A Modern Electrical Transmission and Distribution System

1
A Modern Electrical Transmission and Distribution
System

• Jim Markowsky
• CAETS Presentation
• Calgary, Alberta - July 2009

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The Current TD System
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Todays Challenges

• TD System must meet challenges it was not
  designed for
• A digital society which demands higher
  reliability and power quality
• Increasing number of power marketing transactions
• Increased use of renewable and distributed
  generation
• Cyber-security and terrorist attack

4
Todays Challenges

• Pressure on capital and OM spending and
  difficulty in siting new transmission lines
• U.S. RD expenditures have trended downward
• Aging workforce

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The Key Players in Todays TD System
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ISO and RTOs in North America
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North Americas Four Interconnected Regions
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Historical Trend in US Transmission Investment
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Recent Trend in Transmission Loading Relief Events
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Addressing the Problem

• Recent upward trend in investment will need to
  continue just to maintain current capabilities
  and reliabilities
• Older and outdated equipment will need to be
  replaced and new transmission lines build to
  handle the increasing load and power flows

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Addressing the Problem

• Employ new technologies to make grid more
  resilient
• New technology can do much to meet the
  challenges, but not in isolation policy and
  regulatory changes may be needed for the
  transmission system

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Modern TD System Performance Standards

• Provide reliability and power quality for the
  21st century
• Provide emergency response
• Fast restoration after a system failure
• Effective routine operations
• Asset optimization
• Effective system planning capabilities

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TD System Characteristics Required to Achieve
Performance Standards

• Accommodates all generation and storage options
• Enables wholesale power markets
• Self-healing
• Motivates and includes the customer
• Provides high power quality where needed
• Secure
• Optimizes assets and operates efficiently

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The Modern TD System
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Cost of Modernizing the TD System

• Projected Total Investment
• Duration 20 years
• Transmission 225 billion vs. 175 billion (BAU)
• Distribution 640 billion vs. 470 billion (BAU)

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Cost of Modernizing the TD System

• Incremental investment required to modernize
• Transmission 50 billion
• Distribution 170 billion

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Deploying Modern TD Systems

• Many technologies can be deployed by 2020
• Challenge is deploying technologies in a seamless
  manner
• A continent wide system with many stakeholders
  will require a broad vision to define goals

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Deploying Modern TD Systems

• Complexity suggests development of metrics to
  measure performance and societal benefits
• A national strategy may be required for
  transmission

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AEF Study TD Findings

• 1) Performance
• TD systems in the United States are not adequate
  to manage reliability, peak loads, or diverse
  power sources of power that will be needed over
  the next 20 years.

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AEF Study TD Findings

• 2) Technology
• Many Advanced TD technologies are ready for
  deployment
• Advanced equipment
• Measurements, communications, and controls
• Improved decision support technologies

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AEF Study TD Findings

• 3) Deployment
• Transmission would benefit from National plan and
  consensus
• Distribution smart meters and related
  technologies can improve efficiency and economics
  of distribution
• Both Transmission and Distribution could be
  modernized by 2030
• A concern shortage of trained personnel and
  manufacturing capability

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AEF Study TD Findings

• 4) Cost
• The costs to modernize TD is relatively modest
  relative to the investment that will be required
  simply to meet load growth and replace aging
  equipment
• Approximately 20 of the total transmission
  investment over 20 years.
• Approximately 25 of the total distribution
  investment over 20 years.

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AEF Study TD Findings

• 5) Barriers
• Technical high cost of advanced technology and
  integrating into existing system
• Investment lack of recognition of societal
  benefits in the return on investment
• Regulatory and Legislative barriers
• Cultural and Communications active public
  opposition to new transmission lines

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AEF Study TD Findings

• 6) Integrating Renewable Resources
• Intermittent renewable and distributed generation
  present a challenge to TD systems

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AEF Study TD Findings

• 7) Research and Development
• Much of the technology needed to modernize the
  grid is now available but RD can reduce costs to
  encourage more rapid deployment
• The current level of RD investment is inadequate
  to develop new technologies which may be needed
  to meet future challenges

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Thank you.