Assessment of the transmission system capacity to connect new generation

In the regulated business environment in which many transmission system operators supply their services, the connection of new generation involves ever more complex analysis. The process to identify a suitable connection location and to determine the installed capacity of the new generator usually goes through several stages. Each of the stages should be tackled through activities that provide a balanced approach. This paper describes a method for the transmission system capacity assessment for connecting the new generation that can be used at the early stages to identify suitable connection locations. The method is built around several design criteria for generation connection as laid out in industry standards. The paper presents the method and discusses the fine tuning options suitable for use on existing transmission systems. System study results obtained on the England and Wales transmission system are presented to illustrate the method of implementation.