Guide to Connecting the Grid

Alternative Energy Institute, Inc., recognizes that one of the modes of transportation of new energy is likely to be in the form of electricity. For most consumers, electricity arrives in their homes and offices over the power transmission lines, known as the grid. How does a new energy inventor go about selling his or her power to the grid? In AEI's ongoing efforts to ease the transition from non-renewable to bountiful, clean energy, we have produced a guide for the small power producer providing information, costs and contacts for connecting to the grid in California.

This guide is separated into two sections. The first section reports the findings of our preliminary investigation, including historical information and governmental information. The second section is a 24-page guide, which includes terms, contact names, and outside interconnection experts, is available to interested parties for a nominal cost. Below is the Table of Contents and Introduction from the guide.

A GUIDE TO INTERCONNECTION TO THE GRID
THE CALIFORNIA MARKET

Table of Contents
(second section)

Legislative History Of The Electric Industry....................	2
The Regulatory Agencies...............................................	4
The Big Three................................................................	5
California Independent System Operator.......................	6
The New Marketplace....................................................	7
California Power Exchange............................................	8
Automated Power Exchange..........................................	9
Western Systems Power Pool........................................	11
The Buyers.....................................................................	13
Appendix I.......................................................................	21
Appendix II .....................................................................	22

I. Introduction

This booklet is brought to you by Alternative Energy Institute, Inc., a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide information to anyone interested in living in a cleaner, healthier environment. The world dependence on non-renewable fossil fuels and nuclear energy has created an environment that is dangerously polluted. Visit our web site at www.altenergy.org and see for yourself the alternatives available to you the consumer, and to you the energy provider.

PURPOSE

This booklet is designed to provide how-to information to anyone who has electric power to sell from renewable resources (sometimes referred to as "Green Power" or "Environmentally Preferred Power"). Recent legislative changes have made the electric power market accessible to all who are capable of negotiating the complex procedures involved.

An overview of deregulation, including legislation, regulatory agencies, the role of the California Independent System Operator (Cal-ISO), and the implications of the new marketplace provide background information for entry into the electric industry.

Interconnection procedures where to start, what to expect, and estimated costs are included as a starting point for inventors of new technology, consumers who may have a generation system that is producing excess energy, or anyone who has power to sell. The companies that purchase electric power, what they expect from you, and who to contact, as well as the responsibilities of the power producer are important components of this booklet.

An index of outside interconnection experts, and information on confidentiality along with links to other useful web sites are included in the last chapter.

We have included two appendixes covering definitions and the many industry acronyms used in the interconnection process.