Generating Power for Sales to SCE or in Wholesale Markets

The information on this page is useful for generation owners that are planning to interconnect power projects to SCE’s electric system for the purpose of selling unused power directly to SCE, to a third party, or into the open market.

Sales of energy or capacity from projects connected to SCE’s electric system are regulated by either the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). This means that a power project interconnecting to SCE’s electric system for selling power is required to obtain interconnection service under one of the following tariffs:

SCE’s Rule 21
SCE’s Wholesale Distribution Access Tariff (WDAT)
California Independent System Operator (CAISO) Tariff

Prior to applying for interconnection service under any of the tariffs above, consult with the entity you are negotiating a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) to identify any requirements that may affect the selection of the interconnection process.

At SCE, the purchase of energy and energy related products is administered by the Energy Procurement team. Information about current energy procurement solicitations, processes, and PPA terms are available at the Energy Procurement site.

CURRENT AVAILABLE ENERGY PROCUREMENT PROGRAMS

The following matrix contains a list of SCE’s Energy Procurement programs. This list contains contact information for each program.

For information on current solicitations (also referred to as Requests for Offers, or RFOs), please visit SCE’s Energy Procurement solicitations.

INTERCONNECTING YOUR PROJECT FOR SALES TO SCE

Each of the energy procurement programs administered by SCE contains project requirements that may affect the interconnection aspects of the project. Also, each procurement program may require a specific interconnection agreement under SCE’s Rule 21, SCE’s Wholesale Distribution Access Tariff, or the CAISO tariff. Review the energy procurement program requirements at the links above.

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Information for Interconnecting New Power Projects

New generation projects requesting interconnection to SCE’s transmission system (which is under CAISO control) must submit an application directly to CAISO. New generation projects requesting interconnection to SCE’s distribution system may request interconnection service through SCE’s WDAT or SCE’s Rule 21 (refer to the specific procurement program for specific interconnection requirements). Interconnection to SCE’s distribution system requires an additional application for distribution service (read below).

To find out if the circuit you have chosen to interconnect your project is on SCE’s transmission or distribution system, please send a question with the identified pole number and the voltage (kV) of the line selected to interconnectionQA@sce.com
At any time, any interested party can request technical information regarding SCE’s electric system around a potential interconnection site. Upon receipt of a completed Pre-Application Report Request and a non-refundable processing fee of $300, SCE will provide available system data. This typically includes:
- Total Capacity (in MWs) of substation bus
- Approximate circuit distance between the proposed site and the substation
- Relevant line section(s) peak line load estimate
- Number of protective devices and voltage regulating devices between the proposed site and the substation/area
- Whether or not three-phase power is available at the site
- Limiting conductor rating from proposed Point of Interconnection to distribution substation

Please refer to the following links for more information about how to request a Pre-Application Report:
Pre-Application Report Request under SCE’s WDAT
Pre-Application Report Request under SCE’s Rule 21

Interconnection Service

New generation projects seeking interconnection to SCE’s electric system are required to obtain “interconnection service”. The following is a list of resources available for information regarding interconnection of generation projects to SCE’s electrical system and how to apply:

For information about the CAISO interconnection process, refer to the following links:
- CAISO’s Generation Interconnection process
- SCE’s information about the CAISO’s interconnection process
For information about SCE’s WDAT interconnection process, refer to the following link:
- WDAT Interconnection Process
- FAQs for SCE’s WDAT
For information about the Rule 21 interconnection process, refer to the following link:
- Rule 21 Interconnection Process
- FAQs for SCE’s Rule 21

Distribution Service

In addition, projects connecting to SCE’s distribution system (either through the WDAT or the Rule 21), are required to obtain “Distribution Service” with SCE. “Distribution Service” allows the customer to be able to use SCE’s distribution system to “transport” their energy from the point of interconnection with SCE’s electric system to the CAISO system (where most power sales are expected to be delivered and settled in accordance with the CAISO market rules).

Distribution Service Request Form (fillable)

Conversion of Jurisdiction

Existing generation projects with a current interconnection with SCE may need to “update” their interconnection service by obtaining a new Interconnection Agreement. If your project is an existing Qualifying Facility and you are required to obtain new interconnection agreement, you need to start the conversion process. For more information regarding the Conversion Process, refer to the following link:

Qualifying Facility interconnection conversion page

Market Participation

In addition, for projects seeking to participate in the CAISO market (or required to establish a CAISO Resource ID), the CAISO provides information about their New Resource Implementation (NRI) process