System Planning Working Group Fall 2021 Session

The System Planning Working Group will meet on Friday, October 15 (1:00 – 3:00 p.m. EDT). The session will focus on four initiatives/projects currently underway within the working group:

1:00 – 1:30 p.m. ESIG Redefining Resource Adequacy Task Force
A review of the recent ESIG report: Redefining Resource Adequacy for Modern Power Systems.

1:30 – 2:00 p.m. ESIG Transmission Task Force – Assessing the Value of Transmission
The scope of the Task Force’s current project will be discussed as outlined below:

• • • • Completing an updated literature review on the diversity of MVP processes enacted across the RTOs.
      • Developing a recommended MVP framework, focusing on the benefits which capture the most value, can be easily augmented to current planning processes, and are defensibly quantifiable. Since not all benefits are relevant to all projects, and project evaluation bandwidth is limited, a method to decide which benefits to investigate for a given project will also be outlined.
      • Applying the recommended MVP framework to a case study on ERCOT and the West Texas export (WTE) constraint. This will include production cost modeling to evaluate future renewable systems with and without WTE transmission additions. In addition to base case production cost simulations, we plan to run probabilistic production cost simulations over varying realizations of load, fuel prices, and potential emissions prices in order to investigate many potential futures. Resource adequacy metrics will also be calculated across a range of probabilistic conditions. Finally, benefits across 3-5 value streams besides adjusted production cost will be quantified and the overall study results summarized in a white paper and webinar presentation.

2:00 – 2:30 p.m. Proactive Planned Transmission Project
The goal of this Proactive Planned Transmission Project study is to provide quantitative technical analysis to compare the cost of a proactive, planned interconnection approach to transmission to the current approach of individual generator interconnection facilities for both historical transmission interconnections and future transmission interconnections. This study is to be executed within a stakeholder process including ISO members in order to have realistic data inputs, get feedback on methodology and process, and get ISO buy-in of results.

The study is envisioned to include the following three tasks, but these tasks require refinement regarding methodology, number of ISOs, etc:

• • • • Analysis of historical transmission builds
      • Forward-looking transmission builds
      • This effort will be executed in conjunction with ISO members and other stakeholders.

2:30 – 3:00 p.m. Macrogrid Design studies
Massive transmission expansion has been identified as a key enabler for a 100% clean electricity future in the U.S. ESIG is pursuing a strategy for evaluation of a Macrogrid, which would not only facilitate the transportation of large amounts of clean energy over longer distances, but bring much broader benefits for electric power system reliability and resiliency.

ESIG is helping to foster this macrogrid vision by developing technical workscopes for initial design and evaluation. ESIG is also planning to support future efforts related to this vision through ongoing technical advice and guidance through its industry expert membership.

*Please note: only current members of ESIG may register for this session.*