Considering a whole home solar array, wind turbine, or other source of generation to supply your electricity needs? You are not alone! Your cooperative has a total of 33 member-owned, member-operated generation sources (as of October 1, 2022). Of the 33 generation sources, 32 are solar arrays and one is a hydro generator.
Your cooperative is not a generation and transmission cooperative. SCREC is a distribution cooperative. A distribution cooperative purchases energy from a generation and transmission provider which, in SCREC's case, is Allegheny Electric Cooperative. Approximately 70% of Allegheny's energy comes from carbon free (nuclear and hydro) sources, while the remaining 30% is purchased off the market. The generation portion of every member's bill is both environmentally and fiscally responsible, and is lower than the generation cost rate to Penelec, PPL, or any other generation provider allowed to sell energy in Penelec or PPL service territory.
This being said, generation is just a pass through from Allegheny to you. As a not-for-profit distribution cooperative, SCREC does not recover costs through inflating the generation rate. Distribution costs are recovered through the monthly fixed charge and the variable distribution energy rate. So, whether the cooperative purchases generation from Allegheny and passes those costs onto you, or you provide energy from your own generation source, it has no financial impact on the cooperative.
As with any home project of this size and monetary investment, members are encouraged to thoroughly research the generation technology being considered, as well as the company selling the generation system. SCREC is not in the business of generating electricity, nor are we experts in this area. It is the member's responsibility to thoroughly plan their generation project and make properly informed decisions.
What the cooperative can assist members with is the process of interconnecting member-owned generation with the cooperative's distribution system. All the documents relating to interconnecting member-owned generation with SCREC are provided below. Please take the time to review these documents and, if you have any questions regarding any of the information contained therein, please contact us.
There is a $100.00 application fee which must accompany the member's application. For a majority of member-owned generation systems, this is the only fee a member will see. In very few instances, upgrades on the distribution system are necessary to accommodate the member's generation system. In these circumstances, the member is responsible for the cost associated with upgrading the distribution system.
No two installations are alike, so please inform the cooperative as soon as you know you are ready to proceed down the road of installing an interconnected generation system. And while we cannot assist in choosing the type or size of the generation system, rest assured the cooperative can walk you through the entire interconnection process from start to finish.
1. AES - QF checklist
2. Alternative Energy Production Policy
3. Interconnection Process Flow Chart
4. Sullivan County REC Interconnection Application
5. Interconnection Purchase Power Agreement with Schedule A
6. Alternative Energy Production Rate
7. Interconnection Certificate of Completion