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Green Bank and utilities press for faster telemetry and clearer interconnection paths for non-export batteries
Summary
Connecticut Green Bank and the state's two electric distributors highlighted data latency differences between DERMS providers and urged API connections to OEMs; utilities warned bulk conversion of non-export batteries to export would be a material interconnection change requiring study and fees.
Connecticut Green Bank staff and Connecticut's electric distribution companies told PURA technical meeting attendees that improving telemetry speed and data quality is essential if the ESS program is to rely more heavily on performance payments, and they disagreed on the feasibility of bulk-converting already installed non-export batteries to export-capable systems.
Why it matters: If enrollment or payment depends on measured export and performance, delayed or poor-quality telemetry can undermine fair payments, make performance reconciliation slow, and increase financial risk for entities that may assume up-front payments.
Green Bank managers described two separate telemetry pathways used in the program: Uplight, the DERMS provider that serves UI residential customers and the CNI sector, now delivers near-real-time telemetry to the Green Bank through an API; EnergyHub, the DERMS provider for Eversource residential territory, typically delivers monthly batched CSV telemetry files (for example, June data around July 11). "Evaluating participant system performance as close to real time is a top priority for Green Bank," Bridal Smith, manager of energy storage at the Green Bank, said. Smith described a case in which an early-week telemetry pull found 8 to 10 systems programmed in the wrong time zone and thus missing dispatch windows; staff said those programming errors were fixed the next day once detected.
Green Bank staff urged establishing APIs with OEMs and aggregators so the program can detect data issues quickly, reduce scoring errors and work with vendors to fix incorrect device programming before multiple events are affected. They said APIs would also support the direct-pay concepts the Green Bank outlined by enabling closer asset-management oversight.
Utilities said APIs would be helpful but warned of cost, contractual and staffing tradeoffs. "There's always going to be a tradeoff with the cost of providing data with the steps that need to go in to make sure it's complete, accurate and stable," Amanda Stevens, manager for managed charging and demand response programs at Eversource, said. Eversource added that while Uplight recently enabled an API connection, EnergyHub's established monthly delivery cadence reflects the provider's internal quality-control process; Eversource said it has a portal that can provide discrete faster pulls on request.
Interconnection of backup-only (non-export) batteries: Green Bank and several developers urged pathways for already-installed batteries that currently can't export to enter the ESS program. The Green Bank suggested developers could submit bulk updates in PowerClerk (via CSV) to flip a field and mark projects export-capable, but cautioned the back-end technical work is an EDC responsibility "that the interconnection teams are going to have to provide more guidance on," the bank said.
Utilities pushed back: Eversource's interconnection representative, Karl Novoszewski, said changing a battery from non-export to export is a material change that may require a new technical screen or a full study depending on the project and could trigger application fees. "Each one of these projects receives a unique technical screen or study as the case may be," Novoszewski said, adding that residential projects typically require a quicker transformer-level technical screen while larger projects can need studies. UI and Eversource both said bulk uploads would be difficult because each installation needs review against current local conditions.
Stakeholders including Tesla and GoodLeap urged regulators and utilities to create a special, coordinated pathway (potentially a one-time bulk process) to unlock existing, latent export capacity across thousands of installed systems, while the utilities warned that doing so without careful technical review could require transformer upgrades or other capital work.
Ending note: Green Bank and the EDCs agreed on the need for clearer documentation and process guidance for converting non-export systems, faster telemetry where possible, and improved data QC. Utilities said they are open to API and integration improvements but stressed costs and staffing considerations and recommended a deliberate implementation plan.
