A PG&E connection for battery storage

Establish the proposed connection

Start with the location and the electric delivery utility, if the property already has service. A bill can help identify the current service. For vacant land without an account, say so; you can still ask Sunland about the property.

PG&E’s exporting-power page distinguishes distribution connections below 60 kilovolts from transmission connections at 60 kilovolts and above. Ask the project team to identify its proposed route rather than choosing one from the acreage or battery size.

Request the name of the substation, line or other connection point being investigated. Has the company received a utility response for that location, or is it still considering alternatives? Ask for the date and project reference so you can keep the answer with the offer.

If the proposed route crosses other property, ask who is obtaining those rights. Find out whether your agreement would reserve only the equipment area or also a corridor, entrance or work space.

Reference: PG&E: exporting power and connection routes

Describe charging as well as discharge

PG&E’s resources explain that both charging and discharging need attention for storage interconnection. Ask how the proposed battery would obtain electricity, when it would charge and what limits are assumed in the design.

For a proposal using Rule 21, PG&E’s posted September 1, 2023 charging guide describes a separate service application when a new, upgraded or relocated service panel is involved. That guide is scoped to Rule 21; have PG&E confirm the requirements for the actual project and current tariff.

Who would hold the electricity account and pay for charging or service work? If the plan uses an existing account on your property, ask how the project’s costs and equipment would be kept distinct from your current business or household use.

Ask whether a change in charging arrangements would require a new drawing or more land. Do not let a revised service location become an additional right over your property without reviewing it.

Reference: PG&E: interconnection resources and pre-application reports · PG&E: Rule 21 energy storage charging guide, September 1, 2023

Use actual application dates

PG&E’s wholesale page lists September 11–25, 2026 for its WDT Queue Cluster 16 application window. Those are dated past dates, not a continuously open application period. Ask which process and next deadline apply to the specific proposal.

If the company says it has applied, request the project reference and dated receipt. Has PG&E accepted the package, asked for more information or issued a study result? Have the company name the stage precisely.

Compare that stage with the option end date. What happens if the next application opportunity falls after the period you have agreed to reserve the land? Discuss the payment and notice needed for any extension before you sign.

Ask who will update you when the project schedule changes. Keep the developer’s latest written explanation beside the actual utility record, so a planned submission is not mistaken for a completed step.

Reference: PG&E: wholesale generation and dated cluster-window notice

Ask what the connection budget includes

PG&E says the nearest electrical system may lack capacity for the proposed generation and that upgrades can be required. A nearby line does not, by itself, establish an approved connection or final cost.

The utility provides pre-application reports and upgrade-cost resources. Ask which dated information the company has for your site and what further study it needs. A general guide or early report should be identified as such.

Ask the developer to list the cost categories it is carrying: studies, connection equipment, utility upgrades, service work and off-site rights. Which figures are estimates, which are confirmed and who is responsible for a change?

Your proposed land payment deserves its own explanation. Would rising connection costs change the price, the reserved area or the company’s right to stop? Have the written offer answer those questions rather than relying on a verbal budget discussion.

Reference: PG&E: wholesale generation and dated cluster-window notice · PG&E: interconnection resources and pre-application reports

Ask what happens during an outage

PG&E’s storage documentation sheet asks for an operating description covering normal grid operation, outages and restoration of grid service. Request a plain-language explanation of the operation being proposed on your land.

Would the battery provide power to your building during an outage, or would it serve a separate grid project? If backup for your property is part of the offer, ask which equipment, wiring and permissions support that promise.

Ask who controls shutdown, who can enter the site and whom you contact if the project affects access or existing service. Discuss arrangements for tenants, deliveries and other users of the property.

Keep the operating plan and land drawing consistent. If the company changes how the system works, ask whether the proposed access, maintenance or equipment rights also change.

Reference: PG&E: additional application documentation for energy storage

Send the property location to begin

You do not need an interconnection application to inquire with Sunland. Begin with your contact details, county and an address or road description. California is selected on this page and can be corrected.

Tell us what portion of the property could be available and whether you would consider a lease, sale or either. If you already have a developer proposal, mention its connection claim or next deadline and the question you want to resolve.

Acreage and parcel number are optional. Useful notes include existing service, entrances that must remain open and any known agreements affecting the land. There is no need to guess available electrical capacity.