Golden Valley Electric Association (GVEA) purchases energy from independent power producers and supports the interconnection of projects that benefit members. Independent power producers connected to GVEA’s system own projects as large as about 26 megawatts (MW). The diverse projects benefit members by providing renewable generation that helps lower overall emissions and base-load generation that is competitively priced.
For those entities interested in exploring the technical engineering requirements for a project that doesn’t qualify for the net metering program, the Non-Utility Power Producer Interconnection Specifications (PDF) provides a comprehensive guide.
Laws that the State of Alaska enacted in 2020 are expected to affect the interconnection process beginning in 2021, so as these changes are implemented it can be expected that the requirements may change. The State’s laws and regulations require the formation of an Electric Reliability Organization (ERO) that will implement uniform interconnection requirements throughout the Alaska Railbelt electrical grid (from Interior Alaska to the Kenai Peninsula).