What the 2026 interconnection rules change for commercial export

The 2026 interconnection revisions change queue timing and export limits for commercial systems. What we are telling owners in design.

The revised interconnection rules took effect this summer. For commercial export projects the change is procedural rather than technical, which is exactly why it catches schedules.

What actually changed

Study windows are now fixed rather than best-effort, which makes early filing worth more than it was.
Export-limited designs are reviewed on a shorter track when the limiting device is certified.
Utilities may require a witness test on systems above 1 MW.

What we changed in response

Interconnection is now filed on day one of design on every commercial project, before drawings are stamped. On export-limited sites we specify a certified limiting device even where a soft setting would pass, because it moves the review to the shorter track.

Owners should assume a witness test above 1 MW and hold two weeks in the schedule for it. That is cheaper than discovering it after mechanical completion.