As a generation and transmission (G&T) cooperative, Hoosier Energy manages larger distributed generation interconnections for its member cooperatives.<\/p>\n
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Termed the Small Generator Interconnection Process (SGIP), these interconnections are for generating facilities larger than 50 kilowatts but no more than 20 megawatts and interconnected at less than or equal to 34.5kV. The member cooperatives handle interconnections under 50KW.<\/p>\n
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At one time, this interconnection process at Hoosier Energy was a slow, but small, manual process with only a handful of interconnection requests generated each year. That made handling those requests a one-person job. But when that one person left Hoosier, the duties transferred to Raina Lewis in the Member Solutions department.<\/p>\n
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At the same time, requests steadily increased to between 40 and 50 per year.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe saw an explosion of requests since 2022, and a lot of that had to do with funding and tax credits,\u201d Member Solutions Manager Blake Kleaving said during a recent online presentation.<\/p>\n
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While Lewis did her best to keep Hoosier Energy\u2019s head above water, project data was scattered across emails, spreadsheets and shared folders, making the manual processing of applications, approvals and invoices unwieldy. It was clear that either more staff or more technology was needed to solve the problem.<\/p>\n
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Lewis sought out potential software solutions, and ultimately, PowerClerk turned out to be the best match for Hoosier Energy\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n
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The software platform provides a single system that records applications, interconnection studies, agreements and communications. It also offers built-in payments and electronic signatures, providing a coordinated effort between internal Hoosier teams, member cooperatives and the customers or member-consumers involved.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWhen we brought everything to one location (in PowerClerk), we always had the most up-to-date version,\u201d Kleaving said. \u201cThat sounds very simple, but in the world of an industry moving so quickly and so fast with things you need to accomplish, whether that\u2019s standard operating procedures for interconnection, the metering component or conditions to satisfy insurance policies, we needed a central repository.\u201d<\/p>\n
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That made information accessible for internal employees and even for checking the queue position by an interconnecting customer or member co-op.<\/p>\n
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The other major benefit was the automation using PowerClerk provided.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIt sends automated emails to the contractors for what they need to accomplish,\u201d Kleaving said. \u201cWhen you have a signature due, there is an automated email. Things that used to take Raina typing out notifications of testing, feasibility study fees or feasibility study results are all automated.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Kleaving compares the process to artificial intelligence (AI).<\/p>\n
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\u201cIs it going to replace Raina or anyone else? No,\u201d he said. But it\u2019s going to make you work so much more efficiently that it\u2019s going to open the door to multiple other areas where we can expand your role.\u201d<\/p>\n
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PowerClerk has been in place for just over a year now and has delivered measurable operational improvements such as real-time visibility into project status and reporting, increased workflow resilience, and an 85% reduction in time spent managing interconnection requests.<\/p>\n
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In the future, PowerClerk could help Hoosier Energy as a flexible workflow platform that supports additional multi-party processes, including documentation, approvals and billing as member programs progress.<\/p>\n
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