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It’s been two years since Pacific Gas and Electric first launched its flexible interconnection program on the distribution grid. The program, dubbed “Flex Connect,” is designed as a workaround to getting distribution-level projects connected faster if they rein in their demand during peak hours.
Standardizing that offering, integrating it into PG&E’s distribution planning process, and then accelerating the pipeline has been a significant and time-consuming undertaking. The utility has brought a total of seven projects online successfully, two of which have now transitioned to firm interconnections thanks to grid upgrades.
The program rollout has been slower than the original forecast. PG&E originally hoped to have 10 sites online by the end of 2025, but ended the year with just five. That’s not due to one specific factor, said Alex Collins, a senior manager overseeing the program, but rather a variety of slowdowns including customer site construction changes.
But the Flex Connect pipeline is a much better lens for looking at how far the program has come, Collins said. Today there are around 85 sites that PG&E is assessing for flexible interconnection, and many of those represent “repeat customer interest,” meaning customers seeking flexibility for their entire pipeline of projects, he explained.
