WREZ and UREZ Transmission

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WREZ and UREZ Transmission

• Doug Larson
• Executive Director
• Western Interstate Energy Board
• July 16, 2009

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Outline of Presentation

• Overview of WREZ project
• WREZ Phase 2 (conceptual transmission plans)
• Proposed transmission projects
• Historical transmission flows and schedules
• Federal activities
• Suggestions

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WREZ Project Phases

• Phase 1
• Identify developable renewable energy zones
• Develop renewable resource supply curves for each
  zone
• Phase 2
• Develop model to estimate delivered price of
  power from renewable energy zones to load centers
• Develop conceptual transmission plans
• Phase 3
• Foster coordinated renewable resource acquisition
  by utilities
• Phase 4
• Facilitate interstate transmission for renewables

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WREZ Hubs
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WREZ and UREZ Areas
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WECC Study Request

• Request 1 Near-Term Analysis RPS
  Requirements (Reference Case)
• Request 2 Near-Term Analysis 25 Renewables
  for CO2 Targets
• Request 3 Long-Term Analysis 33 Renewables
• Request 4 Transmission superhighway overlay

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WREZ Delivered Cost Model
http//www.westgov.org/wga/initiatives/wrez/gtm/mo
del.htm
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Major Transmission Projects
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Major Transmission Proposals and WREZ Hubs
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Transmission Paths
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Percent of Time Flows and Schedules Above 75 of
Paths Capacity
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Federal Activities

• DOI renewables initiatives
• Litigation on Section 368 energy corridors across
  federal lands
• Pending legislation

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DOI Solar Initiative

• June 20 announcement
• Interior Department targeting 24 federal land
  tracts in six Western States for evaluation for
  solar generation
• Up to 100,000 MW of potential generation
• Evaluation to be completed in late 2010

• Areas under evaluation

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Suggestions (1)

• Compare delivered price of power from Utah hubs
  and other hubs
• Use the WREZ model and test sensitivities to
  changes in assumptions
• Participate in future WREZ model webinar to see
  what LSEs (including Pacificorp) are finding
• Require comparison as part of IRPs
• Examine potential collector system in Utah REZs

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Suggestions (2)

• Evaluate effects of mega projects on flows in
  Utah
• Right sizing of new transmission
• Would mega projects create new opportunites for
  counterflows?
• How would configuration of mega projects affect
  Utah access to lower costs renewables
• Examine ways to lower integration costs
• Ability to mix renewables from diverse locations
• Complementary generation and storage