transmission

Input files

1. cost_hurdle_country.csv: Indicates the hurdle rate for transmission flows between USA/Canada and USA/Mexico. Unknown source.
2. r_rr_adj.csv: Set of zones that are adjacent to each other, including Canada/Mexico zones.
3. rev_transmission_basecost.csv: Base transmission costs (before terrain mlutipliers) used in reV. Sources for numeric values are:
   1. TEPPC: https://www.wecc.org/Administrative/TEPPC_TransCapCostCalculator_E3_2019_Update.xlsx
   2. SCE: http://www.caiso.com/Documents/SCE2019DraftPerUnitCostGuide.xlsx
   3. MISO: https://cdn.misoenergy.org/20190212%20PSC%20Item%2005a%20Transmission%20Cost%20Estimation%20Guide%20for%20MTEP%202019_for%20review317692.pdf
      1. A more recent guide with a working link (as of 20230227) is available at https://cdn.misoenergy.org/Transmission%20Cost%20Estimation%20Guide%20for%20MTEP22337433.pdf.
   4. Southeast: Unknown source
4. routes_adjacent.csv: Set of US zones that are adjacent to each other.
5. transmission_capacity_future_baseline.csv: Historically installed (since 2010) and currently planned transmission capacity additions. Many unknown sources.
6. transmission_capacity_future_{GSw_TransScen}.csv: Available future routes for transmission capacity as specified by GSw_TransScen.
7. transmission_capacity_init_AC_NARIS2024.csv: Initial AC transmission capacities between 134 US ReEDS zones. Calculated using the code available at https://github.nrel.gov/pbrown/TSC and nodal network data from https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy21osti/79224.pdf. The method is described by Brown, P.R. et al 2023, "A general method for estimating zonal transmission interface limits from nodal network data", in prep.
8. transmission_capacity_init_AC_REFS2009.csv: Initial AC transmission capacities between 134 US ReEDS zones. Calculated for https://www.nrel.gov/analysis/re-futures.html.
9. transmission_capacity_init_nonAC.csv: Initial DC transmission capacities between 134 US ReEDS zones. Many unknown sources.
10. transmission_distance_cost_500kVac.csv: Distance and cost for a representative transmission route between each pair of 134 US ReEDS zones, assuming a 500 kV single-circuit line. Routes are determined by the reV model using a least-cost-path algorithm accounting for terrain and land type multipliers. Costs represent the appropriate base cost from rev_transmission_basecost.csv multiplied by the appropriate terrain and land type multipliers for each 90m pixel crossed by the path. Endpoints are in inputs/shapefiles/transmission_endpoints and represent a point within the largest urban area in each of the 134 ReEDS zones.
11. transmission_distance_cost_500kVdc.csv: Same as transmission_distance_cost_500kVdc.csv except assuming a 500 kV bipole DC line.

Relevant switches

1. GSw_HierarchyFile: Indicate the suffix of the inputs/hierarchy.csv file you wish to use.
   1. By default the transreg boundaries are used for operating reserve sharing, capacity credit calculations, and the boundaries for limited-transmission cases.
2. GSw_TransInvMaxLongTerm: Limit on annual transmission deployment nationwide IN/AFTER firstyear_trans_longterm, measured in TW-miles
3. GSw_TransInvMaxNearTerm: Limit on annual transmission deployment nationwide BEFORE firstyear_trans_longterm, measured in TW-miles
4. GSw_TransInvPRMderate: By default, adding 1 MW of transmission capacity between two zones increases the energy transfer capability by 1 MW but the PRM trading capability by only 0.85 MW; here you can adjust that derate
5. GSw_TransCostMult: Applies to interzonal transmission capacity (including AC/DC converters) but not FOM costs
6. GSw_TransSquiggliness: Somewhat similar to GSw_TransCostMult, but scales the distance for each inter-zone interface. So turning it up to 1.3 will increase costs and losses by 1.3, and for the same amount of GW it will increase TWmiles by 1.3.
7. GSw_TransHurdle: Intra-US hurdle rate for interzonal flows, measured in $2004/MWh
8. GSw_TransHurdleLevel: Indicate the level of hierarchy.csv between which to apply the hurdle rate specified by GSw_TransHurdle. i.e. if set to ‘st’, intra-state flows will have no hurdle rates but inter-state flows will have hurdle rates specified by GSw_TransHurdle.
9. GSw_TransRestrict: Indicate the level of hierarchy.csv within which to allow transmission expansion. i.e. if set to ‘st’, no inter-state expansion is allowed.
10. GSw_TransScen: Indicate the inputs/transmission/transmission_capacity_future_{GSw_TransScen}.csv file to use, which includes the list of interfaces that can be expanded. Note that the full list of expandable interfaces is indicated by this file plus transmission_capacity_future_default.csv (currently planned additions) plus transmission_capacity_init_AC_NARIS2024.csv (existing AC interfaces, which can be expanded by default) plus transmission_capacity_init_nonAC.csv (existing DC connections, which can be expanded by default). Applies to AC, LCC, and VSC.
11. GSw_VSC: Indicate whether to allow VSC expansion. Will only have an effect if paired with a GSw_TransScen that includes VSC interfaces.
12. GSw_PRM_hierarchy_level: Level of hierarchy.csv within which to calculate net load, used for capacity credit. Larger levels indicate more planning coordination between regions.
13. GSw_PRMTRADE_level: Level of hierarchy.csv within which to allow PRM trading. By default it’s set to ‘country’, indicating no limits. If set to ‘r’, no PRM trading is allowed.