Decision No. 1/1 of the Board of the Public Utilities Commission
Adopted 5 January 2017

Regulations Regarding the Issuance of a Permit for Installation of a Direct Line Electricity Connection

Issued pursuant to
Section 26, Paragraph two of the Electricity Market Law

1. The Regulation prescribes impartial and equal criteria and procedures by which the Public Utilities Commission (hereinafter - the Regulator) shall issue a permit for installation of a direct line electricity connection.

2. The following terms are used in the Regulation:

2.1. capacity reservation - a service of a system operator which provides an opportunity for a user to receive electricity from the electricity system (hereinafter - the system) according to the capacity specified in the system services contract during the period of time when the direct line is disconnected;

2.2. reserve connection - the part of an electricity grid of a system operator which has been installed for supplying electricity from the connection point in the system to the proprietary border of electrical installations in order to ensure the supply of electricity to the object of the user during the period of time when the direct line is disconnected.

3. A permit for installation of a direct line connection shall be issued in conformity with the following criteria:

3.1. it is intended to install the direct line in order to connect an individual production object with an individual user who will supply his or her premises, associated undertakings or other users with electricity;

3.2. the producer of electricity and the user of electricity have agreed on installation of a direct line connection, the conditions for transporting electricity, and accounting of electricity transported within the scope of the direct line connection (installation of accounting meters);

3.3. installation of the direct line connection does not significantly affect the carrying out of the conditions of the licence issued to the system operator;

3.4. installation of the direct line does not significantly affect the operation of a competitive and safe electricity market;

3.5. disconnection of the user's object from the system is ensured during use of the direct line connection.

4. In order for the Regulator to decide on a permit for installation of a direct line connection, the user or producer (hereinafter - the applicant) shall submit to the Regulator the following documents:

4.1. an application for the receipt of a permit for installation of a direct line connection (in Annex);

4.2. a scheme of geographical location of the planned direct line;

4.3. an agreement between the producer of electricity and the user of electricity on installation of a direct line connection, the conditions for transporting electricity, and accounting of electricity transported within the scope of the direct line connection (installation of accounting meters);

4.4. a certification that the user's object is not connected to the system or disconnection of the user's object from the system will be ensured during use of the direct line connection.

5. If a reserve connection is intended for the object of the user, in addition to the documents specified in Paragraph 4 of this Regulation the applicant shall also submit to the Regulator an agreement with the system operator regarding the use of a reserve connection.

6. The applicant shall be responsible for the veracity of the provided information and ensure the conformity of the submitted documents with the requirements of the Law on Legal Force of Documents.

7. The application for the receipt of a permit for installation of a direct line connection is deemed submitted on the day when the Regulator has received all the documents indicated in this Regulation and all the necessary information. If the information indicated in the submitted documents is insufficient or inaccurate, the Regulator is entitled to request additional information from the applicant.

8. If information necessary for taking of a decision is lacking in the submitted documents, the Regulator shall postpone examination of the issue and determine additional time period for submitting information, informing the applicant thereof. The issue shall be examined after the necessary information or documents have been received from the applicant. The time period from postponing examination of the issue until submitting the necessary information or documents shall not be included in the time period specified in Paragraph 11 of this Regulation.

9. If the applicant has not submitted all the information or documents necessary for taking of the decision within the time period specified by the Regulator, the Regulator may decide on refusal to issue a permit for installation of a direct line connection.

10. After receipt of the documents specified in Paragraph 4 of the Regulation the Regulator shall request a statement from the system operator in the zone of operation of the licence of which it is intended to install a direct line, regarding the impact of the direct line on carrying out of the conditions of the licence issued to the system operator. If installation of the direct line significantly affects the carrying out of the conditions of the licence issued to the system operator, the system operator shall also include in the statement information regarding financial possibilities and technical possibilities of objects or infrastructure of the system operator to ensure installation of a new system connection or increasing of the necessary permitted load for the applicant.

11. The Regulator shall, within 30 days from receipt of all the documents specified by the Regulator, examine the application and take one of the following decisions:

11.1. to issue a permit for installation of a direct line connection, determining the conditions and time period for installation of the direct line connection;

11.2. a motivated refusal to issue a permit for installation of a direct line connection, if installation of the direct line connection would cause obstacles for the carrying out of the conditions of the licence issued to the system operator or would unfavourably affect the operation of a competitive and safe electricity market.

12. The applicant which has received a permit for installation of a direct line connection, shall ensure installation of the direct line connection within the time period specified in the permit and in accordance with the procedures laid down in the legal acts governing construction. The Regulator, upon evaluating a motivated request of the applicant, may extend the time period specified in the permit for installation of a direct line connection.

13. The applicant shall ensure that activities which are related to maintaining and servicing of a direct line connection are carried out by the personnel the qualification of which conforms to the requirements laid down in laws and regulations.

14. The user for the object of which a direct line connection is installed has the right:

14.1. upon agreement with the system operator, to retain its permanent connection to the system as a reserve connection which was used for energy supply of the object of the user prior to installation of the direct line connection, if necessary, making changes therein from the funds of the user according to the technical provisions issued by the system operator;

14.2. to request that the system operator installs a reserve connection to the system, if a permanent connection to the system has not been previously installed for the object of the user.

15. A reserve connection shall be installed according to the uniform system connection regulations specified by the Regulator, if the user carries out the technical requirements specified by the system operator for installation of a connection.

16. The user for the object of which a reserve connection has been installed (retained) shall pay to the relevant system operator for the system services according to the system service tariffs in effect.

17. The Regulator shall cancel a permit for installation of a direct line connection if the applicant:

17.1. has submitted a justified proposal for cancellation of installation of a direct line connection;

17.2. has not carried out installation of a direct line connection within the time period specified by the Regulator;

17.3. has not carried out other conditions of the permit.

18. The Regulator shall take a decision to cancel a permit for installation of a direct line connection within 30 days after receipt of the proposal of the applicant.

19. Decision No. 254 of the Public Utilities Commission of 16 November 2005, On Regulations Regarding the Issuance of a Permit for Installation of a Direct line Electricity Connection (Latvijas Vēstnesis, 2005, No. 118 (3346)), is repealed.

20. The Regulation shall come into force on the day following the publication thereof in the official gazette Latvijas Vēstnesis.

Chairperson of the Public Utilities Commission R. Irklis

Annex
Decision No. 1/1 of the Public Utilities Commission
of 5 January 2017

APPLICATION

for receipt of a permit for installation of a direct line connection

Chairperson of the Public Utilities Commission R. Irklis

Translation © 2017 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)