Glossary
Key terms and definitions used across the GridWonk platform.
A reference to terms you may encounter while using GridWonk or working with grid interconnection processes.
API Key
A secret credential used to authenticate programmatic requests to the GridWonk API. API keys are scoped to a specific organization and support configurable rate limits and endpoint restrictions.
Capacity (MW)
The maximum electrical output of a generation or storage resource, measured in megawatts. Capacity can affect interconnection fees, study requirements, and applicable technical standards. Fast-track eligibility depends on the governing tariff, voltage, technology, and screening results; capacity alone does not determine it.
Capability Manifest
GridWonk's canonical contract for product actions and the surfaces that expose them. A capability is the stable action, while an MCP tool, CLI command, REST route, SDK method, UI label, or docs entry is that action's surface-specific binding. The surface report classifies gaps as fill, reduce, document, or defer candidates.
Compliance Validation
The process of checking an interconnection application against utility-published requirements and applicable technical or regulatory standards. Current packet intake performs this work through packet Review, using published packet requirements and source-linked evidence. When a utility's cited requirement states a different threshold from a general external standard, the utility's governing text controls the finding. A separate transitional single-document workflow can still run from existing upload and screening surfaces until PR11 removes it.
Cooperative
A member-owned electric utility governed by its customers rather than shareholders. Cooperatives typically serve rural areas and may have their own interconnection procedures separate from state PUC tariffs.
Deficiency
An error, omission, or non-compliance issue identified in an interconnection application. A deficiency may require correction, clarification, or reviewer disposition before approval. Common categories include site control, missing or incomplete forms, technical requirements, fees, and formatting.
Digitization
The process of converting documents such as PDFs into structured, machine-readable content. GridWonk digitizes both utility procedure documents and applicant documents; reviewed procedure sources support requirement extraction, while applicant documents support packet review and validation.
Discovery
The automated process of finding and indexing a utility's interconnection procedures, application forms, and requirements documents from utility sites and other authoritative sources. An indexed document has been found and stored; indexing does not mean a human has reviewed or approved it.
Extraction
The step after discovery where specific requirements, rules, and form fields are extracted from raw procedure documents. Extracted requirements can become validation inputs after the required source-review, validation, and currentness gates pass.
FERC
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. FERC regulates interstate electricity transmission and issues orders that affect generator interconnection. Order No. 2023 reformed transmission-provider generator interconnection procedures and agreements, including cluster studies, project-readiness requirements, and study-process accountability; it is not simply a small-generator standard.
Interconnection
The process of connecting a generation, storage, or other eligible facility to the electric grid. It requires approval from the relevant grid operator and compliance with the governing technical, regulatory, and administrative requirements.
IOU
Investor-Owned Utility. A shareholder-owned electric utility, which may be part of a publicly traded or privately owned company. Examples include Duke Energy, Southern Company, and Pacific Gas & Electric. IOUs are generally regulated by state public utility commissions and follow the tariffs approved for their jurisdictions.
Interconnection Level
Whether a project connects to the transmission system or a distribution system. The point of interconnection, facilities involved, governing tariff, and jurisdiction determine the level; voltage is an important signal but not a universal boundary. Interconnection level and generator-size procedure (LGIP or SGIP) are related inputs, not interchangeable labels.
ISO/RTO
Independent System Operator / Regional Transmission Organization. An entity that coordinates regional electricity markets and manages the bulk power transmission grid. Examples include PJM, MISO, CAISO, SPP, and ERCOT.
LGIP (Large Generator Interconnection Procedure)
Large Generator Interconnection Procedures. FERC's pro forma LGIP applies to generating facilities larger than 20 MW that interconnect under a jurisdictional transmission provider's tariff. The governing tariff defines the actual study process; LGIP is not determined by a universal voltage threshold. See also: SGIP.
MCP (Model Context Protocol)
An open protocol that allows AI agents to discover and use tools dynamically. GridWonk exposes MCP as a projection of the Capability Manifest, so MCP tool names stay tied to the same product-level capabilities used by CLI, REST, SDK, chatbot, and admin surfaces.
Current Usable Procedure Document
A utility procedure document that reviewers have approved or manually overridden, has completed digitization, and can support customer-facing requirement lookup and validation.
