Optimal transmission and distribution investment decisions under increasing energy scenario

Electricity transmission and distribution investment decisions resulting from a planning process require new approaches to deal with growing uncertainties on many parameters including new electricity market frameworks. Among those uncertainties we can mention high penetration of renewable energy sources (RES), including distributed energy resources (DER), as a response to carbon neutrality targets, climate change that affects resource operational planning, including hydrology, and variable renewable energy (VRE), like wind and solar photovoltaic, and demand growth (or decrease) due to economic uncertainties, electrification of load and transport, or most recently pandemic (Covid-19). Under this framework it is important to consider the social and environmental acceptance and approval of transmission and distribution projects proposed by planners to resolve congestions on a timely manner.
This report investigates how transmission and distribution planning scenarios are consistently used to ensure holistic investment decisions are made by independent system operators (ISO) or transmission system operators (TSO), depending on the jurisdiction, and distribution system operators (DSO).