The commission, in consultation with the Energy Commission and the Independent System Operator, shall take all of the following actions by December 1, 2020, to facilitate the commercialization of microgrids for distribution customers of large electrical corporations:
(a) Develop microgrid service standards necessary to meet state and local permitting requirements.
(b) Without shifting costs between ratepayers, develop methods to reduce barriers for microgrid deployment.
(c) Develop guidelines that determine what impact studies are required for microgrids to connect to the electrical corporation grid.
(d) Without shifting costs between ratepayers, develop separate large electrical corporation rates and tariffs, as necessary, to support microgrids, while ensuring that system, public, and worker safety are given the highest priority. The separate rates and tariffs shall not compensate a customer for the use of diesel backup or natural gas generation, except as either of those sources is used pursuant to Section 41514.1 of the Health and Safety Code, or except for natural gas generation that is a distributed energy resource.
(e) Form a working group to codify standards and protocols needed to meet California electrical corporation and Independent System Operator microgrid requirements.
(f) Develop a standard for direct current metering in the commission’s Electric Rule 21 to streamline the interconnection process and lower interconnection costs for direct current microgrid applications.
(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 497, Sec. 248. (AB 991) Effective January 1, 2020.)