0. THE TRES AMIGAS SUPERSTATION
UNITING THE NATION’S ELECTRIC POWER GRID
THE TRES AMIGAS SUPERSTATION
Transmission Summit West
September 20, 2010

1. 20th Century Electric Transmission Grid
Utility Controlled

2. Customer Desires & Configurations
21st Century Electric Transmission Grid
Customer Desires & Configurations

3. LARGE INTERCONNECTED AC TRANSMISSON SYSTEMS

4. Common Interconnected AC System Problems
Diminishing Returns with large interconnected AC Systems
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 limitation factors
Interconnections
Uncontrolled Load flow problems and bottlenecks
Congestion Issues
Inter Area loop flow
Cascading Blackouts
Oscillation Stability
Frequency control
Voltage Stability
Physical interactions between power systems

5. Common Interconnected AC System Problems
High Cost of Interconnections
Reliability Costs: NERC, RC, Relaying
N-1 criteria often creates underutilization of transmission lines
Complex coordinating arrangements (RTOs, IA, JOAs, etc.)
Need for sophisticated and costly system impact studies
Participation agreement complications with multiple impacted entities
Regional/Subregional perturbations/phenomena difficult and costly to analyze and manage
Deterministic planning practices do not capture the true economic value of transmission additions/upgrades

6. Next Step – The Evolution to Fast Acting HVDC
The only way to interconnect large AC power grids with different phases 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 the power flow at each node of a multipoint configuration thereby facilitating the precise needs of the interconnection points without adverse impacts to the interconnecting grid
HVDC has the flexibility not only to adapt to grids with different AC system real time characteristics but to also facilitate optional ancillary services to each interconnection node

7. From USDOE Office of Electric Delivery and Energy Reliability
“Presently, only 30% of all power generated uses power electronics somewhere between the point of generation and end use.  BY 2030, 80%of all electric power will flow through power electronics .”
Power electronics moves beyond devices that simply provide increased awareness, such as Phasor measurement systems.  These devices will respond to, interface with and control real time power flows.

8. Benefits of Power electronics
Increased power system reliability and security
Increased efficiency and loading  of existing transmission and distribution 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 devices will largely be eliminated electrically

9. 21st century smart grid technologies compared with those in use today.
Source: IBM Institute for Business Value

10. Hierarchical View of the Issues facing the European Transmission System Operators (TSOs)
Source: ENTSO-E: The pathway towards common European network operation

11. Status of Global transmission development

12. China: Current HVDC National Grid Plan

13. China: Current HVDC National Grid Plan

14. Europe: Extended Grid Plan
From Iceland (Northwest) to Israel (Southeast) = 3,200 mi
Concept of grid is 25,000 miles of line
Solar Power
Wind Power
Geothermal
Hydro
Biomass
Connections already in place or planned
Vision of ABB and DLR
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. And parts of it already exist.

15. Europe: Extended Grid Plan
From Iceland (Northwest) to Israel (Southeast) = 3,200 mi
Concept of grid is 25,000 miles of line
Solar Power
Wind Power
Geothermal
Hydro
Biomass
Connections already in place or planned
Vision of ABB and DLR
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. And parts of it already exist.

16. U.S.: National Grid Concept
Concept of DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory and American Electric Power Company
D.C and 765 KV AC lines

17. The Location
Tres Amigas Is Ideally Situated in Eastern New Mexico Near the Borders of CO, OK and TX Serving as a Three-Way Interconnection of WECC, Eastern and ERCOT

18. The Location: Regional Renewable Resource Potential
Significant Regional Wind & Solar Capacity Factors in Excess of 35%
Source: NREL

19. From the 2010 Transmission Summit in Sweetwater
This map superimposes 3 proposed HVDC projects: Santa Fe 500 kV HVDC line from Clovis NM to markets west in AZ, NV and CA, the Tres Amigas Super Substation outside Clovis NM, and the Central and Eastern Clean Line dual 500 kV HVDC lines from western SPP to TVA. These HVDC projects are only viable with robust EHV networks.
These proposed HVDC projects only complicate the difficult task to coordinate plans and line routes as noted on slide 3.
w/ HVDC Proposals

20. The Tres Amigas SuperStation

21. Tres Amigas SuperStation…. Uniting the Electric Grid