2026 Common Case Transmission Assumptions (CCTA) 2026CCTA... · regulatory trends. This list of...

2026 Common Case Transmission Assumptions (CCTA)

Regional Planning Coordination Group (RPCG)

June 30, 2016

155 North 400 West, Suite 200

Salt Lake City, Utah 84103-1114

RPCG 2026 Common Case Transmission Assumptions Report ii

W E S T E R N E L E C T R I C I T Y C O O R D I N A T I N G C O U N C I L

Overview

The Regional Planning Coordination Group (RPCG) assists the Transmission Expansion Planning Policy Committee (TEPPC) process by providing a list of "regionally significant” transmission projects that have a “high expectation of being in service” in a 10-year timeframe, given current socio-economic and regulatory trends. This list of projects serves as a key foundational input assumption for TEPPC’s 10-year Common Case transmission topology. The RPCG assisted in the development of the Western Electricity Coordinating Council’s (WECC) 10-Year Regional Transmission Plans by providing this list in 2010, 2012, and 2014. TEPPC is currently developing the next 10-year Common Case dataset (2016-2026), also called as the 2026 Common Case. This list of transmission assumptions is therefore called the 2026 Common Case Transmission Assumptions (CCTA). The purpose, process and projects in the CCTA are presented in this report.

The CCTA is not the WECC Interconnection-wide Transmission Plan, nor does it indicate that WECC members or stakeholders support or endorse any of the transmission projects in the CCTA. The CCTA is comparable to other assumptions required for transmission planning studies such as predictions on load growth and generator installations. When conducting transmission planning studies, it is sometimes necessary to identify and include transmission projects that are expected to be in service in the study timeframe. Results from a planning study would be unrealistic if they included changes in predicted load and generation, but failed to include any highly-expected incremental transmission, or exclude transmission that cannot pass a highly-expected threshold. It must be recognized that implementation of the CCTA selection process will continue to require broad stakeholder consultation due to some criteria requiring subjective judgment that only a broad-stakeholder process can provide.

The CCTA projects were selected using a transparent, repeatable, consistent and well-documented process. The meetings and webinars where the RPCG developed the CCTA selection process were public and open to all TEPPC stakeholders. The process relied on public data and predefined criteria that were used to guide the selection of projects for inclusion in the CCTA. Project information, project development status indicators, selection criteria, and any exceptions to the established process are documented in this report.

The WECC Transmission Project Information Portal (PIP) contains publically available project information for nearly 98 projects currently under development in the Western Interconnection (Appendix C – WECC Project Information Portal). The RPCG reviewed all of these projects as part of the CCTA selection process. In certain cases project sponsors provided information directly to the RPCG. The 2026 CCTA selection process resulted in the inclusion of 161 transmission projects to be on the list. Of these 16 projects, three are under construction as of December 21, 2015.

1 The original TEPPC-approved CCTA list included 23 projects. In lieu of new information provided and a recommendation by the project sponsor, the RPCG removed the Walla Walla-to-McNary (Energy Gateway Segment A) project from the CCTA list.

https://www.wecc.biz/TransmissionExpansionPlanning/Pages/Project-Information-Portal2.aspx

RPCG 2026 Common Case Transmission Assumptions Report iii


RPCG 2026 Common Case Transmission Assumptions Report iv


Table of Contents

Overview .......................................................................................................................................... ii

Background ....................................................................................................................................... 1

Common Case Transmission Assumptions (CCTA) .............................................................................. 2

Purpose of the CCTA ............................................................................................................................... 2

Development of the 2026 CCTA ............................................................................................................. 3

The CCTA Process ................................................................................................................................ 3

Process summary: ............................................................................................................................. 8

2026 CCTA Projects ................................................................................................................................. 8

1. Under Construction (Criterion 2) .............................................................................................. 8

2. Not under construction, but met CCTA selection Criterion 3, Criterion 4, and Criterion 5. .... 9

CCTA Process Exceptions ...................................................................................................................... 14

Categorization of Projects ............................................................................................................... 15

APPENDICES .................................................................................................................................... 16

Appendix A – Outreach Activities ......................................................................................................... 16

Appendix B – Letter to Project Sponsors and Expanded Outreach ...................................................... 16

Original Letter ................................................................................................................................... 16

WECC Transmission Project Information Portal Questionnaire ....................................................... 19

Appendix C – WECC Project Information Portal ................................................................................... 28

Appendix D - Comparison to the 204 CCTA .......................................................................................... 49

New Projects within the Project Information Portal ........................................................................ 49

2024 CCTA Projects in service: .......................................................................................................... 49

2022 CCTA Projects cancelled, suspended, or on hold: ................................................................... 49

Glossary ......................................................................................................................................... 50

Acknowledgements......................................................................................................................... 53

RPCG 2026 Common Case Transmission Assumptions Report 1


Background

Multiple utilities own and operate the transmission system that makes up the Western Interconnection. Because changes to the transmission system in one area can impact performance and reliability of the system in another utilities’ territory, a regional approach is required when studying the effect of major additions or changes. One of the responsibilities of the RPCG is to assist in coordinating regional transmission plans for the Western Interconnection.

The RPCG is an ad hoc committee as described in its charter. Any interested party may participate in RPCG activities. The RPCG members are listed below and shown in the map to the right.

• Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) • British Columbia Coordinated Planning Group

(BCCPG) • ColumbiaGrid • California Independent System Operator (CAISO) • California Transmission Planning Group (CTPG) • Colorado Coordinated Planning Group (CCPG) • Northern Tier Transmission Group (NTTG) • Sierra Subregional Planning Group (SIERRA) • Southwest Area Transmission (SWAT)

The Transmission Expansion Planning Policy Committee (TEPPC) guides the Common Case development process that is used to assess Western Interconnection-wide resource adequacy and transmission utilization. The RPCG represents a set of these stakeholders as represented above and provides TEPPC with transmission study assumptions and related technical guidance as necessary.

In 2014, the RPCG provided a list of CCTAs to TEPPC by submitting a list of transmission projects that were assumed to be in service for the TEPPC 2024 Common Case and 2034 Reference Case. The 2024 Common Case was the starting case for all production cost studies used to inform the 2015 Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) Interconnection-wide Transmission Plan. The 2034 Reference Case was the starting case for all capital expansion studies used to inform the 2015 WECC Interconnection-wide Transmission Plan.

TEPPC is currently constructing a 2026 Common Case to be used as the starting point for studies run in the TEPPC 2016 and 2017 Study Programs. The creation of the 2026 Common Case requires that the RPCG provide an updated CCTA topology list to TEPPC. This report documents the purpose, process and resultant list of projects submitted to TEPPC for inclusion in the 2026 Common Case.



Common Case Transmission Assumptions (CCTA)

In response to stakeholder comments, the RPCG’s effort to identify transmission projects that have a high expectation of being in service in the approaching 10-year timeframe resulted in the development of a transparent, repeatable and consistently applied process. During this robust process, RPCG membership sought greater stakeholder input and also turned to the project sponsors to submit project information to the WECC Transmission Project Information Portal (PIP).

