The North American electrical grid system is facing constant change, which is being accelerated with new technology, new power generation and increased load demand.
As utilities attempt to keep up with all of the changes, eventually the question arises: “How do we plan for a future of constant changes in which nearly every part of our daily lives requires reliable electricity?”
Heading into a Demanding Future
The fact is North America is going through a massive energy transition. Throughout the U.S. and Canada, legacy coal plants are being shut down or retrofitted for natural gas while at the same time, wind and solar farms are being built at an accelerating pace. In the meantime, the shift to electric vehicles is increasing with pressure from states (California) and provinces (British Columbia) that have announced the phase out of fossil fuels. This transition has taken on a momentum in and, of itself; there is no going back.
Along with this transition, we’re seeing:
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Renewable generation interconnections are growing at a faster rate than traditional synchronous generators with increasing system sizes, new blade and module designs, and controls within each type.
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Solar cells evolving with increased energy production and more efficient design, leading to larger arrays.
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Battery energy storage systems are increasing in capacity with new technology, efficiency, and controls.
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In areas where energy loads are increasing, higher voltage capacities with new controls are often needed.
These are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the changes we will see in the immediate and long-term future.
Planning with a Futurist Mindset
Transmission planners help utilities think about their transmission systems five to 10 years out. Imagine visual images of the electrical grid in 2030 – what it will look like and how it may power the world at that time. Helping utilities think that far ahead is my passion and it’s what I’ve dedicated my career to as an engineer focused on transmission planning.
Transmission planners apply a futurist mindset to the problems utilities may face to help them achieve a preferred future – that ideal vision where the utility is profitability generating and efficiently delivering reliable, affordable, environmentally friendly power to its customers.
By leveraging their experiences in working with multiple utilities of all sizes, transmission planning consultants apply their expertise to help utilities:
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See Around Corners to identify potential opportunities or risks, which can help a utility save time and money, as well as serve their customers better.
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Mitigate Risks of events such as extreme weather, earthquakes, flooding, and forest fires that could cause a cascading failure.
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Improve the environment by taking steps now to reach goals such as generating and delivering carbon-free power in the coming years and decades.
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Mitigate Violations by providing mitigation solutions for multiple violations (line rating overages) and voltages beyond the normal band. These solutions can save millions of dollars when multiple line upgrades can be solved with a well-placed transformer.
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Confirm Accuracy of project work by others and/or make recommendations for improvement.
Bridging Gaps
Helping utilities plan their transmission systems well into the future takes more than expertise or powerful modeling software. It takes being open to possible futures and asking powerful, relevant questions.
For example, while assisting a utility in Texas, we imagined a number of different scenarios, from the more conventional to the more complex. In our wide area study, we asked ourselves what would happen if the utility were to eliminate all fossil fuel-generated power and replace it completely with renewable generation. Using sophisticated modeling software, we could project what might result and compare that projection to other possible scenarios.
The Key: Trust
When a utility hires a transmission planning consultant to bring in outside expertise, there are two areas where I recommend they pay special attention.
First, is the consultant curious? Are they on top of the latest NERC/FERC requirements? Can they cite the latest research studies and what those implications will mean for a utility? Are they being innovative – conducting their own research and sharing their research with the industry? A review of a transmission planning consultant’s CV will quickly offer clues about their passion to model the future and identify solutions to meet today’s problems.
Second, can you build a trusting relationship with them? It’s through strategic partnerships that a transmission planner can help a utility move beyond reactive decisions to proactive, forward-looking solutions. Identifying, accepting and acting on change is hard. It’s only in trusted relationships that people are open to new perspectives on how to address change.
The Bottom Line: When you find the right partner and are able to build a strong level of trust with their engineers, the pay-off for a utility can be measured in thousands, if not millions, of dollars in savings. Expanding your team’s capacity can also reduce stress and allow you to stay ahead of future demands and take control of constant change with a futurist mindset.
Don Boesiger is a lead studies engineer with the Transmission and Distribution Department at Ulteig. He has more than 20 years of experience in transmission, distribution, and substation engineering plus an additional 20 years of experience as a nuclear power plant supervisor while serving in the U.S. Navy. Boesiger is an expert in computer-based models and performing power system studies on utility and industrial/commercial electrical power transmission and distribution systems.