Interconnection

BPA Transmission Services provides services for interconnection to the Federal Columbia River Transmission System (FCRTS) through its Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT) and applicable Transmission Business Practices. 

For general questions, reach out to the appropriate Procedural Administrator or Technical Contact.

• Interconnection Request Queue
• Interconnection Queue Map
• FERC Order 845 Study Completed/Delayed Report

To sign up for email notifications regarding customer and stakeholder processes, system updates, and other business-line and agency initiatives (including interconnections), visit here: Email Sign-up - Bonneville Power Administration.

Types of Interconnection Requests

• A Generating Facility with a capacity of more than 20 MW is interconnected to the FCRTS under the Standard Large Generator Interconnection Procedures, Attachment L of BPA’s OATT. More information can be found at Large Generator Interconnection (LGI).
• A Generating Facility with a capacity of 20 MW or less is interconnected to the FCRTS under the Small Generator Interconnection Procedures, Attachment N of BPA’s OATT. More information can be found at Small Generator Interconnection (SGI).
• Requests for new points of delivery or modifications to an existing point of delivery to facilitate transmission delivery service are evaluated under BPA’s Line and Load Interconnection process. More information can be found at Line and Load Interconnection Procedures (LLIP).

Generation Integration

Generators that are not directly connected to BPA's Transmission System but connect to a host utility within BPA's Balancing Authority Area are considered integrations. Generator integrations are subject to the Generation Integration Services Business Practice, which provides the procedures and requirements for generators interconnecting and operating in BPA’s Balancing Authority Area.

Interconnection vs Integration

BPA is not the only Transmission Owner in its Balancing Authority Area. Requests attempting to connect to facilities that BPA owns are Interconnection Requests. Requests attempting to connect to facilities that BPA does not own are Integration Requests. Integration Requests follow the same submittal processes as Interconnection Requests but may have additional requirements to coordinate with the host Transmission Owner. More information about Integration requests can be found in the Generation Integration Services Business Practice.

Facility Ownership and Cost Assignment Guidelines

• BPA's practices relating to cost assignments for generation or line/load interconnections can be found in BPA Facility Ownership and Cost Assignment Guidelines
• GI Transmission Credits BP
• Non-GI Transmission Credits BP

Becoming a BPA Interconnection Customer

Requests should be submitted in the name of the entity that will become BPA's contractual counterparty during the study process.

A Transmission Services Account Executive in partnership with Customer Service Engineering, will guide you through the Interconnection process. An Account Executive will be assigned to you, when the Interconnection Customer is established in BPA systems. A Customer Service Engineer will be assigned to your request after it is received.