Purpose of the CCTA

Electric transmission infrastructure, loads and generation resources must be accurately represented when conducting transmission planning studies. Generation, load and transmission change over time, and TEPPC has a set of established tools, processes and resources to help estimate these changes. The RPCG provides TEPPC with a list of regionally significant transmission projects that have a high expectation of being in service in the next 10 years. The CCTA relation to other WECC 10-year study inputs is shown in the next diagram.



If TEPPC and the RPCG did not include projects that have a high expectation of being in service during the appropriate timeframe, results from forward-looking planning studies would be skewed. Generation and load levels typically increase due to population and economic growth. By failing to include expected incremental transmission, study results would report unrealistic amounts of congestion. However, including all potential transmission projects has the opposite, yet still undesirable, effect. By including a set of expected incremental transmission projects, along with predictions on changes in load and generation, an accurate representation of the future Western Interconnection is achieved in TEPPC 10-year studies.

TEPPC can add transmission facilities to mitigate congestion and integrate new resources as necessary. The inclusion of a particular project in the CCTA does not preclude TEPPC from removing the project from its transmission studies. Furthermore, the CCTA does not replace or impose changes on individual SPG transmission planning processes and plans.

Development of the 2026 CCTA

Similar to predictions on load growth and generator installations, the CCTA is one of many assumptions used as input into TEPPC planning studies. The CCTA is not the plan, nor does it indicate that WECC members or stakeholders support or endorse any of the transmission projects in the CCTA. The following section is a description of how the 2026 CCTA projects were selected.

The CCTA Process

Development of the 2026 CCTA process used project-sponsor-supplied information, as submitted to the PIP. The RPCG attempted to make the CCTA process transparent, repeatable and publicly available. The RPCG realized that specific project information was not only important to the CCTA process, but for other planning processes and policy. The projects and project sponsors were identified by two main methods: 1) Regional Planning Group (RPG) transmission plans; or 2) previous entry into the PIP. Once project sponsors updated their project information in the PIP, the RPCG reviewed the information and assessed the regional significance and development status of each project using a number of indicators. There were several benefits to using the PIP, including: availability of public information; all information is stored in one location; and the information can be logically filtered and sorted based on an established criteria. The latter benefit allowed the CCTA process to be repeatable. Also, throughout the process, all of these benefits were requested by stakeholders. The overall process can be seen in Figure 1.



Figure 1: CCTA Process Diagram

The PIP questions were similar to the ones used in the 2026 process. Project development indicators were used by the RPCG as a guide for selecting the 2026 CCTA. Predetermined criteria were established and each project was evaluated against the criteria using a consistent set of development indicators. The RPCG recognized that strict and rigid criteria for determining what projects should be in the CCTA are neither achievable nor desirable. Instead it used publicly available information in the PIP to assess the development status of projects. The list of fields that project sponsors could respond to is available in Appendix B – Letter to Project Sponsors. As such, there were some instances where exceptions were made and projects that met the original developmental criteria were excluded from the 2026 CCTA. The reasons behind these exceptions are documented in this report.

Because information was provided directly by project sponsors, only minimal effort was made to verify the accuracy of the submissions. The RPCG did; however, contact project sponsors when obvious inconsistencies arose (such as “under construction” was identified but conflicted with “permitting not started”) to clarify responses. In addition, projects in the PIP that had incomplete information were contacted to obtain their responses.

The CCTA projects that have successfully been approved by the CCTA selection process are implemented into the power flow case. Each CCTA project is gathered by WECC through correspondence with the Area Coordinator, Transmission Planner, or Project Sponsor. The CCTA project information is usually collected in “.epcl” file format, so that the project can easily be read into the power flow software. Other project formats are acceptable if need be to incorporate them into the power flow case. On rare occasion, generic data is used if original project files cannot be received. Once the project file has been received by WECC, it is read into the power flow case and solved to make sure the power flow case is still stable.

Projects listed in the PIP, or those submitted for RPCG consideration, were evaluated for inclusion in the 2026 CCTA using the process and criteria shown in Figure 2.

Project Screening and Selection Process

2026 Common Case Transmission Assumptions

Regional significance

Project development

indicators

RPCG 10-year plans

WECC Project Information Portal (PIP)

2026 CCTA

Information Gathering Process



Figure 2: 2026 CCTA Selection Process Flow Chart

The 2026 CCTA selection process criteria are explained in more detail below.

Criterion 1: Regional Significance

A project must meet one of the following voltage levels in order to be of regional significance2 and be further considered in the CCTA selection process:

1. Projects that are 500 kV and above; or 2. Projects at 345 kV, unless they are not a backbone3 facility; or 3. Projects above 200 kV that are backbone facilities.

2 Projects of lower voltage are modeled by WECC members in the power flow base case assembled and vetted by the Technical Studies Subcommittee (TSS). 3 Backbone transmissions are those facilities that provide network connectivity that are 345 kV or above for most of the Western Interconnection, but in certain western regions that voltage may only be 230 kV.



If a project met the regionally significant requirement, then it moved on to Criterion 2, Criterion 3, Criterion 4, and Criterion 5 for further evaluation.

Criterion 2: Construction Status

A project that is currently under construction4 and met Criterion 1 is automatically included in the CCTA list. A project that meets Criterion 1, but is not currently under construction, is further considered in Criterion 3, Criterion 4, and Criterion 5.

Criterion 3: Financial Indicators

The RPCG distilled this list of questions down to six main financial indicators used to evaluate the project in Criterion 3.

1. Does the project have a commitment for financing to construct the project? 2. Does the project have executed transmission service agreements that commit the project

developer to construct the project? 3. Is the project included in an Integrated Resource Plan (IRP)?5 4. Does the project have regulatory approval for cost recovery?6 5. If there is generation associated with the project (i.e., contracted), has the generation project

been identified in a Load-Serving Entity procurement process and/or have contracts for the generation been signed?

6. Does the project have executed participation contractions with other parties that commit the parties to construct the project?

To be considered eligible for inclusion in the CCTA, there must have been at least one affirmative response (“yes”) to any of the preceding financial indicators.

Criterion 4: Implementation Status Indicators

The RPCG distilled this list of questions down to two key implementation indicators used to evaluate the project in Criterion 4.

1. Does the project require a federal Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and/or similar state environmental or siting process?

4 “Under construction” is defined as physically building the facility. 5 Due to differences between state and regional requirements for IRP planning, this criterion is only applicable where transmission is included in the IRP process. For regions or states where transmission is not included in the IRP process, this criterion is not applicable and therefore not used. In Colorado, for example, specific transmission lines are not identified in IRPs, making this criterion not applicable. Alternatively, in Nevada, specific transmission lines are acknowledged through an IRP. Although this is not an official approval of the project, it does serve as a strong indicator that the project will be built. This criterion was not applied uniformly across all projects to accommodate the unique state and regional approval processes 6 Cost recovery is separate from cost allocation and varies depending on the jurisdiction of the project developer.