Muni/Coop Discovery
The process of finding interconnection procedures specifically for municipal utilities and electric cooperatives, which often have their own rules separate from state PUC tariffs. GridWonk uses the procedures discovery agent plus manager-owned probes, including landing-page discovery, hub-scrape, crawl, and search-playbook paths, to index these sources across self-governing, state PUC-regulated, and state-statute jurisdictions. Indexed sources still require human review before they become current usable procedure documents.
Municipal Utility
A publicly-owned electric utility operated by a city, county, or district government. Municipal utilities often have their own interconnection procedures that differ from state PUC tariffs. Examples include Austin Energy and Sacramento Municipal Utility District.
OASIS
Open Access Same-Time Information System. A FERC-mandated electronic platform where transmission providers post tariffs, transmission availability, and interconnection queue data. GridWonk references OASIS data for transmission-level interconnection procedures and queue status.
OATT (Open Access Transmission Tariff)
A FERC-mandated tariff that governs non-discriminatory access to the transmission grid. OATTs define transmission interconnection procedures, study processes, and site control requirements for LGIP and SGIP workflows. GridWonk discovers and stores OATTs as procedure source documents when they are the authoritative requirement source.
PUC
Public Utility Commission (also called Public Service Commission in some states). The state regulatory body that oversees electric utilities, approves tariffs, and sets interconnection rules for investor-owned utilities within its jurisdiction.
Published Packet Store
The reviewed, versioned packet requirements stored in
ix_packet_requirements. Packet Review selects the applicable requirements by
utility, phase, interconnection track, and document role. This is the
centralized requirement source for new packet-intake review.
Packet Review
The submission-scoped workflow that consumes previously accepted document roles, verifies those roles against trusted current rows, extracts evidence, loads effective requirements from the published packet store, runs role-specific checks, and saves the result used for readiness. Classification and an accepted automatic or human role decision happen before Review; Review does not infer or override roles. It is a purpose-built workflow, not a raw agent that an operator starts directly.
Packet Readiness
A measure of how complete and compliant an interconnection application is before submission. Packet-intake readiness derives from persisted packet Review evidence and the current published requirements. The retained classic single-document validator can still produce transitional compliance results until its Packet Review replacement and historical-data gates are complete.
Requirement Currentness
The rule that customer-facing answers and Packet Review use only reviewed,
published requirements tied to the correct utility, packet variant, and document
role. The old REST, SDK, CLI, public MCP, console, and admin review surfaces are
retired. A separate classic single-document validator and historical remediation
links still read ix_requirements; they remain isolated from Packet Review until
their replacement and retention gates are complete.
Remediation Assistant
The dedicated deficiency page and chat panel where Eve prepares exact, server-verified changes. The session and event cursor survive refreshes, and the browser approves only a stored request ID plus an approve/deny choice. Applying fixes, replacing the active document, and rerunning Packet Review are separate decisions. The assistant is off by default pending release approval.
Screening
The automated review process that checks incoming interconnection applications against utility requirements. Screening identifies deficiencies, generates compliance reports, and provides remediation guidance before or during the utility review cycle.
SGIP (Small Generator Interconnection Procedure)
Small Generator Interconnection Procedures. FERC's pro forma SGIP applies to generating facilities no larger than 20 MW when they interconnect under a jurisdictional transmission provider's tariff. A state or utility tariff may define a different distribution process, and small-generator status does not by itself mean a project is distribution-level or fast-track eligible. See also: LGIP.
Site Control
Legal documentation showing the applicant's right to develop or operate a generation resource at the proposed site. Accepted evidence can include deeds, leases, options to lease, and easements. The governing utility procedure or tariff determines the required footprint, term, signatures, and evidence; there is no single universal threshold.
SSE (Server-Sent Events)
A web technology that allows the server to push real-time updates to the client over a single HTTP connection. GridWonk uses SSE for job progress, assistant output, tool events, and live status updates.
Vercel Queues
A durable queue service with topic-based routing, retry policies, and dead-letter handling. GridWonk uses Vercel Queues for async dispatch paths such as evals, optimization runs, webhook deliveries, document notifications, and feedback analytics.
Tariff
A filed schedule of rates, terms, and conditions accepted or approved by the relevant regulator, such as a state PUC or FERC. Interconnection tariffs can define application fees, technical requirements, study procedures, and timelines for connecting resources to the grid.
Webhook
An HTTP callback that GridWonk sends to a URL you configure when supported events occur, such as job completion or failure, document digitization, or requirements extraction. Webhooks enable event-driven integration without repeatedly polling the API.