The Midwest's regional transmission network operator this week announced another phase of multibillion-dollar transmission line projects as part of a four-part push to improve reliability and reduce cuts.
Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) unveiled its plans on Monday for what is known as “Tranche 2” portfolio.which includes plans for several 765 kilovolt transmission “highways” spanning parts of Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, North Dakota and Missouri.
Many of the new lines will connect to projects being built as part of the $10.4 billion Tranche 1 portfolio, which MISO approved last year. Installment 2 is projected to cost even more, between $17 billion and $23 billion. A third batch of projects will focus on the southern territory of the network operator and the fourth will concern the North-South connections.
In its presentation to stakeholders, MISO officials said the investment will help manage challenges in three areas. In MISO West, which includes Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula, 20 percent of its facilities are overloaded and annual cuts exceed 15 percent.
In its central region, which consists of parts of Illinois, Indiana and Missouri, facilities are 10% overloaded and transmission is needed to move power from west to east.
MISO's eastern region, defined as Michigan's lower peninsula, is experiencing annual cutbacks of more than 15% and 10% of facilities are overloaded. MISO said in a presentation that the transmission would help mitigate “electricity swings in imports and exports between day and night.”
Beth Soholt, executive director of the nonprofit Clean Grid Alliance, said the Tranche 2 plan is “bold” and “the direction we need to go.” The question is: is enough enough?
The regional grid is expected to see significant growth from industries, electrification, data centers and other sources, Soholt said.
“If the load increase increases faster than the grid can handle, then we're back behind the eight ball,” he said. “Now is the time to ask: Are we right-sizing this portfolio?”
Mike Schowalter, senior director of wholesale power grid transition for Fresh Energy, said he was surprised by the lack of a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) line.
“Looking long term, we're going to need the features that HVDC brings,” Schowalter said.
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A 765-kV transmission line needs taller towers and a much wider corridor than HVDC or other alternatives, Schowalter said.
“I'm a little concerned about some of the siting issues that the various states are going to have to deal with,” he said, noting that the map shows a 765-kV Minnesota River crossing.
The utilities told Schowalter that the plan has no future pockets of generation that might need additional transmission. He said the reason may be because the draft report focuses on reliability rather than interconnection limitations.
The plan also doesn't venture far into North Dakota, which has plenty of wind generation, Schowalter said. Draft plan 'will help with some congestion, but will it help enough?' he said. “Probably not. Relative to what we need, we need a lot more than that.”
Some utilities also believe that deploying HVDC lines will better resolve issues of grid instability, especially between wind-rich Southwest Minnesota and more densely populated areas to the east, Soholt said. HVDC transmits electricity more efficiently than AC lines, which have higher rates of power loss.
Utilities have often been forced to curtail wind power from southwest Minnesota due to transmission capacity issues. Clean energy advocates and others will listen closely to the business case MISO makes later on choosing transmission sites and line sizes, he said.
Soholt said comments are now being taken on the plan, and some stakeholders will offer modifications and alternatives. Some clean energy developers and members of the Clean Grid Alliance plan to propose alternatives. Some organizations are expected to argue that MISO doesn't need so much broadcasting, and others will offer a different vision, he said.
So far, MISO has only released a rough map of where the lines will run, without much detail. A stakeholder process will refine exactly where the lines will operate, Soholt said.
Stakeholder input and alternatives to the Class 2 plan will be accepted through April 5. MISO will make a final decision later this year.
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