2. If the project does not require a federal EIS and/or similar state, environmental or siting processes, does the project require any county/town-level environmental permitting?

If a project requires a federal EIS, similar state environmental siting, and/or county/town level environmental permitting it must have the following completed.

1. Filed the required applications. 2. Applications must have been accepted or deemed completed. 3. Formally noticed public meetings (or equivalent) must be completed.

Once the project has met those requirements, the project’s current status of required federal EIS, similar state environmental siting, and/or county/town-level environmental permitting threshold is reviewed. The status indicators available for selection in the PIP are listed below:

• Not applicable • Not started • Scoping started • Draft started (threshold for upgrade projects) • Draft complete (threshold for new projects) • Final complete • Record of decision or order received

For new projects, the federal EIS, similar state environmental siting, and/or county/town-level environmental permitting status threshold for inclusion is set at the draft complete or higher stage. For upgrade projects, the federal EIS, similar state environmental siting, and/or county/town-level environmental permitting status threshold is set at the draft started or higher stage. Once these thresholds are met, the project moves to Criterion 5. Projects that do not require a federal EIS, similar state environmental siting, and/or county/town-level environmental permitting move to Criterion 5.

Criterion 5: Project Dependency

The RPCG distilled this list of questions down to two main project dependency questions used to evaluate the project in Criterion 5.

1. Is this project dependent on another transmission project to be completed and used for its intended purpose(s)?

2. If so, did the dependent project pass the CCTA criteria?

To be considered eligible for inclusion in the CCTA, there must be an affirmative response (“Yes”) to the second preceding project dependency questions if the project is dependent upon another transmission project to be completed. Projects that are not dependent on another transmission project to be completed and have met Criteria 1, 3, and 4 will be eligible for inclusion in the CCTA.



Process summary:

To summarize, all CCTA-eligible projects must pass Criterion 1 (Regional Significance). Projects meeting Criterion 1 that were under construction (Criterion 2) were included as CCTA projects. Those projects passing Criterion 1 and not under construction had to pass Criterion 3 (Financial Indicators), Criterion 4 (Implementation Status Indicators), and Criterion 5 (Project Dependency) to be included in the CCTA. As a final step, all projects in the CCTA list underwent a final review by the RPCG, which reserved the right to exclude projects on an individual basis because selecting projects using rigid criteria is neither achievable nor desirable. All dialogue pertaining to any exclusion, if applicable, was discussed in open meetings with stakeholders and sponsors of the projects.

2026 CCTA Projects

By making use of the CCTA selection process, as introduced above, there are two types of projects that make up the CCTA.

1. Projects that are of regional significance and under construction. 2. Projects that are of regional significance and not under construction, but have developmental

indicators sufficient enough to meet the predefined criteria designed to indicate that there is a high expectation that the project will be in service in the 10-year timeframe (i.e., met Criterion 3, Criterion 4 and Criterion 5).

The following sets of projects are of regional significance (Criterion 1) and have a high expectation of being in service by 2026. These lists, when combined, make up the 2026 CCTA.

*Note: Projects that are complete and in-service are assumed to be included in the powerflow topology.

1. Under Construction (Criterion 2) • Central Ferry – Lower Monumental [Completed and in-service] • Delaney-Palo Verde 500-kV Line • Delaney-Sun Valley 500-kV Line

• Desert Basin - Pinal Central [Completed and in-service] • Devers - Colorado River 500-kV (DCR) Transmission Line Project [Completed and in-

service] • Energy Gateway: (Sigurd - Red Butte 345-kV line) [Completed and in-service] • Hassayampa - North Gila 500-kV #2 line [Completed and in-service] • Interior to Lower Mainland Transmission (ILM) Project [Completed and in-service] • Pinal Central-Tortolita [Completed and in-service] • Pinal West-Pinal Central-Browning (SEV) [Completed and in-service] • West of McNary Reinforcement Project Group 2 (Big Eddy - Knight)



2. Not under construction, but met CCTA selection Criterion 3, Criterion 4, and Criterion 5.

Project Name

Criterion 1: Regional

Significance

Criterion 3: Financial

Indicators


Criterion 5: Dependency

Regionally Significant?

Financial Indicator(s)

Criterion Met

Project requires federal EIS and / or similar state

environmental or siting process?

Current status

Dependent on another project?

Dependent project pass

criteria?

Boardman-Hemingway 500 kV

(B2H) Yes Project has been

included in an IRP Yes

Final EIS is complete, Bureau

of Land Management (BLM) issued

Record of Decision (ROD)

No N/A

Delaney - Colorado River 500-kV Transmission

Project (Ten West Link)

Yes

Financial commitments to

project. California ISO Board approved project; solicitation process completed;

under pre-development

No N/A No N/A



Project Name


Significance


Indicators





Criterion Met



Current status



criteria?

Gateway South Project – Segment

F (Aeolus-Mona 500 kV)

Yes Project has been included in an IRP Yes

Public review of draft EIS March

2014. Final EIS and ROD expected by

end of 2015.

Yes Yes

Gateway West Transmission

Project Segment D (Bridger – Populus)


BLM issued ROD November 2013

Yes Yes


Project Segment D (Windstar to Jim

Bridger)

Yes Project has been included in an IRP

Yes

BLM issued ROD November 2013

Yes

Yes



Project Name


Significance


Indicators





Criterion Met



Current status



criteria?


Project Segment E (Midpoint –

Hemingway )


BLM deferred ROD decision

November 2013. Working on

supplemental EI Statement process.

Yes Yes


Project Segment E (Populus – Midpoint)

Yes Project has been included in an IRP Yes BLM issued ROD

November 2013 Yes Yes


Project Segment E (Populus – Cedar Hill - Hemingway)


BLM deferred ROD decision

November 2013. Working on

supplemental EI Statement process.

Yes Yes



Project Name


Significance


Indicators





Criterion Met



Current status



criteria?

Harry Allen - Eldorado 500-kV

Transmission Project (Centennial

II: Harry Allen - Eldorado)

Yes

No N/A No N/A

I-5 Corridor Reinforcement Project (Castle

Rock - Troutdale)

Yes

Yes Final EIS to be

published end of 2015

No N/A

Morgan-Sun Valley 500-kV Line Yes

Yes

Final EIS is complete, BLM

issued ROD Yes Yes



Project Name


Significance


Indicators





Criterion Met



Current status



criteria?

Pawnee-Daniels Park Yes

Majority of project lies within existing

rights-of-way (ROW). Xcel has

over-ride authority for non-existing

ROWs.

Majority of project lies within existing rights-of-way. Xcel

has over-ride authority for non-

existing ROWs.

No N/A

Wallula to McNary 230 kV (Energy

Gateway Segment A)

Yes Project has been included in an IRP Yes Final complete No N/A



CCTA Process Exceptions

All CCTA projects were selected based on a consistent process as described in “CCTA Selection Process.” There were several projects that met the initial screening criteria based on responses included in the PIP, but were excluded from the CCTA list based on follow-up discussion with the project sponsor or further review of the information submitted to the PIP. There were also several projects that did not meet the initial screening, but based on follow-up discussion and a consensus vote from the RPCG, were included in the CCTA. These projects and the associated reasons for being excluded or included as viewed by the RPCG are listed in the following table. All projects that were not selected as CCTA projects and remain under development will be reevaluated for future study cycles according to the selection criteria established at that time.

