FERC has released a Notice Of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) on Interconnection Reforms to Address Queue Backlogs.

There are 3 main parts to this NOPR: 1) Reforms to Implement a First-Ready, First-Served Cluster Study Process, 2) Reforms to Increase the Speed of Interconnection Queue Processing and 3) Reforms to Incorporate Technological Advancements into the Interconnection Process.

On the topic of Reforms to Increase the Speed of Interconnection Queue Processing, FERC is seeking to impose fines on transmission providers if they delay cluster studies. FERC said, "we propose to require transmission providers that do not complete a cluster, cluster re-study, facilities, or affected system study by the deadline specified in the pro forma LGIP to pay a penalty of $500 per day that the study is late. "

On the topic of Reforms to Incorporate Technological Advancements into the Interconnection Process., FERC is giving interconnection customer the option to request grid enhancing technologies as options for network upgrade mitigation in this statement, "we propose to revise the pro forma LGIP and pro forma SGIP to require transmission providers, upon request of the interconnection customer, to evaluate the requested alternative transmission solution(s) during the LGIP cluster study and the SGIP system impact study and facilities study within the generator interconnection process."

"Comments are due 100 days after publication of the NOPR in the Federal Register. Reply comments are due 130 days after publication in the Federal Register. "