Generation uncertainty in long range transmission planning

Summary form only given. Utilities are facing higher levels of uncertainty in their planning process than ever before. The old days of integrated resource planning, in which generation and transmission plans were coordinated, are largely gone. Long range transmission planning must now include consideration of a wide range of possible generation additions and retirements, which are outside of the control of the transmission business. This necessitates new ways to approach transmission planning practice considering the spectrum of possible future scenarios. The goal is to identify transmission reinforcement plans that provide the most performance benefit, over the broadest range of possible future conditions, providing the best economic benefit, for the least cost, at the best time. The transmission system must ultimately provide economic and secure balance between load and generation. If load growth and generation addition stay in step, the system has the potential for such operation.