PROJECT REASON FOR INCLUSION OR EXCLUSION

Path 8 Upgrade/Colstrip Transmission Upgrade

Exclusion: Project presently on hold. Project contacts recommend study in 2026 as there is still a need for this upgrade. Project contacts confirm project is on hold. BPA and NTTG are both no longer including this in their plans. RPCG reached consensus to exclude this project.

Pawnee-Daniels Park Inclusion: Initially excluded in the 2026 CCTA based on criteria. Further review indicated that Xcel has existing ROWs, as well as over-ride authority for non-existing ROWs. RPCG reached consensus to include this project.

Southline Transmission Project (Afton-Apache)

Exclusion: Project sponsor notes that this project should not be included in WECC planning at this time.

Southline Transmission Project (Apache-Saguaro)

Exclusion: Project sponsor notes that this project should not be included in WECC planning at this time.

Talega-Escondido / Valley-Serrano 500-kV Interconnect

Exclusion: Initially included in the 2026 CCTA based on criteria. Further review with RPCG members and CAISO planning indicated it should not be included. RPCG reached consensus to exclude this project.

Tres Amigas Exclusion: Initially included in the 2026 CCTA based on criteria. Further review and discussion raised questions of level of financial commitment. RPCG reached consensus to exclude this project.



Categorization of Projects

As part of the PIP survey, project sponsors were asked to identify the transmission projects’ primary and secondary purpose. Stakeholders have asked for a greater understanding as to why transmission projects are proposed. As part of the data gathering, it was suggested the RPCG could not only update the transmission projects, but answer stakeholder questions related to transmission development. This information has been solicited to help develop a high-level understanding related to what is driving the industry to expand the transmission system. The RPCG, with stakeholder involvement, identified five primary reasons to develop transmission projects. All of the CCTA projects listed a specific “primary purpose” of the project. A general summary of this information, as well as a description of the primary purpose reasons, are presented in Figure 3.

Figure 3: Primary Purpose of CCTA Projects

Project sponsors supplied their primary and secondary reasons for transmission development. The RPCG did not investigate the veracity of the submissions. Project sponsor feedback to the PIP questions related to the primary and secondary purpose of the project was generally that many projects meet several categories and it is often difficult to choose just one purpose for a project.

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Economic driven Reliability driven Tarrif driven

Num

ber o

f Pro

ject

s

Primary Purpose of RPCG CCTA Projects as Reported by Project Developers

(16 Total Projects in List)



APPENDICES

Appendix A – Outreach Activities

The following is a list of RPCG-sponsored meetings and links to their respective WECC meeting pages, which help document the RPCG’s outreach activities. The purpose of these meetings was to engage and encourage comments from interested parties related to the process of identifying the 2026 CCTA.

RPCG Webinar Meeting April 28, 2015 (Overall process)

RPCG Webinar Meeting June 30, 2015 (Discussion of criteria)

RPCG Webinar Meeting November 13, 2015 (Presentation of results)

TEPPC Meeting (SLC) Feb 2-4, 2016 (2026 CCTA review and support)

Appendix B – Letter to Project Sponsors and Expanded Outreach

Below is the original letter and reminder notice sent to project sponsors to update the PIP. New to the 2026 CCTA Process, this letter also went out to the Studies Work Group, Technical Studies Subcommittee, and System Review Work Group to attempt to capture a larger sample of projects.

Original Letter

MEMO

Date: August 20th, 2015

To: Regional Planning Coordination Group

Studies Work Group

Technical Studies Subcommittee

System Review Work Group

Subject: Data Request for Common Case Transmission Assumptions – CCTA 2026

The WECC System Adequacy Planning (SAP) Department (formerly Transmission Expansion Planning team) has initiated its biennial effort to collect up-to-date information regarding “new transmission projects and/or any transmission upgrades” throughout the Western Interconnection which are expected to be in-service in the 10-year time horizon (2016-2026). Please review the information below and respond to this request by September 15, 2015.

http://www.wecc.biz/committees/BOD/TEPPC/130226/default.aspx?InstanceID=1

http://www.wecc.biz/committees/BOD/TEPPC/131107/default.aspx?InstanceID=1



WECC Staff are reaching out to transmission planners (TPs), transmission owners (TOs), transmission project sponsors and others to ensure complete and accurate information is available for our next planning cycle. The information requested herein will be shared with the Regional Planning Coordination Group (RPCG) as the RPCG members move forward to gather information to develop and improve transmission assumptions for use in the next Common Case data set.

You are receiving this message because you were identified as part of WECC’s targeted outreach audience. Your responses will allow the RPCG to assist TEPPC in determining if your project will be included in the next Common Case as a base input assumption (assumed to be in-service in 2026) and to better assess how your project impacts various TEPPC study cases.

For your convenience, the attached spreadsheet will enable you to send us any new data on projects as well as updated information for existing transmission projects. The “Project Information Portal Data” tab contains WECC’s current information for all known transmission projects. If you have updates to an existing transmission project, please return the form with relevant edits to the Project Information Portal Data tab. If you have information for new transmission projects, please enter it on the “Information Solicitation Form” tab.

If you would like your transmission project to be visible on the WECC Project Information Portal (https://www.wecc.biz/TransmissionExpansionPlanning/Pages/Project-Information-Portal2.aspx), please send a Google .KML file with an approximate line route to Colby Johnson, Associate Staff Engineer at [email protected].

If you have any questions about the CCTA process, please feel free to contact WECC Staff- Vijay Satyal, Senior Energy Policy Analyst at [email protected]. This transmission project information solicitation process is critical to TEPPC’s mission. WECC would greatly appreciate your participation in this voluntary public process and your response by September 15, 2015.

Thank you in advance for your response.


1 5 5 N o r t h 4 0 0 W e s t , S u i t e 2 0 0

S a l t L a k e C i t y , U t a h 8 4 1 0 3 - 1 1 1 4



mailto:[email protected]




Vijay A Satyal PhD

Sr. Energy Policy Analyst

Western Electricity Coordinating Council

work: 801-883-6847

email: [email protected]




WECC Transmission Project Information Portal Questionnaire

New/Modified Question Answers

Project Name

Project Type New

Upgrade

Project Purpose

Sponsoring Organization(s)

Other Project Participant(s)

The project line voltage(s): Select all that apply

<200-kV AC

200-300-kV AC

300-450-kV AC

>450-kV AC

>450-kV DC

≥450-kV DC

Estimated Transfer Capability/Rating (MW)

Estimated In-Service Date

Project Map URL:

Project Website URL:

Status in Most Recent RPG Plan

Conceptual

Planned

Under Construction

Which RPGs does the project terminate in (check all that apply)?

AESO

BCPPG

CAISO

CCPG

CG

CTPG

NTTG

SIERRA

SWAT




Which RPG planning process is the project participating in (check all that apply)?

