Confirm the provider and connection route for the actual property
Give the address or road, county and parcel number if you have it. If the developer calls the property “SRP-area land,” ask whether SRP would serve the project and where the proposed connection would be. A nearby utility line or a postal city does not settle that question.
The linked SRP handbook covers distribution connections below 69 kilovolts. It places transmission connections at 69 kilovolts and above outside its scope, under a separate transmission-tariff route. Ask which process the company is using before relying on a distribution application or its schedule.
You do not need to identify the voltage yourself. Request a short explanation from the project engineer that names the provider, connection point and applicable process. This guide does not establish service or capacity at a private parcel.
Reference: SRP: current electrical specifications and handbook directory · SRP: Distributed Generation Interconnection Handbook, linked edition with 2026 revisions
Ask what the battery would actually do
Would the battery send electricity to the grid, support equipment already on the property, or provide backup during an outage? Ask where it would obtain charging power and whether its proposed controls allow export. Those details matter more than calling every installation a small battery project.
SRP’s handbook includes energy storage among distributed energy resources. It describes exporting, non-exporting and inadvertent-export operating modes, and distinguishes systems that operate in parallel with the grid from separate systems. A non-exporting label does not mean the equipment avoids all utility review.
Ask the team to put the proposed operating mode beside the layout and connection drawing. If it changes later, find out whether the application, equipment or space needs would also change. Do not accept a backup-power promise without an explanation of the approved outage operation.
Reference: SRP: Distributed Generation Interconnection Handbook, linked edition with 2026 revisions
Find out what has been reviewed and what still needs work
Ask for the application name, applicant and current written status. SRP’s distribution process uses PowerClerk, and developers or contractors may submit information for the customer. A submission is the start of review, not proof that the project has passed it.
The handbook describes technical screens, design review and further engineering or detailed review depending on the system. Detailed review can include feasibility, system-impact and facility studies. Ask which steps apply to this proposal and what equipment or system work they identify.
Changes after an accepted application can require revised documents and move the project back in the process. If a company asks you to hold land while it revises a layout or connection, ask what changed, what remains unresolved and whether its proposed option extension pays you for that additional time.
Reference: SRP: Distributed Generation Interconnection Handbook, linked edition with 2026 revisions
Want to ask about your land?
Send the location and what you know. You don’t need a project plan.
Tell us about your landKeep the connection budget separate from your land payment
SRP’s handbook assigns interconnection costs to the customer. It lists connection facilities, transformers, protective equipment, metering and other required items. It also addresses customer-funded system work identified by technical review and possible administrative or study charges.
Ask who would be that customer and who would fund those obligations. Owning the land does not, by itself, explain the responsibilities in the proposed documents. Request a budget that separates studies, connection equipment, utility upgrades, site construction and payments to you.
If an upgrade costs more than expected, would the company continue, change the project or end the option? Ask when it must make that decision and how unused land is released. A quoted lease rate is only part of the offer if operating rent cannot begin until uncertain work is complete.
Reference: SRP: Distributed Generation Interconnection Handbook, linked edition with 2026 revisions
Review owner signatures and access on the same drawing
The handbook describes an interconnection agreement involving the utility, customer and, where applicable, property owner. If you are asked to sign, have your adviser explain the role you would accept, rather than assuming the form only confirms ownership. Compare it with the option or lease and the actual parties named there.
SRP’s application requirements call for site plans showing access, entrances, the connection point, equipment, meters, disconnects and applicable additional utility facilities. Ask for an owner-readable copy that also marks the land you will keep using. A drawing of battery enclosures alone can miss roads, cables and working space.
Discuss how crews reach utility equipment, what gates or entrances they use and who repairs damage. Ask separately about permits, easements and rights-of-way. The handbook states that SRP’s written approval does not establish acceptance by other authorities.
Reference: SRP: Distributed Generation Interconnection Handbook, linked edition with 2026 revisions
Separate permission to operate from the dates in your agreement
SRP’s handbook places permission to operate after successful inspection and commissioning, with an executed interconnection agreement. A design review or construction milestone comes earlier. Ask which actual record supports the stage described in a presentation.
Then check your private payment terms. Does rent start at signing, construction, permission to operate or another event? If the project is delayed, ask what you receive during the wait, who may extend it and when the reservation ends. The utility process does not supply those promises for you.
To contact Sunland, provide your name, email, phone and property location. Arizona is selected here and can be corrected; county is required, while acreage and parcel number are optional. Mention an SRP proposal or utility document if you have one. An inquiry does not reserve your property or file a utility application.
Reference: SRP: Distributed Generation Interconnection Handbook, linked edition with 2026 revisions
Questions landowners ask
Does SRP’s distribution handbook cover a transmission-connected battery?
Its stated scope is distribution connections below 69 kilovolts. Transmission connections at 69 kilovolts and above use a separate route. Ask the project engineer to confirm the actual connection and process.
Does non-exporting mean no utility review is needed?
No. SRP describes non-exporting systems that still operate in parallel with its grid. Ask SRP and the project engineer which requirements apply to the proposed controls and connection.
Would I automatically pay the utility upgrade costs as landowner?
Ask who is the utility customer and what your actual documents require. Have your adviser review any requested owner signature and make the project company’s funding obligations clear in the land agreement.
Is a design approval the same as permission to operate?
No. The handbook describes inspection and commissioning before permission to operate. Your agreement should separately state what starts your payments and what happens if later steps are delayed.
Do I need a utility application before contacting Sunland?
No. Start with contact details and the property location. Acreage and parcel number are optional; an inquiry does not submit an SRP application.
Sources & further reading
SRP’s live directory and linked 81-page handbook checked October 7. The cover says 2022; the revision log includes July 2026 updates. Scope, storage, review, cost, operating-permission and application-drawing sections were reviewed. Transmission tariff, individual applications and private agreements were not reviewed. Local rules and program details can change. Check the requirements for the actual project.