Interconnection is the utility process that approves a customer’s generation or storage equipment to connect to, and export power onto, the distribution grid. It covers the application, engineering review, any required upgrades, and the agreement that follows.
Why it is slow
- Exporting equipment, including bidirectional EV chargers, is reviewed as generation. In California that review runs under Rule 21 and can take months.
- The California Energy Commission lists interconnection complexity as one of four barriers to bidirectional charging, alongside interoperability, equipment cost, and compensation.
Why it matters for parking
A parking operator applies once for a whole facility. That is the structural advantage a garage has over individual driveways in any future vehicle-to-grid program.