ACPS Faces $1.4 Million Unexpected Solar Connection Cost
From The Alexandria Times, August 16, 2024
Alexandria City Public Schools has learned that activation of the solar power installations at Douglas MacArthur Elementary School, which opened last year, and the Minnie Howard Campus of Alexandria City High School, which opens this month, will cost $1.4 million.
On May 27, The Washington Post reported that Dominion Energy, Virginia’s electric utility, “began requiring upgrades for a ‘direct transfer trip’ which automatically disconnects a system, on some projects. That includes laying a dark fiber optic transmission line to a substation at a cost of $150,000 to $250,000 per mile and in some cases adding a relay panel that runs $250,000 for projects exceeding 250 kilowatts, raising costs by 20 to 40 percent.”
“Dark” fiber, as distinct from “lit” fiber, is buried fiber lines that are not being used. A direct transfer trip is a form of circuit breaker.
According to the Post, “an interconnection charge of more than $1 million” caused the Prince William County Public Schools to cancel plans to put solar panels on top of Freedom High School.
On Wednesday, ACPS confirmed in response to a query that it will incur expenses for connecting solar equipment installed at Douglas MacArthur and Minnie Howard.
Jasmine Washington-Price from the ACPS Communications Department wrote in an emailed message that the types of upgrades identified by the Post are necessary at Douglas MacArthur and Minnie Howard.
“Based on the information ACPS has received from Dominion, ACPS estimates that it will be responsible for $105,000 in unanticipated costs for network upgrades for Douglas MacArthur and approximately $1,300,000 for Minnie Howard,” Washington-Price wrote in the email.
ACPS has also planned solar installations in future school renovation projects, for example, at George Mason Elementary School.
Washington-Price said that while these costs were unexpected, they won’t change the district’s commitment to installing solar panels at future projects.
“There are no current plans to curtail or end solar installation projects, but additional funding will be required,” Washington-Price said in the email.
She said ACPS expects the cost of future projects to align with the current charges.
“Assuming Dominion charges the same costs for upgrades for these projects, we anticipate future elementary school projects would have similar costs to Douglas MacArthur (under $250,000),” Washington-Price wrote.
The timeframe of when solar installations at the two newest ACPS schools will be operational is still uncertain.
“We are still working through the solar panel installation process with Dominion, and as a result, we are unable to project when the panels will be operational,” Washington-Price wrote. “However, we will provide an updated timeline once we are able to do so.”
ACPS Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt and Mayor Justin Wilson did not respond to requests for comment about the installation of solar panels at the two schools.
A few things to know about this:
1) Dominion suddenly changed the amount for interconnection of large sized solar panels like those on schools. The matter is now being reviewed by the Stare Corporation Commission that regulated utilities.
2) A bill to share the cost between the applicant and the Utility was put forward during the last General Assembly session, but one of our ALX delegates (Herring) voted against it (joining the Republicans on the committee) killing a potential solution. In all of her reviews of the GA session she’s not explained her vote.
3) No other utility across the US requires there allegedly “safety” measures. Some have argued it’s because the Utility doesn’t want to help rooftop solar since it competes with the Utilitys profit strategy of being 100% in charge of where anyone gets their electricity.
4) in 2018 a bill was passed and signed into law giving Dominion millions of dollars to upgrade the grid and they’ve been getting money from you and me to do this for years. The type of “safety” enhancements required of new rooftop solar could be part of that bill.
5) Since promoting rooftop solar is part of the Virginia Clean Economy Act and its benefits are shared by all of VA, why isn’t the cost of these alleged “safety” upgrades not shared by all VA in a charge on ratepayers bills like all other renewable energy projects so the amount of cost to ratepayers depends on the amount of electricity you use?
6) it’s always the same with Dominion - how can I make the most money for my shareholders and screw those trying to fight against the climate crisis and the effects on the most vulnerable.
The introduction of connection fees seems particularly galling for projects that are already installed and merely waiting to be activated. Less objectionable, I guess, if the customer (in this case, ACPS) had full information from the start. But the Minnie Howard and DM situations feel like a big case of bait and switch. One has to wonder if there is scope for appealing this to the state utility commission and saying this is a blatantly unfair business practice. It’d also be interesting to know if other utilities are introducing comparable connection fees.