Transmission network expansion planning under an improved genetic algorithm [discussion and closure]

The authors congratulate the authors of the original paper (see ibid., Vol.18, no.3, p.1168-75, 2000) for their excellent contribution in the field of transmission expansion planning. The successful application of an improved GA (IGA) for the solution of the static transmission network expansion-planning problem is presented. In their opinion, the main contributions of this paper are the proposed and proved ideas for the IGA, related to: representation; initial population construction; crossover; and mutation mechanism. They explored these topics in the context of the dynamic transmission network expansion planning. They confirmed the importance of adequate representation of individuals that avoid invalid solutions, of an initial population based on sensitivity analysis of an initial expansion plan, and a crossover based on a decimal representation. The response of the original authors to this discussion is also included