Transmission System Planning and Expansion

 

  1. Will the RTO have a “pro-active” transmission planning process, that is, an affirmative program to evaluate the need for and plan new transmission for purposes such as enhancing reliability, mitigating the exercise of market power, promoting fuel diversity in generation?  Or will the RTO planning process be similar to the existing RTA/WSCC process that is responsive to others’ transmission proposals?

 

If the RTO has a “pro-active” transmission planning process how will it determine where and what new transmission is needed to mitigate the exercise of market power?  Would such a determination be made in advance of evidence that market power is being exercised or would the RTO wait to amass information that market power is being exercised?  Who would it charge for the new transmission in this case?

 

If the “pro-active” planning process is exercised to promote fuel diversity in generation, who would be charged for the transmission upgrades?

 

  1. Will the RTO have a transmission planning staff or rely on the staffs of the transmission owners/TransConnect?

 

  1. In the execution of its planning responsibilities, will the RTO be required to consider non-transmission alternatives (e.g., load based generation, demand reduction)?

 

If a non-transmission alternative is more cost effective than new transmission, will the RTO be able to cause the lower cost alternative to be implemented?  How?

 

  1. Will the RTO have the authority to order a transmission owner to build transmission?

 

  1. Will the RTO have the authority to build transmission on its own?

 

  1. If the RTO has a “pro-active” planning process, how would it proceed with planning transmission that crosses RTO boundaries?  What process will be used to conduct “pro-active” transmission planning across RTO boundaries? 

 

  1. What if one RTO has a “pro-active” planning process and another has a reactive planning process?

 

For example, assume that the California RTO has a pro-active planning process and RTO West has a reactive planning process.  The California RTO wants to expand north to south transfer capacity along the West Coast and such expansion requires expanded transmission in Idaho.  How would the evaluation of transmission expansion proceed in this example?

 

  1. What is the relationship between RTO planning and the Western Electricity Coordinating Council planning activities?

 

Background

 

Order 2000 excerpt

 

California ISO Coordinated Planning Process

            http://www1.caiso.com/docs/2001/06/11/2001061116583410598.pdf