Section 480-106-020 - Obligations of the utility to qualifying facilities(1)Obligation to purchase from qualifying facilities: A utility must purchase, in accordance with WAC 480-106-050 Rates for purchases from qualifying facilities, any energy and capacity that is made available from a qualifying facility: (a) Directly to the utility; or(b) Indirectly to the utility in accordance with subsection (4) of this section.(2)Obligation to sell to qualifying facilities: A utility must sell to any qualifying facility, in accordance with WAC 480-106-060 Rates for sales to qualifying facilities, any energy and capacity requested by the qualifying facility at the same rates, terms, and conditions that are available to other customers of the utility in the same customer class who do not generate electricity.(3)Obligation to interconnect: A utility must make all the necessary interconnections with any qualifying facility to accomplish purchases or sales under this section. The qualifying facility must pay for interconnection costs to the extent required under WAC 480-106-080 Interconnection costs.(4)Transmission to other electrical companies: If a qualifying facility agrees, a utility that would otherwise be obligated to purchase energy, capacity, or both, from such qualifying facility must transmit energy, capacity, or both, to any other electric service provider at the expense of the qualifying facility. The qualifying facility's use of a utility's transmission facilities shall be pursuant to the utility's open access transmission tariff. Any utility to which energy or capacity generated by a qualifying facility and transmitted to such utility over the facilities of another utility shall purchase the energy or capacity under this subpart as if the qualifying facility were supplying energy or capacity directly to the purchasing utility. The rate the purchasing utility pays the qualifying facility shall be adjusted to reflect line losses and shall not include any charges for transmission.(5)Parallel operation: Each utility must offer to operate in parallel with a qualifying facility if the qualifying facility complies with all applicable standards established in this section.Wash. Admin. Code § 480-106-020
Adopted by WSR 19-15-031, Filed 6/12/2019, effective 7/13/2019