AESO

BCPPG

CAISO

CCPG

CG

CTPG

NTTG

SIERRA

SWAT

NONE

Has the project been included in an approved regional plan?

CAISO

AESO

ColumbiaGrid

Other (fill in blank?)

Has the project been studied in a regional or Interconnection-wide planning forum (check all that apply)?

AESO

BCPPG

CAISO

CCPG

CG

CTPG

NTTG

SIERRA

SWAT

TEPPC

NONE

Has the project been studied using a power flow analysis program?

Yes

No

In what study year (s) has the project been studied?

Has the project been analyzed using a production cost modeling tool?

Yes

No

What phase of the WECC Path Rating process is the project in?

a. Phase 0 b. Phase 1 c. Phase 2 d. Phase 3 e. Phase 3 Complete f. The project has not entered the WECC

path rating process




Have alternative routes and solutions been investigated?

Yes

No

Have the transmission interconnection points been determined?

Yes

No

Point of Origin

Point of Termination

Intermediate Points of Interconnection

General Route

Length in Miles

Conductor Size (MW)

Percent Compensation

Estimated Cost

Does the project connect with a system(s) owned by others?

Yes

No

Not applicable

Has the project submitted the application for interconnection?

Yes

No




If yes, does the project have interconnection agreements?

If yes, describe the nature of the interconnection agreements.

Although there are many reasons to propose a transmission project, what is the primary purpose for the transmission project?

Economic driven – Proposed to deliver lower cost resources or to relieve congestion.

Reliability driven – Proposed to provide reliable service to network load.

Tariff driven – Proposed to meet Open Access Transmission Tariff obligations such as point-to-point service or committed firm transmission service.

Policy driven – Proposed due to a policy or statutory requirement, directive, or goal.

For what other purposes is the project being proposed? (check all that apply)

Economic driven – Proposed to deliver lower cost resources or to relieve congestion.

Reliability driven – Proposed to provide reliable service to network load.

Tariff driven – Proposed to meet Open Access Transmission Tariff obligations such as point-to-point service or committed firm transmission service.

Policy driven – Proposed due to a policy or statutory requirement, directive, or goal.

The project is being used to fulfill a policy requirement. (CAISO only)

Yes

No

Not Applicable

The project is being used to fulfill a policy directive. (outside of CAISO)

Yes

No

Not Applicable




If yes, to either of the questions above, describe the requirement/directive and how the project fulfills it.

Is this project dependent on another transmission project to be completed and used for its intended purpose(s)?

Yes

No

If yes, list the dependent project(s).

Is the project currently under construction (i.e., steel in the ground)?

Yes

No

Has major equipment (e.g., transformers, towers, wire) been ordered for the project?

Yes

No

If yes, please describe

If yes, provide the date.

Estimated Construction Schedule

Does the project have a commitment for financing to construct the project?

Yes

No

If yes, describe the nature of the financing and construction commitments.

For projects with multiple sponsors, does the project have executed participation contracts that commit the parties to construct the project?

Yes

No

Not applicable

If yes, provide the date of contract execution.




If yes, provide the percentage of the total project cost that has an executed contract.

Has the project been included in an integrated resource plan (IRP)?

Yes

No

Not applicable

If yes, provide the date of the IRP and an electronic link, if available.

If the IRP has been reviewed by state regulators, provide a brief description of the status and/or results of that review.

If the IRP has been approved or acknowledged by state regulators, provide electronic links to the relevant orders.

Does the project have right-of-way (ROW) contracts with landowners?

Yes

No

If yes, what is the percentage or line mileage of ROW obtained?

Have appropriate regulatory agencies approved cost recovery?

Yes

No

If yes, provide the date.

If yes, what agency provided the approval?




Does the project have executed transmission service agreements that commit the project developer to construct the project?

Yes No

If yes, provide the date of contract execution.

If yes, provide percentage of line capacity under agreement.

If there is generation associated with the project (i.e., contracted), has the generation project been identified in a Load-Serving Entity procurement process and/or have contracts for the generation been signed?

Yes

No

Not Applicable

Does the project have executed participation contracts with other parties that commit the parties to construct the project?

Yes

No

Does the project require federal EIS and/or similar state environmental or siting process?

Yes

No

Has (have) the application(s) been filed? Yes

No

Has (have) the application(s) been accepted or deemed complete?

Yes

No

Have formally noticed public meetings (or equivalent) been completed?

Yes

No

Current status of federal EIS and/or equivalent state environmental process

a. Not applicable b. Not started c. Scoping started d. Draft started e. Draft complete f. Final complete g. Record of decision or order received




Have major federal and/or state environmental permits been issued?

Yes

No

If you responded "No" and the project does not require federal EIS and/or similar state or environmental or siting process, please complete the following questions:

Does the project require any county/town level environmental permitting?

Yes

No

Has the application been filed? Yes

No

Has the application been accepted or deemed complete?

Yes

No

Have formally noticed public meetings (or equivalent) been completed?

Yes

No

Current status of county/town level environmental permitting?

a. Not applicable b. Not started c. Scoping started d. Draft started e. Draft complete f. Final complete g. Record of decision or order received

Have county/town level permits been issued? Yes

No

Provide any further information or detail about the project for consideration in WECC's Regional Transmission Expansion Planning (RTEP) process.

Project Contact Name

Project Contact Email

Project Contact Street Address

Project Contact City




Project Contact Country

Project Contact State/Province

Project Contact Zip

Project Contact Phone Number

Project Contact Name (2)

Project Contact Email (2)

Project Contact Street Address (2)

Project Contact City (2)

Project Contact Country (2)

Project Contact State/Province (2)

Project Contact Zip (2)

Project Contact Phone Number (2)

Project Status Cancelled

Completed

Open

Planned

Suspended

Date of Last Update



Appendix C – WECC Project Information Portal

The evaluation of projects in the PIP was performed on projects and project information as of 12/21/2015. The table below presents some basic information for 99 projects in the PIP evaluated on the CCTA process. All information in the PIP is located on the WECC website.

Project Name Sponsoring Organization(s)

Project line voltage(s)


Primary Purpose

Currently Under Construction?

