Memphis Light Gas & Water is having major delays with solar interconnection approvals - some customers waiting 4-6 months after installation to get Permission to Operate. Meanwhile they're getting regular bills without any solar credits, even though systems are generating power. I've got three clients dealing with this mess. Anyone else seeing widespread interconnection delays affecting billing? This is getting ridiculous.
MLGW Solar Interconnection Delays Causing Billing Issues
Randy, we're seeing similar delays with Entergy New Orleans. Six month waits for PTO while customers watch their solar production go unbilled. The frustrating part is the systems are producing power and feeding back to the grid, but utilities won't activate net metering billing until all paperwork is complete. Customers are essentially giving away free power.
Same story here in Arizona with APS, though not quite as bad as 6 months. More like 8-12 weeks for residential systems. The problem is these utilities are understaffed in their interconnection departments and solar installations are booming. Meanwhile customers are paying full electric bills plus solar loan payments with no credits.
Alan's right about the staffing issues. Here in Oregon, Pacific Power has been adding interconnection staff but they're still behind. The good news is most utilities will backdate the net metering credits to when the system was actually installed and inspected, not when PTO was granted. Randy, has MLGW committed to backdating the credits?
Duane, that's the million dollar question. MLGW's policy manual says they'll backdate to "system commissioning date" but they're being vague about what that means exactly. I've got one client who's been waiting since March with a 8.5kW system. That's probably $400-500 in lost credits during peak summer generation season.
Randy, you might want to file a formal complaint with the Tennessee Public Utilities Commission. Here in Indiana when IPL was dragging their feet on interconnections, the state utility commission stepped in and mandated 60-day maximum approval timelines. Sometimes regulatory pressure is the only thing that gets utilities to add staff and streamline processes.
Margaret's suggestion about regulatory complaints is spot on. In Kentucky, the PSC issued an order requiring utilities to process interconnections within 45 days or provide written justification for delays. Since then, KU and LG&E have gotten much faster. The key is documenting all the delays and showing how customers are being financially harmed.
Mike raises a great point about documentation. I keep a detailed timeline for each delayed interconnection showing application date, system installation date, inspection date, and daily kWh production estimates. When utilities see potential refund liability adding up, they tend to find ways to speed up the approval process.
This interconnection delay issue is becoming a real problem nationwide. Here in South Dakota with Black Hills Energy, delays aren't as bad but I'm seeing 6-8 week waits becoming more common. The solar industry growth is outpacing utility administrative capacity. We need better staffing and streamlined processes.
Joanne hit the nail on the head - this is a nationwide capacity issue. Duke Energy here in Cincinnati has actually been pretty good, usually 3-4 weeks for residential interconnections. But I hear from colleagues in the Carolinas that Duke's other territories are much slower. It really varies by utility and region.
The state-by-state variation is huge. Here in Minnesota, Xcel Energy has gotten pretty efficient with a mostly automated online application system. Most residential systems get approved in 2-3 weeks. But I know installers working in other Xcel territories who report much longer delays. Seems like each utility division operates differently.
Update on the MLGW situation - I filed complaints with the Tennessee PUC for all three delayed clients. Within two weeks, MLGW suddenly found time to approve all three interconnections and backdated the net metering credits to system installation dates. Sometimes you just need to make some noise to get results. Thanks for all the advice everyone!
Randy, that's a fantastic outcome! Perfect example of how regulatory pressure can motivate utilities to do the right thing. I'm definitely going to remember this approach for future interconnection delays. The threat of formal complaints often works better than months of polite phone calls.
Great result Randy! This thread should be required reading for anyone dealing with interconnection delays. The key takeaway is document everything, calculate the financial impact, and don't be afraid to escalate to regulators when utilities drag their feet. Customer advocates need to advocate!