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Committee approves ordinance to govern interconnections with qualifying facilities under PURPA
Summary
The utilities committee approved an ordinance authorizing interconnection procedures, feasibility studies and agreements for qualifying facilities and large commercial/industrial customers, citing PURPA authority and requiring applicant funding for feasibility work to avoid using customer dollars.
The utilities panel approved Ordinance 621 (2026) on June 25, authorizing Cleveland Public Power to engage with qualifying facilities under the federal Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) and to accept funds to perform feasibility and engineering studies required for interconnection.
Administration staff said the measure clarifies application, review and approval processes for entities seeking to interconnect to CPP's distribution system and would prohibit potential interconnectors from delivering retail electric service within CPP’s municipal boundaries without following the defined process. The director emphasized that accepting applicant‑funded studies prevents CPP from spending customer dollars on speculative interconnection requests and preserves sensitive grid design information.
Councilwoman Hudson proposed three notice amendments to require written notice to the clerk when cooperative purchases or contracts are made under the section; Councilman Pencic asked to include committee‑chair notifications. The amendments were seconded and approved and the ordinance as amended was approved by the committee.
Why it matters: The ordinance puts formal municipal procedures in place for interconnections and aligns local processing with federal PURPA obligations while clarifying financial responsibility for costly feasibility work.
What’s next: The ordinance as amended will be posted for Council consideration; staff said additional administrative implementation steps would follow.
