Draft Regulation on Distributed Energy Resources for RURA

The regulation aims to promote DERs as a viable and cost-effective option in delivering energy services to customers, while ensuring compliance with applicable health, safety, and environmental standards. The regulation defines key terms, including "DER," "captive power," "competent authority," "DER licensee," and "utility licensee." DER is defined as any resource located on the distribution system, any subsystem thereof, or behind a customer meter for the purpose of supply of captive power. These resources may include electric storage resources, distributed generation, demand response, energy efficiency, and thermal storage, and their supply equipment. The regulation applies to persons with installed or intending to install a DER for own consumption of a system capacity above 5kW and below 50kW, subject to registration, and persons with installed or intending to install a DER for own consumption of a system capacity from 50kW and up to 500kW, subject to a license. A third-party DER provider with installed or intending to install and/or sell electrical power from a DER with a system capacity above 5kW and up to 500 kW for the use of a single customer within the customer's premises is also subject to a license. The registration process for DERs involves completing the DER registration form on the licensing platform on the Authority's website. The applicant must provide all requested information, and the Authority shall issue the applicant with a registration certificate within 30 calendar days of receipt of the completed application form. The registrant must comply with any terms or conditions specified on the registration certificate. A DER license is required for persons who intend to install a DER system with capacity from 50kW to 500kW where the system is installed by the owner solely for own consumption within the person's premises, and for persons who intend to install a DER system with capacity above 5kW and up to 500kW where the DER system will be installed by a third-party DER provider for the sole use of a single customer within the customer's premises. A DER that is interconnected to an electricity distribution system as an interconnected DER shall be required to obtain a regular generation license from the Authority and is not required to obtain a DER license. The regulation requires various documents to apply for a DER license, including a completed DER license application form, a copy of the DER system design, a copy of the DER system installation plan, a copy of the DER system operation and maintenance plan, and a copy of the DER system safety and environmental impact assessment report. The Authority shall review the application and issue the DER license within 60 calendar days of receipt of the completed application form.