Project Status

2022 CCTA?

2024 CCTA?

Abel-Ball Salt River Project 200-300-kV AC

4/15/2020 Reliability driven

No Open

Bighorn-Eldorado NV Energy >450-kV AC 12/31/2024 Policy driven

No Open

Boardman-Hemingway 500 kV (B2H)

Idaho Power Company

>450-kV AC 6/1/2020 Reliability driven

No Open Yes Yes

Canada – Northern California Transmission Project – Avista Corporation 500/230-kV AC Interconnection

Avista Corporation 200-300-kV AC;#>450-kV AC

1/1/2015 No Cancelled

https://www.wecc.biz/Pages/home.aspx






Primary Purpose


Project Status

2022 CCTA?

2024 CCTA?

Canada/Pacific Northwest-Northern California

BC Hydro >450-kV AC;#>450-kV DC

1/1/2021 Economic driven

No Cancelled

Cascade Crossing

Portland General Electric

>450-kV AC 1/1/2023 Tariff driven

No Cancelled Yes

Cedar Mountain Loop-in of Moenkopi-Yavapai 500-kV Line

Arizona Public Service Company


Yes Completed

Centennial II (Amargosa-Northwest)

NV Energy >450-kV AC 12/31/2024 Policy driven

No Open

Centennial II (Harry Allen - Eldorado)

NV Energy >450-kV AC 12/31/2024 Economic driven

No Open

Centennial II (Northwest - Harry Allen)


No Open






Primary Purpose


Project Status

2022 CCTA?

2024 CCTA?

Centennial West Clean Line

Clean Line Energy Partners LLC

≥450-kV DC 12/31/2020 Economic driven

No Open

Central Ferry - Lower Monumental (Little Goose Area Reinforcement)

BPA >450-kV AC 12/31/2015 Tariff driven

No Open Yes Yes

Chinook TransCanada Energy ≥450-kV DC 9/30/2021 Economic driven

No Open

Delaney-Palo Verde 500-kV Line


>450-kV AC 5/1/2016 Economic driven

Yes Open Yes Yes

Delaney-Sun Valley 500-kV Line



Yes Open Yes Yes

Desert Basin - Pinal Central

Salt River Project 200-300-kV AC


Yes Open Yes

Devers - Colorado River 500-kV (DCR) Transmission Line Project

SCE >450-kV AC 1/31/2014 Policy driven

Yes Open Yes Yes






Primary Purpose


Project Status

2022 CCTA?

2024 CCTA?

ECO 500/230/138-kV Substation

San Diego Gas & Electric

<200-kV AC;#200-300-kV AC;#>450-kV AC

12/31/2014 Policy driven

Yes Open

Gateway Central Project – Mona to Oquirrh 500 kV (Energy Gateway Segment C)

PacifiCorp >450-kV AC 5/31/2013 Tariff driven

Yes Completed Yes

Gateway Central Project – Populus to Terminal 345 kV (Energy Gateway Segment B)

PacifiCorp 300-450-kV AC


Yes Completed

Gateway Central Transmission Project Segment G (Sigurd - Red Butte 345-kV Line)



Yes Open Yes Yes






Primary Purpose


Project Status

2022 CCTA?

2024 CCTA?

Gateway South Project – Segment #1 (Mona-Crystal 500 kV)

PacifiCorp >450-kV AC 12/31/2050 No Cancelled

Gateway South Project – Segment F (Aeolus-Mona 500 kV)

PacifiCorp >450-kV AC 12/31/2022 Reliability driven

No Open Yes Yes

Gateway West Transmission Project Segment D – Jim Bridger to Southeast Idaho (Bridger – Populus single circuit 500 kV)

PacifiCorp and Idaho Power


No Open Yes Yes

Gateway West Transmission Project Segment D (Windstar to Jim Bridger 230 kV, 500 kV)

PacifiCorp <200-kV AC;#>450-kV AC


No Open Yes Yes






Primary Purpose


Project Status

2022 CCTA?

2024 CCTA?

Gateway West Transmission Project Segment E – South to Southwest Idaho (Midpoint – Hemingway 500 kV)



No Open Yes Yes

Gateway West Transmission Project Segment E – Southeast Idaho – South Central Idaho (Populus – Midpoint 500 kV)



No Open Yes Yes

Gateway West Transmission Project Segment E, Southeast Idaho – South Central Idaho (Populus – Cedar Hill - Hemingway 500 kV)



No Open






Primary Purpose


Project Status

2022 CCTA?

2024 CCTA?

Great Basin HVDC Great Basin Energy Development, LLC (GBHVDC)

<450-kV DC 12/31/2020 Economic driven

No Planned

Harcuvar Transmission Project

Central Arizona Water Conservation District

200-300-kV AC

1/1/2018 No Open

Hassayampa - North Gila 500-kV #2 line

Arizona Public Service


Yes Open Yes Yes

Hemingway-Captain Jack 500-kV Transmission Line

PacifiCorp >450-kV AC 10/4/2050 No Open






Primary Purpose


Project Status

2022 CCTA?

2024 CCTA?

High Plains Express Transmission Project

Black Hills Corporation, Colorado Springs Utilities, Public Service Company of New Mexico, Public Service Company of Colorado (Xcel Energy), Salt River Project, Tri-state Generation &Transmission, LS Power, Nextera Energy, Western Area Power Administration, and Wyoming Infrastructure Authority

300-450-kV AC;#>450-kV AC


No Suspended

Hoodoo Wash Loop-in of Hassayampa-North Gila 500-kV #1 Line



Yes Completed






Primary Purpose


Project Status

2022 CCTA?

2024 CCTA?

Hughes Transmission Project:

Basin Electric Power Cooperative

<200-kV AC 1/1/2009 No Completed

I-5 Corridor Reinforcement Project (Castle Rock - Troutdale)

Bonneville Power Administration (BPA)


No Planned Yes Yes

Interior to Lower Mainland Transmission (ILM) Project

BC Hydro >450-kV AC 10/31/2015 Reliability driven

Yes Open Yes Yes

Juan de Fuca HVDC Sea Cable

Sea Breeze Pacific Juan de Fuca Cable, LP

200-300-kV AC


No Open

Juan de Fuca II HVDC Cable

Sea Breeze Pacific Regional Transmission System, Inc. (SBP-RTS)

<200-kV AC 6/1/2018 No Open






Primary Purpose


Project Status

2022 CCTA?

2024 CCTA?

Lamar-Front Range Public Service of Colorado (PSCo) & Tri-State G&T

300-450-kV AC


No Open

Lamar-Vilas Public Service of Colorado and Tri-State G&T

200-300-kV AC


No Open

Lassen 230-kV East/West Tie

Lassen Municipal Utility District

200-300-kV AC


No Open

Lucky Corridor Transmission Project

Lucky Corridor, LLC 300-450-kV AC


No Open

Montana Alberta Tie-Line

Enbridge Inc. Montana Alberta Tie Ltd. MATL LLP

200-300-kV AC

9/18/2013 Yes Completed Yes

Morgan-Sun Valley 500-kV Line



No Open Yes Yes






Primary Purpose


Project Status

2022 CCTA?

2024 CCTA?

Mountain States Transmission Intertie (MSTI) (Townsend-Midpoint 500 kV)

Northwestern Energy


No Open

Navajo Transmission Project Segment #1 (Four Corners - Marketplace 500 kV)

Dine Power Authority

<200-kV AC 1/1/2010 No Suspended

North Gila - Imperial Valley #2 Project

Southwest Transmission Partners, LLC


No Open

North Gila- Orchard 230-kV Line


200-300-kV AC


No Open

NorthernLights TransCanada Energy >450-kV DC 1/1/2015 Yes Cancelled

Northwest Transmission Line

BC Hydro 200-300-kV AC


Yes Completed Yes






Primary Purpose


Project Status

2022 CCTA?

2024 CCTA?

NV Energy Robinson - Harry Allen 500-kV Line


No Open

One Nevada Line (ON Line)

