Qualification Process for STGUs

(1) Statement of Qualification Application. A Statement of Qualification Application shall be submitted to the Solar Program Administrator by the Applicant. The Applicant shall use the most current forms and associated instructions provided by the Department, and shall include all information, documentation, and assurances required by such forms and instructions. The application shall contain all applicable documentation detailed below. (a) Documentation for Applicable Eligibility Provisions. All solar photovoltaic Generation Units shall provide documentation sufficient to demonstrate that they meet all applicable eligibility provisions under 225 CMR 28.07 and documentation requirements under 225 CMR 28.00. (b) Additional Required Documentation for STGUs 25 kW or Less. A solar photovoltaic Generation Unit 25 kW or less shall submit the following documentation as part of its Statement of Qualification Application: 1. Customer Disclosure Form, A customer disclosure form developed pursuant to 225 CMR 28.12(5) signed with a wet signature or signature using an electronic signature software by the Owner. If the solar photovoltaic Generation Unit Owner is a Third-party Owner, the form shall be signed with a wet signature or an electronic signature software by the Customer of Record. 2. Solar Contract. The Solar Contract for the solar photovoltaic Generation Unit. 3. Customer Utility Bill. A utility bill for the Customer of Record provided by the Distribution Company within 12 months prior to the Solar Contract execution date. a. A solar photovoltaic Generation Unit shall be exempt from 225 CMR 28.06(1)(b)3. if the Applicant can demonstrate to the Department's satisfaction that the solar photovoltaic Generation Unit is sited on new construction. b. The Applicant shall instead provide alternative documentation of the annual load estimate for the Customer of Record. If the solar photovoltaic Generation Unit is a Third-party Owned Generation Unit, the Applicant shall also provide alternative documentation to demonstrate to the Department's satisfaction compliance with the savings requirement under 225 CMR 28.07(5)(a). (c) Additional Required Documentation for STGUs Greater than 25 kW. A solar photovoltaic Generation Unit greater than 25 kW shall provide evidence of the following in order to obtain a Statement of Qualification: 1. an executed Interconnection Service Agreement, as tendered by the Distribution Company; 2. a sufficient interest in real estate or other contractual right to construct the solar photovoltaic Generation Unit at the location specified in the Interconnection Service Agreement; and 3. all necessary governmental permits and approvals to construct the solar photovoltaic Generation Unit with the exception of ministerial permits, such as a building permit, and notwithstanding any pending legal challenge(s) to one or more permits or approvals initiated by a party other than the Applicant, Owner, or Customer of Record. (d) Additional Required Documentation for STGUs 1,000 kW or Less. The Owner or Applicant of a solar photovoltaic Generation Unit exempt under 18 CFR § 292.203(d) from the filing requirements under 18 CFR § 292.203(a)(3) for certification as a qualifying facility shall attest to such exemption in its Statement of Qualification Application. (e) Application Review Procedures. The Solar Program Administrator will notify the Applicant when the Statement of Qualification Application is administratively complete or if additional information is required. All Statement of Qualification Applications may be subject to review by the Department, the Solar Program Administrator, and the relevant Distribution Company and shall be processed in no more than 30 Business Days by each party 1. Public Comment. The Department may, at its sole discretion, provide an opportunity forpublic comment on anyStatement of Qualification Application. The Department may extend the application review timeline to account for the public comment period. 2. Mitigation Fee Review. If a solar photovoltaic Generation Unit has a pending request with the Department pursuant to 225 CMR 28.09(2)(b), the Statement of Qualification Application shall not be deemed administrativelycomplete under 225 CMR 28.06(1)(e) until the Department has issued a determination. (2) Issuance or Non-issuance of a Preliminary Statement of Qualification. If the Department finds that a solar photovoltaic Generation Unit meets the applicable eligibility requirements of 225 CMR 28.00, the Solar Program Administrator will issue a Preliminary Statement of Qualification for the STGU. (a) Preliminary Statement of Qualification. The Preliminary Statement of Qualification shall contain the Base Compensation Rate and the preliminary Compensation Rate Adders applicable to the STGU. It shall also include the Reservation Period during which the STGU is required to achieve Mechanical Completion. If the STGU does not achieve Mechanical Completion before the expiration of the Reservation Period, the Department shall revoke its Preliminary Statement of Qualification. An STGU may add or remove Compensation Rate Adders during its Reservation Period. 