THE TRES AMIGASSUPERSTATION
Transmission Summit West
September 20, 2010
UNITING THE NATION’S ELECTRIC POWER GRID
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20th Century Electric Transmission Grid
Utility Controlled
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21st Century Electric Transmission Grid
Customer Desires &Configurations
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LARGE INTERCONNECTED ACTRANSMISSON SYSTEMS
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Common Interconnected AC System Problems
Long Distance Transmission
•Line losses
•System Voltage Stability/Levels
•Reactive Power Loading
•Steady state
•Transient Stability
•Subsynchronous Oscillations
•Latency issues (ie Spinning Reserves)
•Inductive and Capacitive limitationfactors
Interconnections
•Uncontrolled Load flowproblems and bottlenecks
–Congestion Issues
–Inter Area loop flow
–Cascading Blackouts
•Oscillation Stability
•Frequency control
•Voltage Stability
•Physical interactions betweenpower systems
Diminishing Returns with large interconnected AC Systems
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Common Interconnected AC System Problems
High Cost of Interconnections
–Reliability Costs: NERC, RC, Relaying
–N-1 criteria often creates underutilization of transmissionlines
–Complex coordinating arrangements (RTOs, IA, JOAs, etc.)
–Need for sophisticated and costly system impact studies
–Participation agreement complications with multipleimpacted entities
–Regional/Subregional perturbations/phenomena difficultand costly to analyze and manage
–Deterministic planning practices do not capture the trueeconomic value of transmission additions/upgrades
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Next Step – The Evolution to Fast Acting HVDC
•The only way to interconnect large AC power grids with differentphases is via HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current) facilities
–AC/DC/AC Stations
–Hybrid Transmission systems (AC/DC…DC/AC)
–Multipoint nodes
–Long distance DC Transmission lines
•HVDC has the ability to control the direction and magnitude of thepower flow at each node of a multipoint configuration therebyfacilitating the precise needs of the interconnection points withoutadverse impacts to the interconnecting grid
•HVDC has the flexibility not only to adapt to grids with different ACsystem real time characteristics but to also facilitate optionalancillary services to each interconnection node
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“PRESENTLY, ONLY 30% OF ALL POWERGENERATED USES POWER ELECTRONICSSOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE POINT OFGENERATION AND END USE. BY 2030, 80%OFALL ELECTRIC POWER WILL FLOWTHROUGH POWER ELECTRONICS .”
Power electronics moves beyond devices that simplyprovide increased awareness, such as Phasor measurementsystems. These devices will respond to, interface with andcontrol real time power flows.
From USDOE Office of Electric Delivery and Energy Reliability
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Benefits of Power electronics
•Increased power system reliability and security
•Increased efficiency and loading of existing transmission anddistribution infrastructure
•Huge gains in real time power flow control
•Improved voltage and frequency regulation
•Improved power system transient and dynamic stability
•More flexibility in siting transmission and generation facilities
•The distinction between consumer devices and utility deviceswill largely be eliminated electrically
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21st century smart grid technologies compared with those in use today.
Source: IBM Institute for Business Value
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Hierarchical View of the Issues facing the EuropeanTransmission System Operators (TSOs)
Single
European
Electricity Market
•Pan-European TransmissionGrid
•Load-Generation Balance
•Congestion management
•Ancillary services
•Settlement
•Balancing Mechanisms
•Variable Renewable energy Generation
•Storage
•Demand Side Management
Source: ENTSO-E: The pathway towards common European network operation
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STATUS OF GLOBALTRANSMISSION DEVELOPMENT
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China: Current HVDC National Grid Plan
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China: Current HVDC National Grid Plan
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Europe: Extended Grid Plan
•From Iceland(Northwest) toIsrael (Southeast)= 3,200 mi
•Concept of grid is25,000 miles of line
Solar Power
Wind Power
Geothermal
Hydro
Biomass
The new high-voltage network would range from the Sahara to the polar cap. The concept calls for main lines that are 40,000 kilometers long. Andparts of it already exist.
Connectionsalready in placeor planned
Vision of ABBand DLR
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Europe: Extended Grid Plan
•From Iceland(Northwest) toIsrael (Southeast)= 3,200 mi
•Concept of grid is25,000 miles of line
Solar Power
Wind Power
Geothermal
Hydro
Biomass
The new high-voltage network would range from the Sahara to the polar cap. The concept calls for main lines that are 40,000 kilometers long. Andparts of it already exist.
Connectionsalready in placeor planned
Vision of ABBand DLR
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U.S.: National Grid Concept
•Concept of DOENational RenewableEnergy Laboratoryand AmericanElectric PowerCompany
•D.C and 765 KV AClines
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The Location
Tres Amigas Is Ideally Situated in Eastern New Mexico Near theBorders of CO, OK and TX Serving as a Three-Way Interconnection ofWECC, Eastern and ERCOT
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The Location: Regional Renewable Resource Potential
Significant Regional Wind & Solar Capacity Factors in Excess of 35%
Source: NREL
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From the 2010 Transmission Summit in Sweetwater
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w/ HVDC Proposals
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The Tres Amigas SuperStation
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Tres Amigas SuperStation….Uniting the Electric Grid