NV Energy (NVE) and Great Basin Transmission South (GBT-South)


Yes Completed Yes

Palm Valley-TS2-Trilby Wash 230-kV Line


200-300-kV AC


No Open

Path 27 Upgrade ( Intermountain DC Line)

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power


Path 3 – Northwest to British Columbia – South to North Rating Increase

British Columbia Hydro

>450-kV DC 8/8/2011 Economic driven

Yes Completed

Path 42 Upgrade Project (SCE's Scope of Work)

SCE 200-300-kV AC


No Open






Primary Purpose


Project Status

2022 CCTA?

2024 CCTA?

Path 54 Upgrades-Coronado to Silver King 500-kV increase to 1494MW

Salt River Project <200-kV AC 12/31/2010 No Completed

Path 55 – Brownlee East Increase to 1915 MW

Idaho Power <200-kV AC 1/1/2008 No Completed

Path 8 Upgrade/Colstrip Transmission Upgrade

NorthWestern Energy (NWE), and some or all of the Colstrip Transmission System (CTS) (east of Townsend), Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) (west of Townsend)


No Open Yes Yes

Pawnee-Daniels Park Public Service Company of Colorado

300-450-kV AC


No Planned






Primary Purpose


Project Status

2022 CCTA?

2024 CCTA?

Pawnee-Smoky Hill Public Service of Colorado (PSCo)

300-450-kV AC


Yes Completed Yes

Pinal Central – Sundance 230-kV Line


200-300-kV AC


No Open

Pinal Central-Tortolita

Tucson Electric Power Co.


Yes Open Yes Yes

Pinal West-Pinal Central-Browning (SEV)

Salt River Project >450-kV AC 4/30/2014 Reliability driven

Yes Open Yes Yes

Renewable Zone 4 to Harry Allen


No Suspended

RTI Dixie-Oreana NV Energy 300-450-kV AC


No Suspended

San Francisco Bay Area Bulk Transmission Reinforcement

Pacific Gas & Electric

≥450-kV DC 1/1/2013 No Cancelled






Primary Purpose


Project Status

2022 CCTA?

2024 CCTA?

San Luis Rio Colorado (SLRC) Project

North Branch Resources, Generadora del Desierto, SA de CV, and Western Area Power Administration

200-300-kV AC


No Open

San Luis Valley-Calumet-Comanche

Public Service of Colorado (PSCo) and Tri-State G&T

200-300-kV AC;#300-450-kV AC


No Suspended Yes

South Orange County Reliability Enhancement (SOCRE)

San Diego Gas & Electric

<200-kV AC;#200-300-kV AC


No Planned

Southern Navajo (Path 51) Upgrade Project

APS, Bureau of Rec., SRP, TEP


Southern Nevada Intertie Project (SNIP)

Great Basin Transmission, LLC


No Planned






Primary Purpose


Project Status

2022 CCTA?

2024 CCTA?

Southline Transmission Project (Afton-Apache)

Southline Transmission, L.L.C.

300-450-kV AC


No Open

Southline Transmission Project (Apache-Saguaro)

Southline Transmission, L.L.C.

200-300-kV AC


No Open

Southwest Intertie Project - North (SWIP-North)

Great Basin Transmission, LLC


No Planned

Sun Valley – Trilby Wash 230-kV Line


200-300-kV AC


No Open

Sunrise Powerlink San Diego Gas & Electric


Yes Completed Yes






Primary Purpose


Project Status

2022 CCTA?

2024 CCTA?

SunZia Southwest Transmission Project

SouthWestern Power Group II, MMR Group, Salt River Project, Tucson Electric Power, Shell WindEnergy, and Tri-State Generation & Transmission Association


No Open

Talega-Escondido / Valley-Serrano 500-kV Interconnect

Nevada Hydro Company, Inc.


No Open

Test Test 200-300-kV AC

12/14/2024 Yes Open

Tot 7 Expansion Public Service of Colorado (PSCo)

200-300-kV AC;#300-450-kV AC


No Open






Primary Purpose


Project Status

2022 CCTA?

2024 CCTA?

TOT3 Archer Interconnection Project

Tri-State G&T 200-300-kV AC;#300-450-kV AC

6/30/2016 No Open

TOT3 Upgrade Project – Miracle Mile – Ault Upgrade

Western Area Power Administration


Tracy-Viewland 345 kV

NV Energy 300-450-kV AC


No Suspended

TransWest Express Transmission Project

TransWest Express, LLC


No Planned

Tres Amigas Tres Amigas, LLC 300-450-kV AC


No Planned

Triton HVDC Sea Cable Project

Sea Breeze Pacific Regional Transmission System, Inc. (SBP-RTS)

<200-kV AC 6/1/2018 No Open






Primary Purpose


Project Status

2022 CCTA?

2024 CCTA?

Walla Walla to McNary 230 kV (Energy Gateway Segment A)


12/31/2017 Tariff driven

No Open Yes

WECC - Eastern Interconnect DC Tie Upgrade Project

21st Century Transmission, LLC a subsidiary of Energy Capital Partners, LLC

200-300-kV AC


No Open

West Coast Cable Project

Sea Breeze Pacific West Coast Cable, LP

<200-kV AC 6/5/2017 No Cancelled

West of McNary Reinforcement Project Group 1 (McNary - John Day)

Bonneville Power Administration


Yes Completed Yes

West of McNary Reinforcement Project Group 2 (Big Eddy - Knight)

Bonneville Power Administration


Yes Open Yes Yes






Primary Purpose


Project Status

2022 CCTA?

2024 CCTA?

West Side Tie NV Energy >450-kV AC 12/12/2018 Policy driven

No Suspended

Western Spirit Clean Line

Western Spirit Clean Line LLC Clean Line Energy Partners LLC

300-450-kV AC

1/1/2018 No Open

Westside Tie 345/500 kV

NV Energy 300-450-kV AC;#>450-kV AC


No Suspended

Wyodak South 230-kV line

Black Hills Power <200-kV AC 1/1/2010 No Completed

Wyoming-Colorado Intertie Project

Wyoming-Colorado Intertie, LLC (member of LS Power Group) and Wyoming Infrastructure Authority

300-450-kV AC

1/1/2017 Tariff driven

No Open






Primary Purpose


Project Status

2022 CCTA?

2024 CCTA?

Zephyr DATC (Duke-American Transmission Co.)


No Open



Appendix D - Comparison to the 204 CCTA

The 2026 CCTA has many of the same projects as the 2024 CCTA as well as some new ones. Since development of the CCTA, transmission projects have been completed and cancelled/suspended. The 2024 CCTA included 22 projects; the 2026 CCTA includes 16 projects.