1. Reservation Period. The length of an STGU's Reservation Period shall be not less than 24 months. An STGU may apply for an extension of the Reservation Period pursuant to the applicable procedures of the Department's Statement of Qualification Reservation Period Guideline. 2. Restrictions or Conditions. The Preliminary Statement of Qualification may include reasonable restrictions or conditions the Department deems necessary to ensure compliance with 225 CMR 28.00. (b) Non-Issuance of a Preliminary Statement of Qualification. If a solar photovoltaic Generation Unit does not meet the requirements of 225 CMR 28.00, the Solar Program Administrator shall provide written notice to the Applicant, including the reasons for such finding. (c) Withdrawal of a Statement of Qualification Application. If an Applicant submits a Statement of Qualification Application for a solar photovoltaic Generation Unit and chooses to withdraw the application, the Applicant shall not be eligible to submit a Statement of Qualification Application for the Generation Unit for the following Program Year. A solar photovoltaic Generation Unit shall be exempt from this requirement if it can demonstrate to the Department's satisfaction that it should be granted an exception for good cause. (3) Issuance or Non-issuance of a Final Statement of Qualification. An STGU that has received a Preliminary Statement of Qualification and is still within its Reservation Period may submit a claim for a Final Statement of Qualification once it has received authorization to interconnect. (a) Required Documentation. The Final Statement of Qualification claim shall include a copy of the authorization to interconnect issued by the applicable Distribution Company, financial payment documentation, and any remaining documentation to satisfyall applicable eligibility criteria pursuant to 225 CMR 28.07. (b) Final Statement of Qualification. The Final Statement of Qualification shall contain the final Base Compensation Rate and Compensation Rate Adders applicable to the STGU, the length of the STGU's tariff term, and the STGU's Incentive Payment Effective Date. (c) Non-issuance of a Final Statement of Qualification, If an STGU does not meet the requirements of 225 CMR 28.00, the Solar Program Administrator shall provide written notice to the Applicant including the reasons for such finding. (4) Statement of Qualification Applications for Program Year Capacity. Statement of Qualification Applications for solar photovoltaic Generation Units applying for a portion of a Program Year's Annual Capacity Block shall be reviewed using the following process. (a) The Department shall begin accepting Statement of Qualification Applications for a Program Year on January 1st , or the following Business Day, of the Program Year. For Program Year 2025, the Department shall begin accepting Statement of Qualification Applications on October 15, 2025. (b) The Department shall accept applications for a period of ten Business Days during which it shall sequence all applications for Generation Units by Interconnection Service Agreement Application Date. The Department shall allocate capacity according to this sequence. (c) Following the initial ten Business Day application period, all capacity will be reserved on a first-come first-served basis by date of Statement of Qualification Application. (d) If all available capacity in the Program Year is reserved, the Department shall establish a Waitlist, on a first-come first-served basis, which will be posted to the Department's website and updated weekly. (e) If a Statement of Qualification Application for a Generation Unit is withdrawn by the Applicant or denied by the Department, the Department shall offer the capacity previously reserved by that Generation Unit to the first eligible Generation Unit on the Waitlist. If the capacity available is less than the capacity of the first eligible Waitlist Generation Unit, the capacity will not be allocated until there is sufficient capacity available to accommodate the Generation Unit. (f) When a Generation Unit is selected off the Waitlist, the Applicant will be given ten Business Days to accept or decline the selection. If the Applicant declines the selection or does not respond within ten Business Days, the Generation Unit will be removed from the Waitlist and the next eligible Generation Unit on the Waitlist will be selected, subject to available capacity. (g) At the beginning of a new Program Year, the Department shall first allocate capacity to Generation Units on the Waitlist before processing applications submitted during the ten Business Day application period established pursuant to 225 CMR 28.06(4)(b). (5) Statement of Qualification Applications for Uncapped Capacity. The Department shall begin accepting Statement of Qualification Applications for STGUs that do not count towards the Annual Capacity Block pursuant to 225 CMR 28.05(3)(c) on January 1st, or the following Business Day, of the Program Year.