| Program | Interconnection Standards |
|---|---|
| Category | Regulatory Policy |
| Implementing sector | State |
| Last Update | |
| State | Minnesota |
| Website | https://mn.gov/puc/energy/distributed-energy/interconnection/ |
| Technologies | Solar Thermal Electric, Solar Photovoltaics |
| Sectors | Residential |
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) adopted updated interconnection standards in June 2019. The standards are modeled after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s Small Generator Interconnection Process and apply to systems up to 10 MW in capacity.
The MPUC standards, like the FERC standards, use a three-tiered approach to simplify the interconnection process:
- Inverter Process: Systems up to 20 kilowatts (kW)
- Fast Track Process: Systems larger than 20 kW that meet the eligibility criteria in the table below
- Study Process: Systems that fail to qualify for the Fast Track Process
| Line Voltage | Fast Track Eligible Regardless of Location | Fast Track Eligibility on a Mainline and less than 2.5 Electrical Circuit Miles from Substation |
| Less than 5 kV | Less than or equal to 500 kW | Less than or equal to 500 kW |
| Greater than or equal to 5 kV and less than 15 kV | Less than or equal to 1 MW | Less than or equal to 2 MW |
| Greater than or equal to 15 kV and less than 30 kV | Less than or equal to 3 MW | Less than or equal to 4 MW |
| Greater than or equal to 30 kV, up to 69 kV | Less than or equal to 4 MW | Less than or equal to 5 MW |
Minnesota regulators issued new requirements regarding smart inverters in 2020 which became effective in 2023 and 2024; see website link for more details.
For more information, contact your utility and review the interconnection information below:
- Xcel Energy - Interconnection of Distributed Generation
- Minnesota Power - Interconnection Guidelines
- Otter Tail Power Company - Generator Interconnection
- Dakota Electric Association - Generation Interconnection
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