Request Summary
Regional Electric Transmission Modeling & PRM Impacts
Co-sponsors
Description Of Issue
NorthWestern Energy and others, including other WRAP members, are exploring the opportunity to invest in Grid United’s proposed North Plains Connector (NPC) 3,000 MW regional electric transmission project. The NPC Project would connect the Pacific Northwest MID-C market with the MISO RTO and SPP RTO. The estimated NPC Project commercial operations date is in 2032.
NorthWestern would like to understand how the NPC Project would impact PRM requirements in the WRAP.
Proposed Solution
NorthWestern proposes that a task force be formed to consider how NPC and possibly other interregional transmission can be modeled and considered by WRAP. The scope would include consideration of modeling assumptions of non-firm imports on NPC and/or other lines and/or similar assessments or modeling treatment.
Specific Document And Language
None
Suggested Language Update
None
Benefits
Additional regional transmission interchange into the WRAP footprint is beneficial to all WRAP participants in that:
1) It can facilitate capacity transfers that would otherwise not exist.
2) New interregional transmission may likely result in lower PRMs in a WRAP region because new interchange import capacity will allow a LRZ to utilize capacity outside the LRZ. For example, WRAP members benefit from the CAISO capacity that is imported during CCH into the WRAP footprint, which results in lower PRMs than would otherwise be possible. Likewise, WRAP members may very well benefit from SPP RTO and MISO RTO capacity that could be imported into the WRAP footprint during CCH using the NPC Project transmission capacity.
Data Or Information
If even a small reduction in a region’s PRMs can be made, due to new interchange capacity made available from a regional transmission project, that change can result in material capacity compliance savings for the region.
50,000 Estimated WRAP Northwest Subregion Peak MW Load
X 1.00% Potential PRM Savings from NPC Project Interchange
= 500 MW PRM Savings
X 1,000 Conversion to kW
= 500,000 kW PRM Savings
X $91.810 WRAP CONE per kW-Yr. (from 2022)
= $45,905,000 Estimated Annual CONE Savings from Lower PRM Resulting from NPC Project Capacity