitted" stage to the "Total Interconnected Projects (PTO)" stage. The same project can only be in one stage at a time (e.g., the same project cannot be in both the "Application Submitted" stage and the "Initial Review" stage).
NOTE: Both the table below and the RES-BCT Tracking Archive under the USEFUL LINKS section on this page are updated monthly.
Important clarifications:
- Any project that meets the requirements for RES-BCT before PG&E's RES-BCT Program Cap of 105.25 Megawatts (MW) is reached will be eligible for RES-BCT, regardless of when the project was submitted. For example, if a newer project passes all internal reviews and submits evidence of receiving final building permit approval before an earlier project, the newer project will be eligible for RES-BCT (as long as the RES-BCT Cap has not yet been reached) and will be counted towards the RES-BCT Cap. Therefore, Applicants may apply for RES-BCT at any time prior to when the RES-BCT Cap is reached but with the understanding that projects already in the process of interconnection may suddenly be counted towards the Cap at any time (e.g., a project in the "Implementation" stage below submits the final building permit to PG&E).
- Once the RES-BCT Cap is reached, the RES-BCT program will be closed and all pending projects that have not yet met the requirements for RES-BCT will not be eligible for RES-BCT. Instead, these pending projects will be required to interconnect under another applicable Rule 21 agreement (e.g., uncompensated export).
- At this time, there is no additional information available on the program continuation after the RES-BCT Cap is reached.
| Effective as of August 31, 2023 | Number of Applicants | Number of MW | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Application Submitted1 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Initial Review |
1 |
0.1 |
|
|
Supplemental Review |
4 |
1.88 |
|
|
Detailed Study |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Tendered Interconnection Agreement2 |
1 |
0.945 |
|
|
Implementation3 |
26 |
51.613 |
|
|
Provided Approved Building Permit from Authority Having Jurisdiction4 |
5 |
11.499 |
|
|
Total Interconnected Projects (PTO) |
61 |
54.542 |
|
|
Total Applications Withdrawn |
79 |
130.437 |
| Summary | Number of Applicants | Number of MW | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Total Pending Projects5 |
27 |
43.039 |
|
|
Total Counted Towards Cap6 |
66 |
66.041 |
1The number of projects received that have not yet been deemed complete/valid. Once the projects are deemed complete, they will be moved to the applicable Engineering Study along with the MW amount associated with the project.
2The number of projects that have passed the Engineering Review and have had an interconnection agreement (IA) tendered by PG&E. The IA must be signed by the customer before PG&E can proceed with any system upgrade design and estimating (if applicable).
3The number of projects that have passed the Engineering Review and have signed and returned the PG&E-tendered interconnection agreement (IA). Projects in this stage that had mitigation identified during the Engineering study will be responsible for any applicable fees associated with system upgrade design and estimating. This is the stage where generator construction, Standby Agreements, and Departing Load processing occur.
4The number of projects that have passed all internal reviews and have supplied PG&E with an approved building permit from an Authority Having Jurisdiction (e.g., Building Department). Projects at this stage are scheduled for a final inspection unless there are mitigations that have not yet been completed (e.g., transformer replacement). Important Note: Projects at this stage that then fail the PG&E field inspection are not counted towards the RES-BCT cap. These projects will be included in the "Implementation" column until all internal reviews are passed and, if applicable, the revised final building permit is provided. It is the responsibility of Applicants to ensure their installations meet all requirements described in Electric Rule 21, the Greenbook, and the Distribution Interconnection Handbook (DIH) prior to the PG&E field inspection, to avoid this scenario.
5The numbers in this row are a summation of the projects having the status of "Application Submitted," "Initial Review," "Supplemental Review," "Detailed Study," "Tendered Interconnection Agreement" and "Implementation." These projects are not currently counted towards the Cap and would therefore not be eligible for RES-BCT if the RES-BCT cap were reached as of the effective date.
6The numbers in this row are a summation of projects having the status of "Provided Approved Building Permit from Authority Having Jurisdiction" and "Total Interconnected Projects (PTO)." As described above, only projects in this row are counted towards PG&E's RES-BCT Cap of 105.25 MW.
Qualifications
Criteria for RES-BCT includes:
- A customer must be a city, county, special district, school district, university, California Native Tribe, political subdivision or other local public agency.
- The maximum generator size is 5MW, and multiple arrangements are allowed.
- The benefiting account may be at remote locations within the same city or county.
- Generating and benefiting accounts in the "arrangement" must be on a time-of-use rate schedule.
Existing RES-BCT customers that would like to make changes to their current RES-BCT Arrangement must complete Form 79-1197 and submit it to their Local Government's assigned PG&E Customer Care Representative for processing.
How to apply?
| Item requested | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|
|
PG&E Interconnection Portal provides PG&E with important customer, contractor and system equipment information about the project. |
||
|
Single-line diagram |
Single-line diagram shows applicable equipment (generating units, step-up transformers, auxiliary transformers, switches/disconnects and required protection devices/circuit breakers). |
|
|
Form is required if a third party is to handle application process. This gives the third party (usually the contractor) temporary authorization to act on the customer's behalf and receive confidential customer information. The authorization is required for the third party to receive a copy of the customer's permission to operate. |
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Variance request |
The customer or customer's contractor can request a variance from PG&E if the project is unable to meet the requirements described in the Distribution Interconnection Handbook and Greenbook. |
The customer should apply using the PG&E Interconnection Portal and submit a single-line diagram as soon as possible, even before the system is built. This will allow PG&E's engineers to review the proposed system and, if necessary, request modifications, which may alter the total cost and interconnection timeline of a project.
Check out information about the generator interconnection process timeline (PDF, 144 KB).
Attention: PG&E may not be able to interconnect a generator if it is located in certain areas of San Francisco or Oakland. Please read our notice about Secondary Networks (PDF, 154 KB).
Interconnection requirements
| Item requested | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|
|
Interconnection Agreement form is a legal contract between PG&E and the customer outlining each party's responsibilities. PG&E will prepare the Agreement for the customer's signature upon completion of the engineering review process. |
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|
Signed-Off Building Permit |
Completed permit indicates that the finished project has been inspected and approved by the local building authority. |
Costs and other considerations
Interconnection study costs will apply to interconnect a generator under the RES-BCT program according to Electric Rule 21 requirements. Additionally, it is important to note that potential upgrades to the electrical system may be necessary, and a customer may be required to pay for the system upgrade, depending on the type of upgrade, in accordance with Electric Rule 21.
If the local government does not have the metering necessary to bill this tariff, the applicant is responsible for all meter-related costs. At the time of interconnection, the applicant will designate an allocation percentage for each benefiting account. Bill credits are based on exports, and benefiting accounts receive credit only for the energy charge generation component of the generating account rate. The costs associated with the transfer of a bill credit include all billing related expenses:
|
$30 per Generating Account |
Monthly billing administrative charge |
|
$500 per Generating Account |
One-time billing setup recover charge |