New Projects within the Project Information Portal

The following project is a new addition:

• Delaney – Colorado River (Ten West Link) • Energy Gateway: Wallula – McNary • Centennial II: Harry Allen – Eldorado • Pawnee – Daniels Park

2024 CCTA Projects in service:

• Central Ferry – Lower Monumental • Desert Basin – Pinal Central • Devers – Colorado River 500-kV Transmission Line Project • Energy Gateway: Segment G; Sigurd – Red Butte 345-kV line • Hassayampa – North Gila #2 • Interior to Lower Mainland Transmission (ILM) Project • Pinal Central – Tortolita • Pinal West – Pinal Central – Browning (SEV)

2022 CCTA Projects cancelled, suspended, or on hold:

• Path 8 Upgrade/Colstrip Transmission Upgrade



Glossary –

AC: Alternating Current - A type of electrical current, the direction of which is reversed at regular intervals or cycles in the U.S. the standard is 120 reversals or 60 cycles per second.

AESO: Alberta Electric System Operator

Backbone facility: Backbone transmissions are those facilities that provide network connectivity that are 345 kV or above for most of the Western Interconnection, but in certain Western sub-regions that voltage may only be 230 kV.

BCCPG: British Columbia Coordinated Planning Group

CAISO: California Independent System Operator

CCPG: Colorado Coordinated Planning Group

CCTA: Common Case Transmission Assumptions

Congestion: A condition that exists when transmission system constraints prevent the dispatch of lowest cost resources to meet system loads.

CTPG: California Transmission Planning Group

DC: Direct Current - A type of electricity transmission and distribution by which electricity flows in one direction through the conductor

DOE: U.S. Department of Energy - The federal agency designed “to advance the national, economic, and energy security of the United States; to promote scientific and technological innovation in support of that mission; and to ensure the environmental cleanup of the national nuclear weapons complex.”

EIS: Environmental Impact Statement

Electric Load: An end-use device or customer that receives power from the electric system.

Generation: The process of producing electricity by transforming other forms or sources of energy into electrical energy; measured in kilowatt-hours.

IRP: Integrated Resource Plan - A plan developed by an electric power provider, sometimes as required by a public regulatory commission or agency, that defines the short and long term capacity additions (supply side) and demand side management programs that it will undertake to meet projected energy demands.

MW: Megawatt - One thousand kilowatts, or 1 million watts; standard measure of electric power plant generating capacity.



NTTG: Northern Tier Transmission Group

Path: Path, or Transmission Path - A single or set of transmission lines with an established rating. There are 66 WECC-rated paths in the Western Interconnection. Paths are analogous to the term “flowgate” used in other parts of North America.

PIP: Transmission Project Information Portal.

PCM: Production Cost Model - An analytic representation of an electrical generation and transmission system used to determine the most efficient dispatch of generation to meet system loads within the reliability constraints on power system operations.

ROW: Right of Way - A corridor of land on which electric lines may be located. The Transmission Owner may own the land in fee, own an easement, or have certain franchise, prescription, or license rights to construct and maintain lines.

RPCG: Regional Planning Coordination Group – Coordinates regional planning activities of mutual interest. Previously the Subregional Planning Group (SPG) or Subregional Coordination Group (SCG).

SCG: SPG Coordination Group - Coordinates SPG activities of mutual interest. Now the Regional Planning Coordination Group (RPCG).

SCG: Foundational Projects List - The SCG facilitated the preparation of and developed the criteria for the SCG Foundational Transmission Projects List. The list identified projects having a high probability of being in-service by 2020. These projects provide an assumed minimum transmission system starting point for TEPPC’s future planning studies, and are included as inputs into the 2011 WECC 10-Year Regional Transmission Plan.

SIERRA: Sierra Sub-regional Planning Group

SPG: Sub-regional Planning Group - An organization that coordinates planned transmission system changes within a defined geographical area in the Western Interconnection. WECC currently recognizes nine SPGs in the Western Interconnection: Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO), British Columbia Coordinated Planning Group (BCCPG), California Independent System Operator (CAISO), Colorado Coordinated Planning Group (CCPG), ColumbiaGrid, California Transmission Planning Group (CTPG), Northern Tier Transmission Group (NTTG), Sierra Subregional Planning Group (SSPG), and Southwest Area Transmission (SWAT).

SPSC: State-Provincial Steering Committee - The SPSC consists of appointees from each state and province in the Western Interconnection, and comprises one-third of the SPSG membership. The Western States’ Water Council and the Western Governors’ Wildlife Council are ex-officio members of the SPSC. The purpose of the SPSC is to provide input to Western Interconnection transmission planning and analysis.



Stakeholder: A person or entity interested or wishing to participate in WECC’s planning activities.

Study Case: A set of load, resource, and network topology conditions used to model the performance of the Western Interconnection transmission grid.

Study Program: A set of studies, developed under the provision of the TEPPC Transmission Planning Protocol, to be completed by TEPPC within that study year. Each Study Program is developed based on consideration and prioritization of all study requests received for that year.

SWAT: Southwest Area Transmission.

TEPPC: Transmission Expansion Planning Policy Committee - A WECC Board committee that conducts and facilitates economic transmission planning for the Western Interconnection. TEPPC activities include fulfilling transmission owner/operator and Subregional Planning Group planning requirements under FERC Order 890. TEPPC has a balanced membership comprised of individuals from WECC-member organizations and stakeholders.

Transmission: An interconnected group of lines and associated equipment for the movement or transfer of electric energy between points of supply and points at which it is transformed for delivery to customers or is delivered to other electric systems.

Under construction: Physically building the facility.

WECC: Western Electricity Coordinating Council - The Regional Entity responsible for coordinating and promoting Bulk Electric System reliability in the Western Interconnection.

Western Interconnection: The interconnected electrical system that encompasses the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia, the northern portion of Baja California (Mexico), and all or portions of the 14 western states in between.



Acknowledgements

Regional Planning Coordination Group (RPCG) Leadership

Gary DeShazo – California Independent System Operator, RPCG Chair

Jeff Hein – Colorado Coordinated Planning Group, RPCG Vice Chair

Regional Planning Coordination Group (RPCG) Members

Gary DeShazo – California Independent System Operator

Steve Metague – California Transmission Planning Group

Jeff Hein – West Connect

Paul Didsayabutra – ColumbiaGrid

John Leland – Northern Tier Transmission Group

Phil Sanchez – Sierra Subregional Planning Group

Patrick Harwood – Southwest Area Transmission

Ebrahim Rahimi – Alberta Electric System Operator

John Rich – BC Coordinated Planning Group

Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC)

Vijay Satyal – Sr Energy Policy Analyst PhD – RPCG Liaison

Colby Johnson – Associate Staff Engineer – CCTA Review Lead

Jon Jensen – Staff Engineer

Byron Woertz – Manager System Adequacy Planning WECC

The RPCG would like to thank all stakeholders who have dedicated their time, effort and resources contributing to this work.



Disclaimer

WECC receives data used in its analyses from a wide variety of sources. WECC strives to source its data from reliable entities and undertakes reasonable efforts to validate the accuracy of the data used. WECC believes the data contained herein and used in its analyses is accurate and reliable. However, WECC disclaims any and all representations, guarantees, warranties, and liability for the information contained herein and any use thereof. Persons who use and rely on the information contained herein do so at their own risk.

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