South Carolina interconnection applications

Public Service Commission of South Carolina

South Carolina Generator Interconnection Procedures, Forms and Agreements (SCGIP), adopted by Order No. 2016-191, Docket No. 2015-362-E, under S.C. Code Ann. 58-27-460; revised in Docket No. 2019-326-E – South Carolina Generator Interconnection Procedures (SCGIP) · source

Commission-jurisdictional electrical utilities: Duke Energy Carolinas, Duke Energy Progress and Dominion Energy South Carolina (formerly SCE&G). Santee Cooper (state authority) and electric cooperatives are not bound; Santee Cooper publishes its own Generator Interconnection Procedures.

Statewide standard Interconnection Request Application Form (Attachment 3; Attachment 7 combined request/Certificate of Completion/terms for certified inverters <=20 kW) and standard Interconnection Agreement (Attachment 10)

Receipt confirmation within 3 business days; completeness determination within 10 business days (customer has 10 business days to cure); 20 kW process: screens and approval within 15 business days; utility gets >=10 business days notice of commissioning tests; pre-application report 20 business days ($500).

20 kW Inverter Process: $100 processing fee. Study Process: deposit $10,000 + $1/kW AC. Pre-application report $500.

Residential <=250 kW: homeowner's policy with liability >=$100,000 per occurrence; non-residential <=250 kW: CGL >=$300,000; non-residential >250 kW: CGL >=$1,000,000; self-insurance possible for creditworthy customers.

Required: manual load-break disconnect or safety switch with visible position indication, padlockable open, accessible to utility personnel, installed immediately adjacent to the utility meter unless otherwise approved (SCGIP 1.6 and 20 kW terms).

Net billing – S.C. Code Ann. 58-40-10 and 58-40-20 (Act 62 of 2019, Solar Choice Metering)
Residential customer-generators <=20 kW AC; non-residential <= lesser of 1,000 kW AC or 100% of contract demand (up to 5,000 kW AC on TOU after 2025-06-01). Solar choice tariffs for applications after 2021-05-31 at Commission-determined value; pre-June 2021 customers keep Order 2015-194 net metering until 2029-05-31. Applies to electrical utilities with >=100,000 customer accounts.

Electric cooperatives and municipal utilities are not covered by the SCGIP or Solar Choice statute; distribution co-ops adopt their own net metering policies (2014 Act 236 s.7, uncodified); Santee Cooper has its own Generator Interconnection Procedures.