Transmission Expansion Planning

Abstract

A critical issue in the operation of electric energy systems is the capacity of the transmission lines that enable energy flows from generation nodes to demand nodes. In this chapter, we analyze the transmission expansion planning (TEP) problem, which allows a transmission planner to identify the optimal transmission reinforcements to be carried out with the aim of facilitating energy exchange among producers and consumers, e.g., by reducing generation or load-shedding costs. With this purpose, two models are described and analyzed: first, a deterministic model that solves the TEP problem based on a future demand forecast, and second, an adaptive robust optimization (ARO) model that takes into account the influence of different sources of uncertainty, such as future demand growth and the availability of generating units in the TEP problem. These two models are formulated using a static approach in which transmission expansion plans are made at a single point in time and for a future planning horizon.