20:10:36:52.  Tier 4 interconnection scoping meeting. The public utility shall schedule a tier 4 scoping meeting to notify the applicant about other higher-queued applications including FERC interconnection applications on the same radial line or area network to which the applicant is seeking to interconnect.

          The meeting shall be held within 10 business days after the public utility has notified the applicant that the application is considered complete. The purpose of the meeting is to review the application, including any existing studies relevant to the application, such as the results from the tier 1, tier 2, or tier 3 screening criteria and studies or, if available, the applicant's analysis of the proposed interconnection using the same criteria as the public utility applies to the application. Parties are expected to bring to the scoping meeting such personnel, including system engineers and other resources, as may be reasonably required to accomplish the purpose of the meeting. The applicant shall maintain the assigned queue position regardless of the outcome of the scoping meeting if the additions or changes to the application can be rectified within 10 business days, or a period mutually agreed upon by the parties, from the date of notification. The meeting or any relevant time frames may be waived upon mutual agreement.

          The scoping meeting should demonstrate or identify:

          (1)  The need for further studies and a mutually agreeable study timeline based on the public utility's resources and workload;

          (2)  Possible changes or modifications to the application to facilitate the interconnection or reduce costs; or

          (3)  No changes are necessary and the public utility may proceed with the application without further studies.

          If the parties agree at the scoping meeting that a study must be performed, the public utility shall provide the appropriate study agreement to the applicant. The agreement shall specify the study scope, a good faith, non-binding estimate of the cost to perform the study, and any study deposit. The applicant shall return an executed copy of the study agreement along with the required study deposit within 60 calendar days of receipt of the agreement, or as mutually agreed by the parties. Failure to return a signed contract shall be considered withdrawal of the application.

          Source: 35 SDR 305, effective July 1, 2009.

          General Authority: SDCL 49-34A-27, 49-34A-93.

          Law Implemented: SDCL 49-34A-27, 49-34A-93.