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Long Term Planning Tools

WECC conducts long-term transmission planning with a “horizon year” of 20 or more years past the first year being studied. The purpose of such a long-term view is not to try to accurately predict the shape of the network at a particular point in time, but rather to consider possible end-states of the transmission system in the horizon-year. WECC uses that information as a guide to current decision making that will have long-range effects on future network design. WECC seeks guidance throughout the long-term planning process from a broad set of stakeholders including representatives from states and provinces, utilities, agencies, non-governmental organizations, energy developers, and consumer advocates.

Study Case Development Tool (SCDT): The Study Case Development Tool will transform potential “energy future” scenarios into cases (data models) that can be analytically studied. These cases will include nodal details for each corresponding future scenario capturing load and generation profiles in addition to other decision factors encompassed within scenarios such as RPS, resource mix, load growth, etc. The SCDT will also be used to identify potential transmission paths and configurations subject to decision factors such as geospatial environmental constraints, geographic constraints, etc. The SCDT will provide the input data needed by the Network Expansion Tool (NXT) and will receive transmission capital costs from the NXT. The SCDT will be used iteratively with the NXT to find an optimal balance of new generation profiles and transmission expansion necessary to achieve a given scenario study case while minimizing capital costs.

Network Expansion Tool (NXT): The Network Expansion Tool will optimally derive physically feasible network expansions necessary to meet the load and generation requirements of each scenario study case while minimizing the net present value of capital costs. The NXT will also derive the sequencing and timing of the transmission expansions derived. The NXT receives its input data from the SCDT and feeds transmission capital costs back to the SCDT. The NXT will be used iteratively with the SCDT to find an optimal balance of new generation profiles and transmission expansion necessary to achieve a given scenario study case while minimizing capital costs.