The Interstate Renewable Energy (IREC) council has published its latest “Freeing the Grid” study, which evaluates how well each state interconnects distributed energy resources (DERs), such as solar and energy storage. IREC compiles “Freeing the Grid” in collaboration with Vote Solar.
Credit: Interstate Renewable Energy Council & Vote Solar
The study only considers statewide interconnection policies. Out of all 50 states, New Mexico is the only one with an “A” grade. Compared to the last report published in 2023, eight states’ interconnection practices improved. Oregon and New Jersey leaped from “D” to “B” grades, Maine moved from a “C” to a “B” and Wisconsin from a “D” to a “C.” California, Connecticut, Minnesota and Vermont’s ratings improved, but not by a letter grade.
“IREC’s Freeing the Grid interconnection grades are a powerful tool for states to benchmark the effectiveness of their interconnection policies. We’re thrilled to see improvements in eight states this year, but with over 80% of states scoring a ‘C’ or below and a quarter of all states lacking statewide interconnection rules altogether, there is significantly more work to be done to ensure consistent, transparent, and efficient processes,” said IREC CEO Chris Nichols. “This report, and its state-specific policy recommendations, is particularly timely given the current pressure on regulators to rein in electric rate hikes and deliver more energy to meet growing demand.”
IREC stated that “Freeing the Grid” is devised to help legislators and utility regulators implement more efficient interconnection processes for DERs. Each state is evaluated based on 10 categories of criteria measuring its cost, efficiency and transparency in interconnection, and the report recommends how each state can improve on this. By implementing these recommendations, IREC hopes that it will ultimately quicken the process and reduce interconnection backlogs, or avoid them altogether.
According to this latest “Freeing the Grid” report, 13 states and territories don’t have statewide interconnection measures. Only nine states received a “B” grade or higher, with the remainder below that.
“We’re encouraged to see states making meaningful progress toward faster and more transparent interconnection processes,” said Sachu Constantine, executive director of Vote Solar. “But this year’s grades also make clear that many states still have substantial work ahead to ensure community power resources like solar can connect to the grid efficiently and fairly. Strong interconnection policy is foundational to achieving affordable, reliable and equitable clean energy for all communities to benefit from.”
News item from IREC
